Children Learning "I Can"

This is an amazing video about the children of India becoming empowered. The children were taught in the classroom that they can do things that make a difference. When they got the "I Can" attitude, as she calls it, they began to change India. The first step was teaching them in the classroom. They went from seeing the teacher doing something to being able to do it themselves. They were taught to think for themselves and then be able to solve problems for themselves. They taught their illiterate parents to be able to read and write and they cleaned up India.

This is a very important lesson we as educators can learn from and incorporate into our own classroom teaching. Is it important to teach students facts and events? Of course it is. However, it is more important to teach our children how to use resources, how to think critically, how to ask questions, and how to use what they have learned to solve problems in unique and creative ways. Change comes about with new ideas and new ways of thinking. Providing our children with these tools will empower them to better handle the economical, political, and social problems this country faces. Children that learn to think critically and use innovative problem solving will be able to change America.