Ed Zed Omega is a collaborative thought experiment about education. What if six teens drop out of high school, very open about their reasons? Can people help this turn out well? The Zed Omega characters seemed real because the young actors playing them were channeling aspects of their real-life experience – and were unscripted: they reacted authentically to the advice they got and the school stories they heard.

What’s in a diploma? Are there other ways to learn? If you go your own way, what happens? Instead of being in school, the Zed Omega teens spent their fall semester looking at school from the outside.

“Agree with them or not, the Zed Omegas asked the questions that got people talking about how and what young people should learn. Their presence brought vital questions about purposes and methods of school out of the abstract into the immediate and real.”

A true transmedia project, Ed Zed Omega happened organically on social media, on Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter and in live events. The Zed Omegas gathered hundreds of likes, touched thousands of people and registered hundreds of thousands of impressions. If education is to keep pace with changes to our economy, society and culture, it needs new, more inclusive ways to frame its discussions about what it must become. Is it preparing students for successful jobs and lives in the hyperconnected 21st century?

Ed Zed Omega gathered 800 “signals” about education on the edzedomega.org site. You can take one of the Zed Omega “Top Ten” tours, or browse the archive or search by tag, but now that you know the story, why not just free-explore the grand array?

Ed Zed Omega is a template for a new framework of interaction.

Students: you can go “zed omega” with your own inquiry into what education is for and how people like you learn best. All the Zed Omegas will tell you the experience opened their eyes wide as to what traditional education does and does not do. They felt inspired by the powerful stories they heard about alternate ways of learning, and empowered to take charge of their futures by shaping their educations to fit. Knowledge is power!

Teachers, schools, and others concerned about education: use the Ed Zed Omega idea to create a dialog about school and how best to improve it. The Zed Omegas illustrate how to frame the discussion in a way that engages the student voice. Using the existing stories, you can create a narrative space in which all stakeholders can have their say.

We will be continuing to develop the Ed Zed Omega idea. Watch for our web video series to come online this summer. To inquire about having the Zed Omegas teleconference with your fellow students or with your school this fall, contact us.

ZED OMEGA REPORT – Final, Part One 
ZED OMEGA REPORT – Final, Part Two

Edwina says: My top ten –

http://the-unschooler-s-journal.tumblr.com/
This post inspired me to pursue the idea of “unschooling”, making me realize there are infinitely more options to get an education. 

http://edzedomega.org/post/29993868921/making-leaving-school-work
I LOVED this post!! It made me so happy that someone else supported our/my decision to drop out, and that there IS life beyond being called a “drop out”. 

http://edzedomega.org/post/30520759351/lisa-i-felt-duped
This post was slightly frustrating at first, however I realized that it frustrated me because it was a combination of support, but also a kick in the pants as well. We dropped out yes, but now we need to make plans!

http://edzedomega.org/post/31406807272/education-really-is-the-job-of-a-lifetime-david-foster-w
This post was small, but inspiring. I appreciate the message. 

http://athousandlittleletters.tumblr.com/post/32132617945/when-i-was-a-teenager-i-hated-the-nonsense
I REALLY related to this post, mostly because I am older than most of the Ed Zeds, and I am nowhere near the same person I was when I was eighteen. I have different ideas, goals, and different sense of reality. 

http://edzedomega.org/post/32395254140/unschool-open-your-mind
This video is FANTASTIC!! Really supports the idea of independence, learning throughout your lifetime, and the idea of the FREEDOM to learn what we want. 

http://edzedomega.org/post/32887635415/who-decided-all-students-taught-standardized-curriculum
Yes, who did decide that?

http://edzedomega.org/post/33183368748/able-to-read-but-unable-to-distinguish
Another one of those small posts, but something that both made me laugh and made me say, ABSOLUTELY!

http://edzedomega.org/post/34226610607/high-school-stability-away-from-unstable-home
This post I loved because it was after our first event at the Walker, and they left a message at a corner of the map that I felt was an important aspect of high school that people remember, usually in a negative way. 

http://edzedomega.org/post/34166107334/upset-reaction-dropout-uncollege-riseout
I definitely could continue on with more of my favorites, this one was a reflection of a drop out of college, also a visitor of our map  :-)

Complete this thought: “School is….” Zed Omegas Jeremy, Nora and Lizzie read some whiteboards left at HIGH SCHOOL ME at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.

HELLO!

I wanted to respond to Nicki

Just because I dropped out of public school doesn’t mean I don’t still want a diploma. I know that I for sure want a high school diploma (some of my EZO friends I know also want a COLLEGE diploma).

This is feedback I’ve been getting a lot. People think that I just don’t want to continue my education at all and that’s just completely untrue. All I know is that the public school system just isn’t working for me. Throughout this whole process I’ve learned about other ways of getting my highschool diploma that suit my educational needs more than public school does. 

I know that it’s important to have a highschool diploma. It’s also important (in certain cases) to have a college diploma (even though I’m still not sure that I really care about THAT). What I’ve been trying to do is find different ways of getting this certificate where I feel like I’m actually enjoying it rather than just racing to the “finish line” without caring what I actually LEARN.

Do you understand? Do you have any ideas about how I might gain the knowledge needed to graduate without having to put up with mind-numbing public school?

-Clare

Anonymous writes: I love your blog! I’m looking towards unschooling (and hopefully graduating from college)…got any tips?

Clare responds: hey thanks! that’s great that you’re actively seeking out other methods of getting your education. Unschooling looks like a great option, doesn’t it?? And that’s awesome that you KNOW you want to graduate from college because that will help motivate you to REALLY learn the stuff you need to to get there!! As of right now I really have to say I don’t have any tips…I’m in the same boat as you are!! I’ve been thinking about unschooling and although I’ve gotten great advice from people around me, I am unsure about all the specifics…The best thing I could tell you is to find a community of people (maybe check out my friend Nora’s FB or Tumblr—you can find the links on the edzedomega.org website) that are or have been unschoolers/homeschoolers and ask them for advice. The biggest thing I think is to stay motivated. Remember your long-term goals (graduating from college) and KEEP AT IT! Even when it gets tough. Thanks for checking out my blog! Good luck!!