Why "The Clever Sheep"

For starters, find Harold, the clever sheep at two minutes in to this Monty Python Sketch:



It's an easy metaphor to apply to schools. Many teachers and students take the easy route in complying to the demands of their 'keepers'. Rather than simply following, the 'clever sheep' is prone to ask "Why are we doing this?".

David Warlick in a recent post makes reference to the importance of discernment, which is rarely the focus of the flock: "I think that if we want our students to become discerning consumers, we need to make them discerning learners. ..and I do not think that we can do this simply by teaching lessons on evaluating content. I think that we have to work as discerning teachers. Put those textbooks and other packaged teaching materials away, and teach from the real world of content."


The clever sheep in the Python sketch knows his plight, and is 'set on the idea'r of escape'. I think our cleverest students are the ones who challenge us to ensure our lessons are relevant; while our cleverest teachers are those that challenge the status quo by engaging evolving technologies.

Whether teacher or student, all 'sheep' benefit by exposure to rich, relevant learning experiences. My hope is that this blog will expose educators to an ever-changing menu of e-learning tools, inspiring the 'cleverest sheep' among us to fly!