It’s quite interesting to consider the fact that education can be hacked. It all comes with how we look at it, just as Bud Hunt mentioned in his article Centering on Essential Lenses. Education and how you look at it initially goes hand in hand. If we can shift our focus and better understand and apply our experiences it’ll lead to a greater chance at success while enjoying it!
HACKING
Hacking does not mean cheating or even finding the easiest route. Looking at in a different way, hacking in a sense means making changes for the better. As I want to be a teacher after I graduate I take every new idea on how we can better education into consideration, and that can start with change. Change is a good thing. Sometimes we forget that there are other ways of doing things. We tend to get stuck in old habits. When I watched Hackingschooling makes me happy by Logan Laplante, it gave me a flash back when all adults ever did ask “what do you want to be when you grow up”. Many adults truly don’t realize children are some of the honest people. My peers always looked for answers like veterinarian, or a teacher because my mom was. Being in that position, if I wasn’t forced to pick I would’ve said something like happy or living where it’s warm. Logan brought to my attention that some students don’t think that far ahead. They want to be safe, healthy, and loved. With being a future teacher, I realized I need to change my way of thinking. I need to start by providing such a loving, creative, happy, and warm environment. If I can do that, then I can maybe inspire my students to become something they seek to be.
LEARNING
Children learn in all different ways, kinesthetically, visually, and even auditory. As teachers, we can’t just stand up there and give a lecture. That’s honestly one of my biggest pet peeves! Can you say learning hands-on works for everyone? Maybe not, but in reality, it can only benefit. Students need to MAKE their own learning. What I mean, is that we need to let students display and allocate their own learning, and teachers need to adapt. If teachers can change their ways and be open to ideas on how to look at education, we would see a lot more success! That idea that Bud Hunt shares on “making” made me think that students should be allowed to take ownership in their learning as well as the teacher being adaptable!
REFERENCE
Hunt, Author Bud. “Centering on Essential Lenses.” Bud the Teacher, 29 Jan. 2014, budtheteacher.com/blog/2012/05/24/centering-on-essential-lenses/
TEDxTalks. “Hackschooling makes me happy | Logan LaPlante | TEDxUniversityofNevada.” YouTube, YouTube, 12 Feb. 2013, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h11u3vtcpaY
LiteracyToday 
Before I watched the TED Talk and read the article I thought that hacking was a negative thing but after I became more educated about it I have a whole new outlook on what that means. Kids before high school are asked all the time what they want to be and while I think that it is good to start considering, I believe that some kids have no idea but they just want a happy and healthy future. If we as teachers tell them that is an option then their world might end up in a better place overall and they might not feel as pressured to choose a career later on.
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Hally, I thought so too! I think it’s important to start small and then introduce them to the big stuff. Thank you for your input!
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By the term hacking many people dont think of it in the way you described. But i really like the way you described it. And a agree with you that a lot of students dont look that far ahead into the future. They are mainly just concerned to with the here and now. What would you do as a teacher if you were to have your students think about their future?
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Thank you! Regarding your question on what I would do, I think I would start small. I would start by setting attainable goals, and then one big one like getting above an 80 on their next test. I would obviously depend on what student I am talking to. During that time I would also look for the students interests and maybe even take them to a career fair or have them do some research on their interests!
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