Questioning Education : Moving from What and How to Why and Who

In the post-pandemic world, how can we rethink the future of education as a system, process, and tradition to make lasting changes? This thought-provoking book by Sean Slade reminds us that education prepares students for their futures and yet has become stuck in the past. Slade asks us to move from our focus on education as a content-delivery system and instead reflect on its overarching purpose(s). He shows how we can shift our systems and our curriculum discussions away from beginning with the What and How, and instead start with the Why and Who.

Utilizing the metaphor of an educational solar system, he explains how fundamental questions we ask ourselves influence subsequent actions and subsequent questions. The book outlines how this is different from current trends such as PBL and service learning, how it can work in the content areas, how it can make learning relevant and meaningful, and even how it can improve tolerance and community. Throughout the book, Slade dares us to not just ponder these topics but to take the first step of real action.

Whether you’re a teacher or a leader, you will be inspired to reconsider what school is and what you have the power to do about it, so we can all play a role in improving ourselves, our systems, and our world.