The Exceptional Benefits of Mistakes

When England’s Laura Bassett kicked the soccer ball into her own team’s goal last week, England lost its Women’s World Cup semi-final match to Japan.

It was a mistake. She’d attempted to kick the ball away, of course, but the ball went left off her foot instead of right and snuck past England’s goalkeeper. Bassett wept. Her teammates hung their heads. Soccer fans throughout England were crushed.

Through all this sadness and disappointment, there’s something for us to learn. As an educator, I think there’s tremendous value in mistakes of all shapes and sizes. I maintain that every mistake can be viewed as a positive because it reveals a little bit of the truth.

If we’re solving a problem, a few solid mistakes lay the path to the solution. This morning I was conscious of the truth-revealing nature of mistakes as I dropped my two young daughters off for the first day of their one-week technology camp called “Adventures in Robotics.”

The Debugging Philosophy

During the camp, which is run by the California-based company ID Tech and held on the Evanston campus of Northwestern University, I’m hoping that my girls make hundreds of mistakes, perhaps even thousands, as they learn how to create computer programs to bring small robots to life.

Part of what they’ll learn is how to debug the instructions they type into a computer. If the program does not work properly, they’ll have to figure out why, fix it and try again.

Seymour Papert

No educator has spoken more persistently and eloquently about the value of mistakes in learning and adopting a “debugging philosophy” than mathematician and Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Seymour Papert. For decades, the now 87-year-old Papert has argued that schools have given the word “mistake” a bad name. He explains this in his 1980 book “Mindstorms” (subtitled “Children, Computers and Powerful Ideas”).

“The ethic of school has rubbed off too well. What we see as a good program with a small bug, the child sees as ‘wrong,’ ‘bad,’ ‘a mistake.’ School teaches that errors are bad; the last thing one wants to do is to pore over them, dwell on them, or think about them,” Papert writes.

He continues in his book, “The child is glad to take advantage of the computer’s ability to erase it all without any trace for anyone to see. The debugging philosophy suggests an opposite attitude. Errors benefit us because they lead us to study what happened, to understand what went wrong, and, through understanding, to fix it. Experience with computer programming leads children more effectively than any other activity to ‘believe in’ debugging.”

In 1999, I had the good fortune of taking a class with Papert at MIT while I was attending the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The class had no tests, no assignments and no textbooks. Instead, led by Papert’s questions, we spent each class discussing and debating ideas and talking through how people solve problems. It was marvelous.

“Everyone learns from mistakes”

My daughters this week will have a bit more structure in class. Their teacher, whom I met this morning, goes by Dr. Beats (aka Nathan) and studied robotic engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He will be introducing the class to LEGO Mindstorms’ robotic platform to teach them how to use motors, sensors and computer programs to create robots.

ID Tech's Dr. Beats

LEGO Mindstorms was developed through a partnership between the MIT Media Lab and LEGO. The origins go back to Papert. In the 1960s, Papert co-developed a programming language called LOGO aimed at improving the way children think and solve problems. LOGO allowed a small turtle robot to draw line graphics based on simple computer commands. It encouraged exploration and experimentation by both the students and teachers. To Papert, this is key.

“Some people who observe the children’s growing tolerance for their ‘errors’ attribute the change of attitude to the LOGO teachers who are matter-of-fact and uncritical in the presence of programs the child sees as ‘wrong,’ ” Papert writes.  “I think that there is something more fundamental going on. In the LOGO environment, children learn that the teacher too is a learner, and that everyone learns from mistakes.”

A Glimpse of the Future

In addition to making mistakes and learning from them, I hope this week my girls have fun and develop confidence in their ability to solve problems. As a parent, though, I must confess an ulterior motive. If this experience happens to ignite a spark that leads either or both of them to a future interest in computer science, that will be just fine.

I am keenly aware that as my girls reach college in 10 years and then begin their job search, computer science jobs will be abundant. In fact, over the next 10 years, there will be 1 million more computer jobs than students to fill them. Moreover, of the 6 industries expected to grow the most by 2020 (just 5 years away), technology pays the highest at an average of $78,730 a year. (See an infographic created by the Computer Science Zone.)

Credit: computersciencezone.org

The reality is that our schools are not doing enough to prepare students for these jobs. Today, 9 of 10 high schools in the U.S. don’t offer computer science classes. In addition, girls continue to not choose computer science as a major or as a career as well. Of all the computer science graduates today, only 12% are women.

So, while Laura Bassett’s mistake was on a big stage in front of millions of viewers, perhaps it also offers a glimmer of the truth. Maybe, as some soccer analysts have suggested, she was out of position slightly, allowing her opponent to get past her at a critical moment. She tried to adjust, made an error and no doubt has learned a valuable (and difficult) lesson.

During this week and well beyond, I can only hope the same for my daughters.

#LearningFromMistakes

I admit it. I might have jumped the gun calling for ESPN to fire reporter Britt McHenry.

The month-long drumbeat of Tweets calling for #firebrittmchenry has been strong and steady. To her detractors, glamorous blonde Britt has become the most hated reporter on TV, the consummate mean girl and the embodiment of snobbery.

I jumped into the fray with:  

Quick background: 28-year old Washington D.C.-based McHenry had her car towed. In retrieving it, she was spitting mad and unleashed a tirade of judgmental, caustic, insulting remarks at the female tow company employee. She basically told the lady she was fat, stupid and ugly and characterized herself as the brainy girl with looks and skills who has made it to the big time on TV.

McHenry’s tongue-lashing was recorded by the company (Advanced Towing) and, by the magic of our smart phone, social media world, the one-minute security cam footage was posted on April 16 and quickly went viral.

The story soon hit CNN and other major news outlets. McHenry Tweeted an apology. ESPN suspended her for a week, and she then resurfaced asking for people (via Twitter) to “give me a second chance to prove to you how much I value integrity, character and treating people with respect.”

Britt had a bad day. Her life blew up big time. But I’ve been doing some thinking around two things:

1.  People deserve second chances (because they can learn from their mistakes)
2.   We all have a chance to learn a great deal from other people’s mistakes

Second Chances

We are a country of second chances. Nothing makes that case better than the late Marion Barry.  Barry, as you’ll recall, served as Washington D.C.’s mayor in the 1980s. In 1990, he was videotaped smoking crack cocaine, arrested by the FBI and eventually put in jail for 6 months. After he got out in 1992, Barry was elected to the Council of the District of Columbia running on the slogan, "He May Not Be Perfect, But He's Perfect for D.C." Clever and it worked. In 1994, he was elected mayor again and served in that role until 1999.

I could make a pretty good case that the crimes of Britt McHenry don’t rise to the level of Marion Barry’s. So, on that basis alone, I’d say she’s worthy of a second chance.  If I’m honest with myself, I can say I’ve had some less than stellar moments. I can recall an event from my past in which I lost my temper a bit and had a few choice words for someone who I thought treated me unfairly.

When I was in my 20s, I was a reporter working with the now defunct City News Bureau of Chicago as a crime reporter. One night, my car was towed by “Lincoln Towing,” notorious on the city’s north side for its aggressive practices. I was pissed. It cost me over $200 to reclaim my 1983 Buick Regal, and I’m pretty sure I let the tow employee have it with a few choice words through the foot-thick dirty Plexi-glass window while I signed the credit card receipt and he dropped my car keys down into the dingy, dented metal tray.

It wasn’t my best moment. I was worked up. No video of the incident exists that I’m aware of (granted it was the late 1980s), but if one was taken and it made its way with the speed of light to my boss, my family, my friends and the general public, I am sure I’d have been equally contrite and embarrassed, wanting people to cut me some slack and give me a do-over.

Learning from Britt

When you listen to the video and consider McHenry’s statements, it’s hard to have much empathy for her.  She said a lot of bad things. Here’s a quick sprint through her quotes.

•  “I’m in the news, sweetheart.”
• “I will f#*&ing sue this place.”
• “That’s why I have a degree and you don’t.”
• “I wouldn’t work in a scumbag place like this.”
• “Makes my skin crawl even being here.”
• “Yep, that’s all you care about is just taking people’s money. With no education, no skill set, just wanted to clarify that.”
• “Do you feel good about your job?
• “So I can be a college dropout and do the same thing?”
• “Why? Because I have a brain? And you don’t?”
• “Maybe if I was missing some teeth they would hire me, huh?”
• “ ‘Cause they [the employee’s teeth] look so stunning … ‘Cause I’m on television and you’re in a f&*%ing trailer, honey.”
• “Lose some weight, baby girl.”

So, if we’re going to extract a few lessons learned here and move on, what can we agree are the salient points? I’d offer the following:

1.  Elitism – Don’t ever think you’re better than someone else because of education or because, in your view, you have a better job. Worry about yourself.  Avoid being condescending and disrespectful to other people. It almost always results in making you look bad. 
2. Classism – Don’t insult what someone does for a living. People make snap judgments too often without knowing any facts.  A lot of circumstances combine to lead to what someone does to get by in the world. If you’ve accomplished something in your life, be humble, grateful and proud, but don’t define yourself or elevate your image by stepping on someone else’s head whom you feel is inferior. That just sucks. 
3. The Ugly Truth – Our society puts entirely too much value on physical beauty and appearance. Criticizing someone’s weight or missing teeth, for example, says more about your own insecurity and distorted sense of what’s important than it does about the other person. As writer and poet Dorothy Parker once said, “Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes right to the bone.”

The reaction against Britt McHenry has been intense. But I think more than hating her, people really hate what her comments represent. They speak to being entitled, classist, judgmental and self-focused. These kinds of topics get reactions - big time. 

Now, full disclosure, my prior Tweets on this matter have led to @BrittMcHenry blocking me. I get that. If you’re trying to rebound and patch things up, you don’t want to hear the haters. But to her, to ESPN and those still rallying for her termination, I’d suggest the following are worth considering:

• #ForgiveBritt
• #LearnFromMistakes

Or in her own words:

• #IntegrityCharacterRespect

The Perils of "Live" Learning

Recently I was staring at my computer screen waiting for a live interview to begin. It was 1 p.m. and the interview was with Salman Khan, the founder of Khan Academy.

I was intrigued about this interview for two reasons. The first reason:  I’m a big fan. Khan, the 38-year-old founder of Khan Academy, is a pioneer and many regard him as a leading thinker in education. I read his 2012 book, “The One World School House” and found it inspiring. I was interested in what he was going to say during this one-hour interview.

The second reason I was intrigued was that the interview was live. I found this, well, ironic. Dating back to 2003, Khan has recorded over 5,000 videos and created exercises on a wide range of topics that are all delivered via YouTube for people to consume wherever and whenever they want. Time and place are not a factor – which is a big part of what’s made his approach to learning so revolutionary and effective. So, the idea of a “live interview” with Khan seemed not only odd, but also kind of unnecessary.

 KZO Innovation's "live" interview with Sal Khan

1:08 p.m. Still nothing. I’m wolfing down a plate of mini-carrots and hummus because I skipped lunch to fit in a conference call. Now I’m staring at a screen of old fashion TV color bars and the words on the screen read, “offline.” That’s it.

I grumble, still amused by the irony at hand. I instant message a colleague of mine in Texas to make sure I don’t have the wrong link. He quickly confirms he’s staring at nothing as well. We’re both waiting and we aren't alone. The Twitter feed embedded into this interview launch screen is popping with Tweets – questions like, “What’s happening?” “Is there a problem?” “Does anyone hear anything?” All very logical questions.

Biting into a mini carrot, I wonder how they heck they make these carrots so small. Do they pull them out of the dirt early or do they cut them up and shave them down? I honestly don’t know. I also wonder what it must be like at K-ZO Innovations, the Reston, Virginia company running this live – yet to be aired – event.  They must be totally freaking out.  Almost 10 minutes in and it’s complete crickets.   Finally, K-ZO, a technology company that delivers video via the web, sends an e-mail stating that they are having technical difficulties and that the event will begin  “shortly.”

I'm annoyed, but decide to stick it out. After all, it’s Sal Khan – king of the recorded lesson, the guy who has over 15 million students watch his videos and take over 4 million lessons every single day. It’s a compelling model not simply because of the convenience of learning at your own time, but also your level and your own pace.

I think of how teachers in live classrooms struggle to meet the needs to students on the high ability end and the low ability end at the same time. With 25-30 kids, it’s hard to reach them all. But through his videos, lessons, feedback and tracking, Khan's system does this really well.

There is also no stigma for students of asking the teacher to repeat something because they don’t "get it." It’s a video. They can rewind and watch again. They take the lesson again until they get it right. They spend as much time as they want and then move onto another lesson that follows or select a different one that intrigues them.

What they do on Khan Academy is done on their own time, outside of school – and in their own language.  Khan’s approach has been proven to boost student performance – both when it's used in a school setting and outside of school.

Oh, one additional thing. It's all free.

1:10 p.m. Scraping the last hummus from my plate with a nub of baby carrot, I chuckle at the Tweet by learning luminary Allison Rossett as she replies, “What exactly do they mean by ‘Soon?”  We all wait until finally, K-ZO Innovations lets us all know they are pulling the plug on “live” and will send out a recording in a few hours.

It was as it should be. Much more convenient. Whatever happened was a colossal collapse and quite embarrassing for a company that delivers video via the web. To K-ZO's credit, though, they were humble, contrite and quickly churned out a white paper detailing the event, calling it, "When Live Goes Wrong." I will say, I really like their approach using video for learning, by the way. Very smart design. These guys appear to have something compelling.

As I was watching the recorded interview of Khan, of course I was impressed with him. Video is powerful. It's can work on the job and in schools. Hearing him talk, my mind kept going back to a recent meeting I attended at my daughters’ elementary school. The district’s superintendent, on the job less than a year, had just finished talking to about 30 parents in the school’s library about the painful $2.2 million in cuts they were planning for next year.

Salary costs are rising along with transportation costs and other operating expenses. Meanwhile, revenues are not keeping pace. Unless something changes, the deficit in our relatively small 17-school district will climb to nearly $9 million in 4 years. This was not happy news to me, a parent of a 9 and 6-year-old.

A parent seated behind me asked the superintendent: “How does the district plan to use technology?” The superintendent, who is a bright, caring guy doing a very good job thus far,  provided a “we’re open to ideas…” answer. I thought of Khan, his 5,000 videos, lessons and quizzes and scribbled in my notebook, “Send link to recorded "live" interview to superintendent.”

Clearly a future in which our education system more fully embraces technology needs to come sooner rather than later. Thoughtful, integrated, well-executed technology has stopped being a “nice to have” in schools. Universities have gotten the message – at least some have. Businesses have known this for a long time.

Even at the elementary level, a blended-learning approach, combining technology with live classroom instruction – needs to start being simply how children today learn.