00:00Albert Einstein once said
00:02Everybody's a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree
00:08It will live it's whole life believing
00:13Ladies and gentlemen of the jury today on trial. We have Modern-day schooling
00:17Glad you could come not only does he make fish climb trees, but also makes them climb down and do it [10-mile] run
00:25Tell me school. Are you proud of the things you've done?
00:29Turning millions of people into robots. Do you find that fun?
00:34Do you realize how many kids relate to that fish swimming upstream in class never finding their gifts thinking?
00:41They are stupid believing. They are useless. Well the time has come no more excuses
00:46[I] call school to the stand and accuse him of killing creativity
00:50Individuality and being intellectually abusive. He's an ancient institution that has outlived his usage
00:56So your honor this concludes my opening statement, and if I may present the evidence of my case, I will prove it
01:03Proceed exhibit a here's a Modern day [phone] recognize it
01:07Here's a fall from 150 years ago big difference right stay with me
01:11Here's a car from today and here's a car from 150 years ago big difference
01:15right. Well get this, here's a classroom of today, and here's a class we use
01:22Now ain't that a shame and literally more than a century nothing has changed yet. You claim to prepare students for the future?!
01:30But what evidence like that?
01:31I must ask do you prepare students for the future or the past?
01:35I did a background check on you and let the record show that you were made to train people to work in factories
01:41Which explains why you put students in straight roles nice and neat tell them sit still raise your hand if you want to speak give
01:47'em a short break to eat and for
01:49eight hours a day tell him what to think. Oh! and make them compete to get an [A]. A letter which Determines product quality hits
01:55great a of meat. I get it back then times were different. We all have a past
02:00I myself am no Gandhi, but today
02:02We don't need to make robots-zombies. The world has progressed and now we need people who think creatively
02:10independently with the ability to connect
02:12See every scientist will tell you that no two brains are the same and every parent with two or more children will confirm that claim
02:19So please explain why you treat students like cookie cutter frames or snapback hats giving them this one-size-Fits-all
02:26crap [Judge: Watch your Language]
02:28but if a doctor prescribed the exact same medicine to all of his patients
02:33The results will be tragic so many people would get sick yet when it comes to school. This is exactly what happens this
02:40Educational malpractice where one teacher stands in front of 20 kids each one having different strains different needs different
02:47Gifts different dreams and you teach the same thing the same way. That's horrific.
02:52Ladies and gentlemen the defendant should not be acquitted this may be one of the worst criminal offenses ever
02:57To be committed and let's mention the way you treat your employees
03:01Objection overruled. [Judge:I want to hear this]. It's a shame
03:04Mean teachers have the most important job on the planet yet. They're underpaid
03:08No wonder so many students are short change let's be honest
03:12Teachers should earn just as much as doctors because a doctor can do heart surgery and save the life of a kid
03:19But a great teacher can reach the heart of that kid and allow him to truly live
03:24See teachers are heroes that often get blamed, but they're not the problem. They work in a system without many options on the wrights
03:31curriculums are created by policy [makers] most of which have never taught a day in their life just obsessed with
03:37Standardized tests they think bubbling in a multiple-choice question will determine
03:41Success that's Outlandish in fact these tests are too crude to be used and [should] be abandoned
03:47But don't take my word for it. Take Frederick J
03:49Kelley the man who invented
03:51standardized testing who said, and i quote,
03:53And I hoped these tests are too crude to be used and should be abandoned ladies and gentlemen of the jury
03:58If we continue down this road the results will be Lethal
04:02I don't have much faith in school, but I do have faith in people
04:05And if we can customize health care, cars and Facebook pages, then it is our duty to do the same for
04:12education to upgrade and change and do away with school spirit
04:15'cuz that's useless unless we're working to bring the spirit out of each and every student that should be our task
04:22no more common core instead
04:24Let's reach the core of every heart in every class sure math is important, but no more than art or dance
04:31Let's give every gift an equal chance
04:33I know this sounds like a dream
04:35but countries like Finland are doing impressive things they have shorter school days, teachers make a decent wage homework is
04:42Non-existent and they focus on collaboration
04:45Instead of competition, but here's the kicker boys and girls their educational system
04:50outperforms every other country in the world. Other places like Singapore, succeeding rapidly schools like
04:57Montessori programs like Khan academy there is no single solution
05:01But let's get moving because while students may be 20% of our population
05:05They are 100% of our future so let's attend to their dreams. There's no telling where we can achieve
05:12This is a world in which I believe a world where fish are no longer forced to climb trees
05:20I rest my case. [Applause]
