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Thinking requires individuality and creativity. It goes beyond the textbook, beyond the flashcards, and beyond the vocabulary. Thinking is where all the information a person knows is melted together. From here, connections and relationships are made and opinions and ideas are formed.

In the TED talk by Dr. Cabera, I see ideas about thinking and teaching skills that are remarkably refreshing. I feel as though many teachers as of late are downtrodden, sluggish, and just plain tired of the education system pushing mindless material. Real teachers don't want to drill material; they want to inspire, to impact the heart, and to push students to their personal limits to make them the best they can be. This includes shaping and molding students that have opinions; we want to encouraging thinking, not regurgitation. The value of thinking is beyond comprehension.

I had teachers in high school on either end of this spectrum. Everyone that's been through the public system can name the worst, laziest, and least inspiring teacher they came into contact with. For me, it was that teacher that wastes your time. In that classroom where, perhaps you were initially interested in the subject, and the visible exhausted of the teacher is obviously infiltrating your education. Laziness is apparent, and carelessness is even more so. On the other hand, I have had a handful of teachers that have played their part in inspiring the world of tomorrow. Every now and then you have one that just gets you. That understands the mundane life of a student in a world of weary and/or lazy teachers. And most importantly, that knows the value of thinking and what each student will be missing out on if they walk through life like they walk into the classroom of these previously mentioned, not-so-fabulous teachers. These are the ones that pushed me where I am today. I too see the problems with education, and I too want change it from the inside-out.

If Dr. Cabera's ideas were applied broadly to formal education, I believe that the results would be immeasurable. Like I said early, the value of thinking is nearly beyond the scope of the human mind. It is to have opinion. It is to make educated decisions. It is to gain new perspective. And perhaps most significantly, it is to be free. A nation of free-thinkers would look much differently than it does today.