ReImagining a more creative rural educational system

February 9th, 2010 by Mike Knutson

Yesterday I highlighted a video interview of Richard Florida on Big Think, emphasizing the movement of creative workers to careers in industries not usually associated with creative types.

But the bulk of his message, which I left untouched yesterday, is that we need to reimagine our educational system. You may listen (or re-listen) to the interview in the video below.

(video source: “Reinventing the way Workers Learn,” Big Think

Florida’s emphasis on the lack of social skill training in education reminded me of the advice Jim Beddow offered college students when he was the President at Dakota Wesleyan University back in the 1980s and early 1990s. He encouraged students to develop skills that enabled them to:

communicate (verbal & written)
work in a team environment
solve problems

Jim still offers this advice to young people, and has since added a forth key; learn to network (both in personal and online). To support his advice, Jim often cites successful individuals who embody these skills. Two things strike me about his list of examples. First, a great many create success outside of their chosen field of academic study. And second, these individuals are incredibly entrepreneurial and creative.

As regular readers recognize, I’m a former high school teacher, and am often a critic of the educational system in our rural communities. My primary grudge is that our current educational model was developed for the industrial economy, which means we trained them to be successful in urban communities with stronger industrial economies.

In the video interview, Florida tells us that “nibbling around the edges” of the educational system won’t develop the types of change that our country needs to grow our economy. I would agree.

But what does that mean for our rural communities? Do we have to wait until business and political leaders are ready to transform education? I hope not.

Instead, I would call on rural educators to look within their classrooms, and figure out ways that they can teach these skills to their current students. Not only will students benefit as individuals, but I think our rural communities will benefit as well.

Note: Readers may be interested in these additional video interviews of Richard Florida on Big Think

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