George Lucas' Off-Camera Project: Edutopia

George Lucas, film luminary and creator of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films, has established an educational foundation that goes by the name Edutopia.

The George Lucas Educational Foundation - Edutopia - focuses on innovation and reform in education, providing multimedia resources online to teachers and administrators working in K-12 education.

George Lucas is the founder and chairman of Edutopia and the George Lucas Educational Foundation which began functioning in 1991.

Why did he decide to dedicate his time and money to improving education?

Education is the foundation of our democracy -- the stepping-stones for our youth to reach their full potential. My own experience in public school was quite frustrating. I was often bored. Occasionally, I had a teacher who engaged my curiosity and motivated me to learn. Those were the teachers I really loved. I wondered, "Why can't school be engaging all of the time?" As a father, I've felt the imperative to transform schooling even more urgently. "A word from George Lucas" Edutopia.org

What is Edutopia?

Edutopia is an online resource for educators. Edutopia's website is rich with tools for teachers. Geared toward comprehensive assessment, there are a wide range of practical functional examples of how to enact meaningful student assessment. George Lucas' foundation puts an emphasis on well-rounded assessment to promote well-rounded student growth. Social, emotional and academic learning are all parts of the educational program.

There is an additional focus on interaction at Edutopia which can take many forms and which almost always leads to a richer learning experience than "traditional" schooling offers.

How is Edutopia Unique?

The language of Edutopia is very similar to what you find in college programs in education and in books on the practice and problems of education. Buzz words abound, as you have already seen. Too often the language of education proves to be empty rhetoric at worst or short-lived steps to progress at best.

The George Lucas Education Foundation Edutopia attempts to improve on these faults and makes strides towards integration of policy and practice by offering the tools of on-the-job teacher education, classroom technology, and online resources.

On the Edutopia website you will find a wealth of examples of each of these tools in action. Blogs, video documentaries and interactive features bring the ideas of educational change to life.

Another virtue on Edutopia is found in its attitude. This is a set of tools provided to help teachers and administrators make changes. It is not a pre-fabricated format. It is not a strict mold or curriculum. Context is emphasized; flexibility is emphasized.

Many educational theories play into the regrettable contradiction where the "every classroom is different" slogan appears on page one and the rest of the strategy guide goes on to say, "treat every classroom exactly the same way. Follow step A, B and C to find success."

The George Lucas Educational foundation is not prescriptive in the details, only in the concepts and Edutopia provides numerous examples as to how these concepts can work in the classroom while leaving the door open to teachers to decide how they might apply them in their own classroom.

More From This Contributor:
Wahlberg's Water Company
Why Is Bruce Lee So Famous?

Sources:
Edutopia

Education Next