A [long] Conversation With Stephen Colbert

An [hour and 9 minute] Conversation With: Stephen Colbert at Harvard The interview touches on a number of funny and interesting topics, but the idea I found most compelling is the disparity between "discovery" and "invention" as processes. As Colbert touches on them, he is referring to a fundamental difference between improvisation and scripted comedy. I understand that critical difference well, having done both, but I'm more interested in how this disparity bears on education. As educators, we often do what D&D players refer to as "railroading." We prepare a script (without letting our students read it) and if the students fail to follow the script, we penalize them. A genuine process of discovery of knowledge would be vastly preferable in almost every way, but we worry so much about covering the standards that we miss the education. Addressing this shortcoming is a goal worth pursuing.