Our best example right now with pooling the community’s knowledge and using it to make a strong point is in the learning field. The following is an overview of where we stand following up on the richness of ideas shared by Edgeryders through their mission reports and input at LOTE, and practical opportunities that arised.
After the conference we ended up with two rather different takes on learning, both reformative: one that proposes tweaking current systems in terms of evaluation and openness of educational content -see the session summary by Andrea Latino, and other that’s more focused on student challenges and centered on freedom of thinking, put forward by Ola in this report where he launches a set of intriguing questions:
- Why are young people today find schooling un-neccessary or uninteresting?
- Is school preparing us to identify and solve complex problems creatively (ourselves or in group?) How can we solve that?
- How can we transform the school system from a system that today create extrinsic motivation (based on rewards & grades) to a system where youngsters can keep, find & shape intrinsic motivation (curiosity, self-guided, self-motivation)? ...
As usual, we’re calling Edgeryders to join conversation and help flesh these out! Our work trying to answer some of these questions starts with two proposals, feel free to join any!!
1. We have been invited to provide an addition to a motion of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly that states:
The use of drugs and self-harm by young people seem to be the result of a general lack of self-esteem and an inability to address the challenges and responsibilities linked to the future. [...] The weakening of family ties and the inadequacy of schooling in moral values, civil virtues and duties are fostering loneliness and very serious psychological depression in the younger generation.
Response to the motion: we’re focusing on learning initiatives and processes that surfaced from the Edgeryders community as solutions. The argument is that these measures are preventative of loneliness, violence and self-harm. How? By fostering recognition of young people, healthy communication and connections, as well as immersion in communities. Join the community as we collectively draft this!
Deadline for final report (max 5 pages) is August 20.
2. Edgeryders participate at The London Festival of Education on the 17th of November 2012.
Bridget Mckenzie will be speaking at this, and she’s planning to address how an educated person is a radical bio-empathetic resilient (a Edgeryder?), with abilities such as learning rapidly, flipping dilemmas, making and mending, creating commons. Come share your ideas, we’re working from yet another doc 
Participation is on volunteer basis, and we’re waiting confirmation regarding covered travel costs.
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For more info about other LOTE breakout sessions (Making a living, Commons, Living together, Resilience, We,the people) and different threads following up, an overall summary was written by Patrick Davenne and detailed reports by leaders of the sessions. Looking forward to read you!