Who's Bogus? Bill and Ted! Ideas for Changing Education

"Most schools are preparing kids for 1991" - Heidi Hayes Jacobs

You know what is even more depressing?...this is the movie that was playing in 1991...




In Boyton and FIsher's book Idea Hunter, they have a section titled, "The Value of Naive Questions." (p. 136) Their "obvious question" example is a pen company asking, "How can we increase pen sales?"

However...by asking the naive question,"What business are we in?" lead to the realization that they were not in the pen business but rather the gift business. So you can see their direction in how they conduct business would change.

So Lit Maven, what is your point...it is Friday and my patience is thinning...

OK! Here is an Educational Application:


OBVIOUS QUESTION: What can we do to raise the reading scores?

NAIVE QUESTION: "What business are we in?"

So to repeat...

"Most schools are preparing kids for 1991" - Heidi Hayes Jacobs


In Education, are we pulling back enough to see the big picture or are we continuing the ways of the past? Do we truly know what we are aiming for? Have we considered everything?

Here is a selection of current educational pioneers on this subject:

Alan November

Heidi Hayes Jacobs,


Will Richardson


I think we need to ask the question...as a teacher, as a staff, as a district...

What business are WE in?

Now to get you all fired up...


Until Next Time,
Lit Maven Out!!!