Volume XII, Issue I

What is the purpose of education? Are academic or life skills more important? In this issue of KidSpirit, writers and artists around the world explore how we learn, grow, and thrive. After learning about the many diverse experiences featured in this issue, use these conversation starters to think about what you would like to teach others and brainstorm your own vision of an ideal learning environment.

1. In the Big Question department, editor Oscar Luckett weighs the pros and cons of considering morality when we decide what to teach in school. In “Should Education Teach Right From Wrong?,” Oscar concludes that the true goal of education should be to support a student’s exploration of new topics and thinking as an individual, rather than providing a certain answer. Think about a time when a teacher or adult suggested there was only one “right” answer when you felt there was a “gray” area. If you were in their position, how would you have handled it?

2. Abdullah Sayed shares the importance of Islam in his life and his desire to correct misconceptions about the religion in his Interfaith Connections article, “The Crescent and I.” Abdullah expresses his gratitude to his parents and older members of the New York City Muslim community for enduring hardship so that he can participate fully in society. He speaks of how he founded the Muslim Student Association at his school, and finally felt he could be his authentic self. Is there an aspect of your life, whether it’s a hobby, passion, personality trait, or part of your background, that you feel other people misunderstand? Write a few notes about what you would like to tell them, to explain this part of yourself and change their perspective.

3. In “Connect to Learn,” a Collaborative Feature article by Iman Monnoo, Lucy Liversidge, Samarth Jajoo, Archie Ju, Annalee Whitten, and Samantha Singh, we hear about student experiences around the world. Three pairs of kids met each other over video call to compare and contrast education in their communities, finding much in common but also important differences. Imagine your dream school, or educational environment. What sorts of learning opportunities would it offer? What would the classroom experience look like (perhaps there won’t even be classrooms!)? Write or draw your vision and share it with a partner, then present your partner’s ideas to the group.

4. Shaheen Mistri, founder and CEO of Teach for India, contributes this issue’s PerSpectives article. In her article "Reimagining Education Together," Ms. Mistri explains and advocates for a collaborative method of education, where a lesson’s topic and direction is driven by the student. She explains that a child’s perspective is just as vital to the learning environment as an adult’s; “a child can bring a freshness, a propensity to laugh and have fun, an unbridled idealism and youthful energy, the courage to take risks and embrace mistakes.” Think of three areas or moments where a child’s perspective would be extremely helpful, but adults do not seek their opinion. How can adults incorporate kids’ ideas?