Updates in this issue:

• FROM THE BLOG: What Do You Have to Lose? The Value of Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone
• Recent Keynote Updates
• The Latest on Ravi Unites Schools
• Your Input Needed via a Short Survey

What Do You Have to Lose? The Value of Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone

My father went against conventional wisdom by frequently encouraging me to live just beyond my means. He believed that by doing so, it forced one to try harder, go further, and expand one's comfort zone step-by-step.  

The “comfort zone” as defined by LifeHacker, is “a behavioral space where our activities and behaviors fit a routine pattern that minimizes risk and reduces stress.”  The comfort zone has been termed a killer of dreams by some experts and identified by others as the main reason many people never live to taste true success. It is the antithesis of a growth mindset. Although the zone can reward you with some happiness and reduced anxiety, it has been shown that staying cozy within your comfort zone ultimately reduces creativity, limits vision, and stunts growth.

There are clear benefits of stepping out of your comfort zone.  Read my latest blog post to learn the top 3 reasons to step out of your comfort zone.  Click here >
 

Update On Recent Keynote Events

Last month, I gave keynotes for two International Baccalaureate (IB) regional events: South Carolina IB Schools (SCIBS) and Anne Arundel County Public Schools IB 50th anniversary in Maryland (in cooperation with the IB Mid-Atlantic Association). Thank you Britannica for your support that helped make my appearances possible, and for generously giving away a one day professional development session on digital literacy to a lucky elementary school in my audience!

These events were both exciting but different.  In South Carolina I spoke to education leaders about disrupting education, and I closed the keynote by jamming on stage with some very talented IB music students. In Maryland, I spoke to 1600 IB students about taking calculated risks and stepping out of their comfort zones in order to “Be the change you wish to see in the world” (Gandhi)--I was so happy to meet many of them afterwards and hear their dreams and ambitions.

I became involved with the IB organization when I spoke at their “Global Conference” this past July. While I never studied at an IB school, the alignment between my philosophy and their mission is evident. As stated on their website: “The IB aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.”

IB has a reputation for being a rigorous program with intense study requirements and demanding tests. While this benefits many, academic stress is often linked to teenage anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and worse (of course, families that are attracted to such demanding educational programs may already be prone to such consequences).

I graduated from a public high school having acquired many skills, curiosities, and a growth mindset that resembles that of an IB student. However, I was a very average student with average grades who never felt particularly pressured by school-imposed demands. Contrary to today’s students, I had plenty of free time to discover and explore my interests outside of school, as well as hold after-school jobs (building bicycles at a local bike shop while attending middle school and teaching guitar out of my home while attending high school). 

In a future blog, I plan to explore rigor versus a more minimalist approach to education, and methods to organically inspire curiosity and lifelong learning without imposing it through curriculum. Perhaps the modern school day is demanding too much time and energy from students and their families, and by doing so, not really allowing for the holistic education that it attempts to provide. As I prepare, I invite you to simply click reply and share any thoughts that you have on the subject (I won’t quote you anywhere without your explicit permission, so feel free to be candid).
 

High schoolers transcend differences during Ravi Unites Schools interaction between Japan and USA

On Election Day in the United States, upper-grade students in Huntington Beach, CA engaged in a far-ranging Skype conversation across the Pacific Ocean with their peers at a sister IB school in Karuizawa, Nagano, Japan.  California students were just ending the school day Tuesday, while those in Nagano were already beginning Wednesday morning classes. Yet this time zone difference was never discussed, nor did they care to compare their climates and weather. Students in both schools were well-prepared and eager to talk about matters of interest such as food waste and sustainability, differences between cultures and socio-economic backgrounds, and the varying natures of civic duty and responsibility in various countries. Private boarding school students in Nagano represented many countries including Vietnam, Bulgaria and others. Their unique perspectives on systems of governance that differ from democracy were a source of reflection for public school Title I students in Huntington Beach, even going so far as to debate the relationship between access to education and the right to vote. They also had the opportunity to share favorite hobbies including skiing, baseball, archery and making clothes for dolls. Both schools expressed the desire to interact with each other again.
 
“My students joined the experience as caring and open-minded risk-takers, and they left the experience as more balanced and reflective communicators.” – Wendy H., Huntington Beach, California, USA
 
“Our students had a lively discussion following the interaction. It was as if they wanted to know one another better after connecting with students in another school and country. They realized a few more of their common interests with students here as well as in California.“ -- Brenda H., Karuizawa, Nagano, Japan

A video archive of the interaction can be found here: https://youtu.be/bfuWNNhrMQU.
 

We Need Your Input Via a Quick Survey!

Let Ravi know what you think! 

You are invited to participate in a simple, 5-minute survey to help determine ways Ravi can be of even greater service and have impact in matters of importance to you.  Thank you in advance for your thoughts and ideas. 

Link to survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/X8CPH5Y


Are you interested in having me speak to your audience on one of my keynote topics?  Let’s talk!

That's the news for this month.  As always, feel free to reply and I'll respond.