As a featured speaker at the AASA conference, Daniel Pink once again challenged educators to better prepare students for “their future and not our past.” He said that the conceptual age is made up of novelty, nuance and customization, but our schools are built on structures of routine, right answers and standardization. This misalignment needs to be addressed, but he says we should be wary of having legislators chart a course that educators better understand. He pointed to the problems with NCLB as a grand example of how things can go wrong on a national scale.

 Pink says to be wary of measuring things simply because they are measurable, and not necessarily the right things. He provokes us to tear down walls that exist between departments and disciplines. “We need to get real about delivering on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), while being careful not to turn the majesty of science into a dull recitation of facts.” He also says that schools need to infuse arts education into everything they do. “The economy today requires thinking like an artist,” he said.

 “Try something and see what works,” says Pink. “Make excellent mistakes!”