The embedded media player should appear below, but if not, the interview can be found on archive.org.

(if you’re interested in the concept of ‘hacker literacies’, Rafi’s just had a paper published)

In a word, WOW! Thank you everyone for your contributions to this years #500words campaign. It’s been another fantastic campaign and we’re still gathering together all of the unofficial posts which we’ll list below. All of this year’s posts are available via the ‘Take 2′ listings on Google Docs.

Unofficial Purpos/ed Contributions

• Damo Ward: the purpose of education is to: aspire, motivate, and achieve
• Camilla Cook: what kind of toy is your brain?

Have you got #500words to share on the purpose(s) of education? Let us know in the comments below!

The final post of what’s been a fantastic Purpos/ed #500words campaign today is James Elmash who writes:

So it all comes back to the purpose of education being a filtering system. You see even though I’d never get a job without GCSE maths, I wouldn’t need to be able to express the square root of 18 in surd form while cutting hair. When I worked in a restaurant making desserts, I didn’t need any skills beyond year 9 food technology lessons.

I asked two friends and a teacher what they thought the purpose of education was, and they gave me a four word answer; “To get a job”. The teacher actually said “get the skills to gain employment”, which when translated from jargon reads; “to get a job”. And really, I think that is as deep as it goes. You get an education to get the qualifications that stop employers disregarding your CV.

You can continue reading James’ contribution at: http://billericayschool.net/speakup/2012/05/nothing-much-38/ (please do leave comments for him!)

The list of all contributors during this campaign is at: http://bit.ly/purposedu500

The penultimate post of week five of the Purpos/ed #500words campaign today is Andrew Old who writes:

I swear to teach to the best of my ability. I swear to do everything I can to develop my students’ intellects; to teach them some of the best of that which has been thought and known. I want my students to partake in the full fruits of their civilisation and will not willingly leave anybody ignorant or convinced of a falsehood.

You can continue reading Andrew’s contribution at: http://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/a-teachers-oath/ (please do leave comments for him!)

The list of all contributors during this campaign is at: http://bit.ly/purposedu500

Moving forward into week five of the Purpos/ed #500words campaign today is Rachael Hincks Knight who writes:

In my career I have always been interested in stimulating children’s (and indeed my current students’) curiosity, to encourage them to ask questions and to think deeper. I believe passionately in inclusion; that all children should attend their local mainstream school and that this should be a place where all children can thrive…

Learning is a social process, and if we look to Marxist theories, it is societal; nothing can be achieved without the ideas and knowledge from someone else.

You can continue reading Rachael’s contribution at: http://rachaelhincksknight.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/the-purpose-of-education (please do leave comments for her!)

The list of all contributors during this campaign is at: http://bit.ly/purposedu500

Starting us off in week five of the Purpos/ed #500words campaign today is Colin Maxwell who writes:

It’s about caring. It’s caring whether your students do well, it’s caring about your students’ aspirations, it’s about caring enough that you’ll put in the extra hours to ensure the marking is done, it’s about caring enough to spend time updating your knowledge & skills. Caring leads to action, leads to transformation.

Most of all, education is about teaching others to care about the things that matter.

You can continue reading Colin’s contribution at: http://colinmaxwell.wordpress.com/2012/05/28/misplaced-purpose-500words/ (please do leave comments for him!)

The list of all contributors during this campaign is at: http://bit.ly/purposedu500

Rounding off week four of the Purpos/ed #500words campaign today is James Ballard who writes:

For me delight is the interest that can spark a connection with the world. Interest-driven learning or rhizomatic learning provide examples where there aren’t ‘things people should know’ but rather ‘new connections to be made’. The purpose of education and importance of teachers becomes to help learners follow their delights and make new connections; the community becomes the curriculum

You can continue reading James’ contribution at: http://infiniterooms.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/the-purpose-of-education-is-to-delight-purposedu-500words (please do leave comments for him!)

The list of all contributors during this campaign is at: http://bit.ly/purposedu500

Coming to the end of week four of the Purpos/ed #500words campaign today is Tristan Ashman, who writes:

So perhaps the purpose of education is to get ourselves back onto a more human path, to somehow nurture and support the new generation to not only come to terms with their miserable legacy, but to transform it. We need to help our youngsters find the strength and confidence to go beyond the shallowness of the world we are leaving to them, and empower them to take a leap into a brighter future.

You can continue reading Tristan’s contribution at: http://tristanashman.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/my-500-words.html (please do leave comments for him!)

The list of all contributors during this campaign is at: http://bit.ly/purposedu500

Moving on strongly into week four of the Purpos/ed #500words campaign today is Julia Skinner, who writes:

…I think I was stuck in the ‘school is where most education occurs’ way of thinking.

As a retired headteacher I suppose that was a natural position to take. However, the learning I have achieved and the ‘education’ I have received in the past two years has added another layer to my definition and that is about the longevity of learning.

Thinking about it, it links well with an event that is happening in the country at the moment – that of the Olympic torch relay and the lighting of the flame. Now you may ask how on earth that is anything to do with education and its purpose. Well there are a number of similarities.

Firstly…

You can continue reading Julia’s contribution at: http://www.theheadsoffice.co.uk/the-purpose-of-education-is-to-burn-brightly (please do leave comments for her!)

The list of all contributors during this campaign is at: http://bit.ly/purposedu500

Keeping the momentum going in week four of the Purpos/ed #500words campaign today is Miles Berry, who writes:

I think there has to be a moral purpose to education: thinking and acting for oneself are fine, but these should be so that others’ lives too are improved. Acting for one’s own gain, without wishing similar for others, departs from any morality which might claim rational justification.

So, at its heart, the purpose of education is to nurture curiosity, confidence and character.

You can continue reading Miles’ contribution at: http://milesberry.net/2012/05/on-the-purpose-of-education (please do leave comments for him!)

The list of all contributors during this campaign is at: http://bit.ly/purposedu500