Education is in a transition. We hear about it, read about it, and most of us live it daily. The transition is going in many different directions. They include Common Core, on-line assessment, big data analysis, new evaluation systems for teachers Old v New Learning and administrators, and technology infusion, just to name a few. With all of this change many would ask how broke is our educational system? The answer to this question involves too many variables and is too complex to answer in one post. I would also offer that I am not a statistical expert in the field, nor do I have access to the data to offer a quantitative analysis and answer to the question. However, what I can say is that we are in an educational transition that requires change.
“The arrogance of success is to think that what we did yesterday is good enough for tomorrow.” ― William Pollard
The above quote by William Pollard, from the 1800’s, clearly articulates my feelings about our current state of education. We have experienced some successes in our educational system but we need to look ahead. We can no longer use the same techniques, ideas, and foundational structures to educate our students for the future. Below are a list of a few ideas I have on changing education:
1. New developing technologies create opportunities to access information and educational content that were not available before. Mobile Learning, Cloud Based Learning, Online Learning, Open-Source Learning are only some of the solutions that make the learning process leave the classroom and enable students to experience it at any time and place.
2. Changes taking place in student-teacher relations are a natural consequence of the new technologies development and the fact that knowledge is much more accessible at the moment. Students’ increasing activeness requires some changes in the role teachers used to play in the learning process. The teacher has to become more of a guide for their students. It is the student who has become a central figure both in the classroom and in the whole process of learning (Student-Centred Learning).
3. New measures, tools and roles require different models of work. Those based on students’ collaboration are increasing in value (Collaborative Learning, Project Based Learning, Peer Learning).
4. The importance of social platforms keeps increasing as they facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience (Social Learning).
5. Today’s students are “digital natives” – it is a generation for which computers, tablets and smartphones connected to the Internet are tools used for social communication, designing one’s own identity, for play as well as for work. Our job is to bring that environment into education – Game Based Learning, Visual Search and Learning, Thinking 3D, Augmented Reality, Gesture Based Learning create limitless possibilities.
6. The way of thinking about learning and teaching is changing as well – the philosophy of learning is subject to revaluation. We hear not only about the trends based on individualisation of the whole process (Adaptive Learning), and problem approach to it, but a need to explain the purpose of learning arises as well (Relevance – Oriented Learning). Students and other people taking part in the process of education become self-conscious.
In order to address a changing future for education we need to think about the skills students need to learn now that will carry them into the future, no matter what that future looks like. As educators our students deserve to be introduced to, learn about, and master these skills before leaving high school:
Reading and Writing – These will never become obsolete skills. But beyond basic reading and comprehension skills students need to be technical readers. They need to learn how to comprehend complex text and be able to write it too.
Technology Integration – Our world is driven by technology. Everywhere you look there is a piece of technology running something in our lives. Students need to know how to properly integrate technology and the devices that run it so that they can be more productive and efficient. I do not fully support the view that just because students were born into this era they know how to properly use technology. Within this integration students and adults need to learn to be Digital Citizens. Notice I didn’t say “good”. The expectation is that we use it positively for everyone’s benefit.
Coding – I have seen graphs, charts and data that indicate the need for this skill in the work force far exceeds the number of people who can provide the skill. For those that have the skill the supply to demand ratio makes them the most wanted. Beyond that the skill of coding is a problem solving experience that all of our students need. It also involves math skills, which are as essential as reading and writing.
Collaboration – Being able to collaborate with people is essential. Technology allows us to collaborate with people we have never met before or may never see again. The ability to work together and produce a product, take an idea to the next level or share ideas needs to be a part of daily learning for students. This is how social media has become so popular and the way many companies now do business. Let’s teach our students that collaboration goes beyond classroom projects and has real world applications that will help them be better citizens.
Problem Solving – What are lessons in education and the events of the world we live in? They are a series of problems requiring solutions. Our students need the skills and cognitive abilities to solve problems. Simple problems become complex and complex problems become crisis. Giving our students experiences throughout their educational careers to develop this skill improves our society.
Self-Reflection – A lost skill for many, self-reflection helps students look at who they are, and how their actions affect others. If we expect students to be collaborators and problem solvers then they need to be self-reflective. It’s essential that we look at how we interact with others, how others respond to us and how our actions either assist or hinder others.
Moving forward our educational system needs to change. We can not imagine the world in which our students will live and work. Therefore, we need to provide them the skills that will allow them to adapt to their environment. Just because how we taught yesterday worked doesn’t mean we can teach that way for tomorrow’s world.
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