A small tweak, a giant leap

A casual reading led to The Tinkering School (http://www.tinkeringschool.com/), founded by Gever Tulley. Tulley is a popular presenter in TED Conference. TED stands for technology, entertainment, design. Big names like Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Al Gore, and Nobel Prize winners presented in TED conferences. Tulley was just a regular software programmer when he reached the symposium.

Tulley attracted notice when he proposed "5 dangerous things kids need to do" at the conference. In addition to that, Tulley founded the Tinkering School. Students enrolled in the first class were teens and their parents had to sign a clause that their kids might get injured. Classes are emphasized to be practical usage. Students, sometimes with adults' help, build bridges and boats that must be able to hold their weight. Otherwise, students will fall from the bridges or sink. By the way, first class students were from close relationship like friends and relatives. Tinkering School incubates another Tulley's educational ambition: Brightworks (see the website). Brightworks added conventional education component such as issuing California accredited diploma.

Years later, kids who attended the school still remember their experience. One of Tulley's intention was to train future engineers. So it is an encouraging sign that students may explore engineering path in the future.

On the other hand, reports that, also in California, students who struggling in regular classes are allowed to go to online classes so that they can "graduate". Do we see connection between this report and reports that employers can't find qualified employees in the current job market? These are non-qualified teachers. Eliminating such online schools is a necessary fix.