Drive: Which way are we headed?

Much like Taz's response below after reading Daniel Pink's chapter from Drive. While I found myself reading, agreeing with the ideas and taking notes, the more and more I pushed through the chapter I began to feel defeated. I also see the limits this has on a public school and it kind of breaks my heart to see it that way. But then I began thinking... how could this work in a public school? Surely there has to be a way? There is. It's what we've been learning throughout our ed classes.
Below I decided to include some of the ways I'd like to see work in future (public) classrooms.

- Homework should become homelearning. I think this can be the easiest way to actual encourage the engagement rather than the compliance that Pink talks about. We all know how much we hate busy work and homework that's given but then never collected. (Or when it is collected you just get points for doing it or not.) What about thoughtful homework? Homework with a purpose? I think the three questions that are proposed for the homework test are some of the best pieces of advice!
- Project-Based Learning. I'm pretty sure we all had to complete a plan for our own project based learning in tech class during block. This is exactly what Pink's FedEx day proposes. Learning discovery through projects.
- DIY Report Cards. This isn't a new or novel idea. Pink is simply proposing the idea of having students self-reflect. We've all had the assessment talk and we've all come to the conclusion that it needs to be more than tests and quizzes. What better way that student progress, improvement and reflection?

As I began reflecting on these ideas that Pink lists, I realized this isn't anything remotely new. These "amazing" schools that he lists have just gone to the extreme with it. Yes, they're far off in the future and they're doing great things, but that doesn't mean that those of us (perhaps in public schools) left behind can't get there eventually too. I know it seems far fetched, but it's already beginning to happen with the Common Core. We're changing gears and still moving forward. These ideas just need to be placed into action already. And what better way than with a new batch of progressive teachers at the forefront?