One reason schools are so cautious about change is that we aren't sure of our answer to the fundamental question about school and social values. Of course, educators are a reflection of society ourselves and so we don't agree among ourselves, making it even more complex to lead a system into and through one of these debates. No matter whether educated in the 40's and 50's or the 80's and 90's, the large percentage of us who went to public school were taught from a bank of knowledge being transferred from teacher and text to student. High schools were broken up into subjects and periods, and junior highs and middle schools, when they came along, were as well. Success was measured by a lock step movement through grades and courses in a specific number of years. Compliance was rewarded and disruption was punished. Innovation and creative thinking were limited to clubs or events or perhaps a homework assignment. Read more...