The basis for all learning is forming connections. Why then, is the foundation of all formal education separation?
Here we are. It’s 2026. We are at least five years beyond a global pandemic that seemingly disrupted all aspects of life. I think we are five years beyond, but honestly, I don’t know because it seems like it was yesterday and 50 years ago simultaneously. For a long time, I was waiting for the world to go back to normal. But I think it’s time to realize that whatever the idea of normal was is not returning. The world, in some ways, seems to have gone crazy. And, compared to some of the decades that were part of my life, it has. A little perspective lets me know that there have been many other tumultuous times in human history. And, perhaps there is no normal at all. There just is.
Before I get far to philsophical, I’ll get to the point of this post. The world is different now than it ever has been in my lifetime. Let’s say, since 1980. And because of this new normal, it’s my contention that education must be transformed now to adapt to the change. The transformation in education that is needed is about becoming connected. I’m going to outline this idea here and return to it in future posts to keep laying out the vision.
What is Connected Learning?
Connected learning is the realization that everything is one. The overall trend is that much of formal education is to identify differences, divide based on differences, and work to accentuate them.
There is no better way to see the illustration of this than in the way that school subjects are divided. From the earliest primary grades, students learn that there is math and reading. Then, there is math, reading, science, and social studies. While all the while, there are other subjects that are labeled as “specials” that students attend once in a while, such as music, art, and physical education. Our educational system artificially divides areas of life into “subjects” and then qualifies them. You see, music isn’t as important as math because we do math every day, and music for 30 minutes once per week. And if there are budget cuts to be made, it won’t be the reading program that is cut, but the art room will certainly be the first to go. This division of knowledge is only accentuated as students progress to the higher grades and into higher education.
My contention here is that there are no subjects in life. There is just life, experiences, and knowledge. And when we label them and qualify them, we damage one’s ability to make Connections, to learn, and to live. I see a new, Connected school system that teaches life. It focuses on the whole of life, what it means to be human, and what the pursuit of the good life is.
Connected People
The labeling of and division of people within educational systems is equally as troubling and damaging as the division of knowledge and experiences. There are teachers and students. There are students who are gifted, students who are in learning support, emotional support, regular education students, and the list could honestly go on forever. Eventually, as that list gets drawn out, you’ll see that the system labels students as being smart and dumb. And, these labels are based on a very finite set of skills that may relate to one-ninth or less of what researchers consider to be intelligence.
My contention here is that there are no people who are smart or dumb in life. There are no students who are regular or gifted. There are no teachers or students. There are just people. And, the minute that the labeling and the dividing start, damage is done, and a system that benefits the few and marginalizes or even damages the many is set in motion in ways that are perpetual, generational, and irreversible.
New Learning in a Crazy World
The divisions that I just described are not new. They are essentially structures that form the very foundation for all of formal education. But what I’m suggesting is that it is truly time for an educational revolution. The revolution acknowledges what it is to be human and builds structures based on connections rather than divisions. There are no school subjects that are divisions of knowledge. There is just knowledge and experience. There are no groups or labels of teachers and students. There are just people. A new system built on connections acknowledges the connected nature of everything, that we are all one. This connected system teaches all how to live together in pursuit of what is good. The good life, the life that is connected to the core of what it means to be human and to live life in the ways that allow us all to flourish together, is possible.
Connected, Together
The last time that I heard someone talk about what a good life is, and what it means to pursue happiness and richness of life and spirit in public education was exactly never. I firmly believe that needs to change if education, which is just life itself, is to transform in ways that meet the new reality of the seemingly crazy world. The world is not truly crazy. It, and the people who are living in it, just need to find ways to acknowledge their connections and build those connections together.
This concept of connected learning may seem a bit crazy itself to those coming from a traditional perspective and mindset. But, ask yourself if it also seems crazy to believe that raising a student’s score on an Algebra I test by five points also seems like a strange proposition to transform his or her life? The details will come in the posts to follow, but the vision is here. To learn is to live. Connection is the key to all learning. Through connection, we can all get to a place that is beyond the disjointed craziness of today.
Disclaimer: No part of this post or my writing is generated or assisted by AI. This is writing for humans by a human.
Miles O'Shea 