Education – Barry Dequanne

Reflections on the Future of Learning

Consider the future for our current kindergarten students and what the world will be like when they graduate in the year 2031. Given the technological advances we are witnessing today, any description of our near future that does not resemble something out of a science fiction story may likely represent an underestimation of the changes that will impact our lives. It is within this context of accelerating change that we are tasked with the challenge to reimagine school and learning. If one word could be used to describe the current educational landscape, it would indeed be change. Three factors associated with driving this change are arguably the areas of social and emotional development, personalised learning, and emerging technologies.

Social and Emotional Development

While the discussion surrounding social and emotional skills is not new, there is an ever-increasing importance placed on this area. The developmental abilities of empathy, initiative, curiosity, resilience, and adaptability will be vital in preparing our students for the rapid changes in society we are experiencing. How do schools ensure that students are ready to communicate effectively, engage with others in meaningful and authentic ways, and embrace the inherent beauty of human nature?

Thomas Friedman argues in his book, Thank You for Being Late, that our students are growing up in an age of acceleration in which technological change is outpacing human adaptability, as per Eric Teller’s graph.

If it is correct to assume that technology and globalisation will not slow down, then our focus must be on improving human adaptability by ensuring a population that is more agile, creative, and adaptable.

Schools also have a responsibility to reconsider what is now commonly viewed as our outdated and misaligned systems and metrics of success, which are associated with rising rates of mental illness. The narratives related to achievement and personal realisation are considered to be contributing to the adverse health outcomes found in society. How can schools and society support our students in redefining measures of success that include balance, health, and well-being? Several collaborative groups are seeking to answer this very question, which is exemplified by the Mastery Transcript Consortium and the work of universities and K-12 schools to redefine student transcripts.

Personalised Learning

In the recent KnowledgeWorks, The Future of Learning Report, the authors describe the future of learning as one where, “flexible configurations of human educators and mentors, along with digital learning coaches and companions, will be coordinated seamlessly to support learners’ short- and long- term needs and help all students reach their goals.” Personal growth of this nature is requiring the development of customised learning relationships and connections with an expanding range of learning partners. Our current school structures do not necessarily always lend themselves well to this system of learning, particularly when considering an expanded view of what constitutes mentors and learning coaches.

Schools are experimenting with systematic changes, such as flexible scheduling, blended learning opportunities involving both face-to-face and online opportunities, the redesign of campus learning spaces, and alternative credentialing, including a complete redefinition of report cards and transcripts. Technology is, of course, also challenging schools in many ways as learning continues to be more and more personalised due, in part, to a push towards 1:1 computing environments and an increase in adaptive software systems.

Emerging Technologies

Many of us have already experienced adaptive learning in which a program analyses our performance in real time and then modifies the teaching methods and curriculum focus. The use of an adaptive program or app to learn a new language is now commonplace. The field of education will undoubtedly continue to be revolutionised as machine learning becomes more prevalent. As computer systems use data and statistical techniques to “learn” on their own and continue to improve performance without a human explicitly programming the computer, schools will need to continue to adapt to this new reality. Teachers can increasingly use learning and predictive analytics to connect millions of data points to arrive at conclusions and predict future performance based on past data. One of the key outcomes we see today is an increase in personalised opportunities and students guiding and pacing their learning.

What we are experiencing now is considered to be the third educational revolution, following the high school movement and education for life in the early 1900s and then the support for higher education at around the midpoint of the last century. As the Future of Learning report highlights, schools are now becoming more fluid in that we are moving from a fixed structure driven by administrative convenience to one that is a fluid network of relationship-based formats that reflect a learners’ needs, interests, and goals. Algorithms and artificial intelligence are providing personalised learning opportunities and educators who best match each learner’s needs. We are also increasingly seeing a demand for flexible and customised learning environments which many of our current administrative structures act as constraints.

While there is much work ahead of us, the International School of Zug and Luzern’s (ISZL) foundations of an adaptive and evolutionary mindset provide our community with an effective basis to embrace the changes in the educational landscape we are experiencing today and will continue to do so in the future. Learning at ISZL is guided by an inquiry-based and transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary program that values play, experiential and project-based learning, and hands-on experiences, which are supported by a relationship-based and connected community. It is these set of values, philosophical approaches, and sense of community that will both empower and enable ISZL to adapt and thrive in an environment that requires critical building blocks for a digital economy while not allowing technology to outpace our humanity.

Reference:

KnowledgeWorks. 2018. Navigating the Future of Learning Forecast 5.0. Retrieved from https://knowledgeworks.org/resources/forecast-5/

Featured image: Photo by Myles Tan on Unsplash

Inspired by History

The idea that we are “standing on the shoulders of those who came before us” was a prevalent theme at the recent Swiss Group of International Schools (SGIS) annual conference with the publication of Chalk and Cheese: Celebrating 50 Years of SGIS. As I read through the profiles of the 48-member schools, I was struck by the rich history associated with the organisation and extensive contributions to international education.

Among the international schools listed in the book, nine of the schools have been in existence for more than 100 years. Three of these schools first opened their doors in the 1880’s: Institute Le Rosey (1880), Brillantmont International School (1882), Institute Auf Dem Rosenberg (1889). In total, the 48 SGIS member schools have collectively contributed over 2,700 years in serving the international school community!

Each school has a unique history. Ecole d’Humanité was founded by the gifted pedagogue, Paul Geheeb, whose theories and practice represented the best in the evolution of a liberal and humanising education, which he conceived in response to contemporary “rote and drill schools”. The International School of Geneva, founded in part by the League of Nations, is considered to be the birthplace of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program.

Fast forward to today, SGIS continues to bring together the nearly 50 international schools in Switzerland and neighbouring countries to collectively learn from each school’s history and development. It is this very diversity in schools that make the present and future development of international education in Switzerland such a rich, engaging, and promising endeavour.

One of SGIS’ focus areas is that of professional growth and the promotion and support associated with professional development groups. Examples of these collaborative learning groups include Mental Health Counselling, Science Technicians, Early Learning, Student Leadership, Diploma Coordinators, College and Guidance Counsellors, IB Coordinators, and Librarians, among several others.

In addition to supporting student activities, such as a Leadership and Forensics and Debate events, the SGIS Sports Committee oversees approximately 150 sports events each year involving 18 different sports. Workshops, clinics, and certification opportunities were also recently in football, rugby, volleyball, basketball, and track and field.

The International School of Zug and Luzern (ISZL), where I have the honour to serve as Director, is also an active SGIS member with its own rich history. ISZL story began in 1961 with the current school representing the merger in 2008 of three schools: The International School of Zug, The International School of Luzern, and The Riverside School. After more than five decades of progress and expansion, we are fortunate to “stand on the shoulders of those who came before us” as their passion and dedication have culminated in a special school that emphasises community, relationships, family partnership, and learning focused on the “whole child”. Today, ISZL is home to more than 1,250 students, age 3-18, representing over 60 nationalities, and more than 330 talented staff members, representing over 35 different nationalities.

Thank you again to the Geoff Tomlinson and Jackie Chan-Kam, the editors of Chalk and Cheese: Celebrating 50 Years of SGIS, for reminding us of the importance of our history. Our gratitude is extended to those before us whose vision, dedication, and hard work have resulted in a collective of successful schools that benefit our students and communities of today.

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) flickr photo by Derek: View from Männlichen station (with 2 flags) 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/navona-pics/4240553080/

Our Learning Journey Anew

Dear ISZL Community,

Welcome to the start of the 2018-2019 school year! I hope you are returning from an enjoyable and restful break, and that your family has experienced a smooth transition back to school today.

I was at the entrance to the Zug campus this morning with members of the ISZL team as we welcomed families to the new school year. The first day of classes is a moment filled with excitement, anticipation, and joy as the students catch up with old friends, meet their teachers, and connect with new classmates. Any nervous energy they may have had quickly dissipates as everyone dives into the learning process. The feelings of optimism, the promise of new experiences and learning, and the sense of a community reunited that are associated with the first day represent one of my favourite moments of the year.

We are grateful to all faculty and staff who have been busy preparing for the arrival of students and transforming our facilities into personalised learning spaces. I would like to give special thanks to the support staff who have worked diligently throughout the summer months to ensure all campuses were ready for the start of the term today.

This year we will conduct a community-wide review of our Mission, Vision, Values, and Learning Principles and subsequently, our Strategic and School Improvement Plans in order to guide ISZL’s future development and to clarify its purpose in serving families and the local community. Two questions will be used to frame critical conversations: “Who are we?” and “Where are we going?”.

As a first step in this process, staff engaged in an activity last week to answer the question, “What does ISZL do well to serve our students, colleagues, and community?”. There was significant agreement that the school’s greatest strengths are in the areas of support, care, relationships, connections, inclusion, and opportunities. This common response is not entirely surprising given what I learned during my transition interviews last year and how the theme of community emerged from everyone’s stories.

As this community-wide review continues, we will provide regular updates and seek input and feedback. If you are interested in serving as a member of the steering review committee or an advisory group, please send me an email to confirm your availability and interest.

Continuing with the theme of “Who are we?”, the following represents a selection of focus areas to further articulate what makes ISZL so unique.

New Families & Admissions

On behalf of ISZL, it is my honour to extend a warm welcome to the 196 new students and their families who have joined the ISZL community and to share how excited we are to partner with you. We are opening the school year with a healthy enrolment of 1,236 students from 755 families representing nearly 60 different nationalities.

Faculty and Staff

We are delighted to welcome 14 new members to the ISZL team. After an intensive two-week orientation programme and transition process, they are fully prepared and excited to welcome students to school. They represent the best in their fields, come to us from diverse cultural backgrounds, and look forward to integrating as members of this special community.

All ISZL faculty and staff joined together this past week to celebrate our supportive learning environment, engage with teaching and learning goals, and participate in Child Protection training, among several other focus areas. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with such talented and dedicated professionals who exemplify ISZL’s values and are committed to ensuring our students receive the very best educational experience while fostering a passionate approach to learning and community.

Academic Achievement

We would like to congratulate all IB Diploma students for their outstanding performances. It is with pride to share that 100% of ISZL students passed the Diploma Programme with the number of candidates increasing from 42 in 2017 to 67 in 2018. Our students averaged 35.1 Diploma points (out of 45) compared to the world average of 29.8. In addition, five students participated in the IB Career-related Programme, all of whom achieved the BTEC Subsidiary Diploma in Business, including three students achieving Distinction (the highest possible grade).

ISZL also offers students the option to take Advanced Placement courses, and these students were equally successful with a 2018 mean score of 3.9 (out of 5) compared to 3.6 for Switzerland and 2.9 globally. A remarkable 98% of ISZL students achieved a score of 3 or higher as compared with 87% for Switzerland and 61% globally. These results are a testament to the high quality of teaching and learning at ISZL and the commitment and motivation of our students. We are very proud of these collective achievements.

Institutional Advancement

After a lengthy review last year of ISZL’s future needs, a strategic decision was made to restructure the school’s Community Relations Department and expand the department’s scope to that of an Institutional Advancement profile. To that end, we are thrilled to welcome Felicia Allard Smith who has joined ISZL as the school’s Director of Institutional Advancement. In this new role, Felicia will be responsible for designing and implementing a comprehensive institutional advancement programme that will integrate community relations, admissions and marketing, communications, and fundraising with a view towards long-term facility and programme improvement. Please see Felicia’s job description to learn more about Advancement and her work to support ISZL’s growth and development.

Facilities

In order to ensure that ISZL’s learning environment is a source of inspiration and is meeting the needs associated with current and future changes in education, the school’s facilities will continue to be a priority. As communicated at the end of last semester, the Board and the School will continue to consider all options with regards to the Zug Campus, while currently focusing on the sale of the Trumpf facility. More information will be shared as this important process continues to move forward.

Optimism

As members of this school community, our natural dispositions should lean towards that of an eternal optimist. We arguably have an obligation to our students to convey, without reservation, our belief that they are capable of realising their potential and our commitment to a better future for all. There is indeed a sense of promise on campus and a discernible feeling that anything is possible, the future is bright, and there is an opportunity to be part of something special while contributing to making a positive difference.

These are only a few of the characteristics that hopefully help to convey a little more about “who we are”. I also look forward to hearing from community members to learn more about your thoughts related to this question.

In closing, I would like to again thank new families for choosing ISZL and returning families for your continued support. Please know that your partnership is deeply appreciated. I am thrilled to commence our 2018-19 collective teaching and learning journey with you and look forward to our ongoing work to ensure ISZL is an extraordinary place of learning and community every day.

Kind regards,

Barry Dequanne

Director

A Framework for Education

In a recent conversation with an International School of Zug and Luzern (ISZL) parent, he commented on how much he values ISZL’s approach to education and the school’s learning process. When pressed for specifics, he highlighted an appreciation of the achievements associated with academic success, such as impressive IB test scores, but, even more importantly, he values the focus on holistic development. He further elaborated by sharing how much he holds in high regard ISZL’s emphasis on social development, emotional intelligence, confidence levels, independent thinking, and communication skills, among others. I share these sentiments, both from my personal and professional perspectives but also based on the feedback I have received from staff, parents, and students during last semester’s transition interviews. One of ISZL’s greatest strengths is our teachers’ abilities to personalise learning in a manner that enables our students to realise their potentials in individual and unique ways.

This approach to teaching and learning also corresponds with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) recent report on The Future of Education and Skills 2030. The document is guided by a shared vision stating, “We are committed to helping every learner develop as a whole person, fulfil his or her potential and help shape a shared future built on the well-being of individuals, communities and the planet.” With a broad focus on global challenges that are economic, social, and environmental in nature (excuse the pun), the 2030 vision maps out an educational view that is framed by five distinct but related approaches.

The first frame is a belief in the need for broader education goals that encompass individual and collective well-being. The concept of well-being goes beyond material resources to include quality of life as defined by, for example, health, civic engagement, social connections, education, security, and life satisfaction.

The second frame is related to learner agency and the ability of our students to navigate through a complex and uncertain world. This focus involves both the building of a solid academic foundation and an approach to personalised learning.

The third frame is the ability to apply a broad set of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values. This focus is about students’ abilities to mobilise their learning to meet complex demands.

The fourth frame is about taking responsibility for our society and future, in addition to the corresponding and necessary student competencies. These competencies will require that students be innovative, committed, and aware with respect to creating new value, reconciling tensions and dilemmas, and taking responsibility.

The fifth frame is about the design principles needed to move toward an eco-system in which a students’ different competencies are inter-related in nature and application.

While the challenges for schools to adapt to this philosophical shift are not insignificant, it is encouraging to see a movement among schools to embrace these design principles. ISZL has made important progress in these areas, though the fifth frame is, perhaps, the most challenging as the inherent structures of schools, including our physical spaces, do not necessarily lend themselves well to the concept of inter-related, cross-curricular learning and the application of competencies in a holistic manner. As with any change, this is a process that takes time and commitment, which will also continue to build on past developments while furthering current initiatives and implementing future strategies.

Fortunately, the OECD provides a framework to guide learning programme development through concept, content, and topic design that includes a focus on student agency, rigour, coherence, alignment, transferability, and choice. This framework also relies on process design and the related importance of teacher agency in which teachers are empowered to use their professional knowledge, skills, and expertise to develop an authentic, inter-related, flexible, and engaging learning programme. It is these design principles that ISZL embraces as we continue our work to ensure our students are benefiting from the most relevant and meaningful learning programme possible.

Reference: Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). (2018). The Future of Education and Skills 2030. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/education/2030/oecd-education-2030-position-paper.pdf

Photo Credit: OECD

Stronger Together

Versão em portuguêsVersão em português

“We are stronger not despite our differences, but because of them.” ~Prime Minister Trudeau

The recent horrific and tragic attack at the mosque in Quebec and the subsequent categorical response from Canadians and concerned citizens around the world is a poignant reminder of one of our primary purposes as educators. As learning institutions, we must model and live by the highest standards associated with tolerance, empathy, and understanding while categorically rejecting all acts of hate, bigotry, and discrimination. The unique opportunity to serve as an educator includes an unwavering commitment to model and stand up for the values we hold dear in our schools.

While it is not the role of a teacher to promote and impose personal political views and beliefs, it is a teacher’s responsibility to denounce, without exception, all comments and actions that are not in full adherence with the school’s focus on valuing plurality, difference, understanding, respect, and tolerance. As intolerance is usually a result of fear and fear is often generated from a lack of understanding, the focus on learning in schools plays an ever-important role toward deeper understandings. The hope is that the suspicions and uncertainty that result from a lack of understanding or knowledge will be replaced with curiosity, support, and appreciation.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s response to the shooting was a call to action and the coming together as a nation: “We will not stand for hatred and bigotry. Together we will ride from this darkness stronger and more unified than ever before. That is who we are… love, always love, instead of hate.” It is also heartening and inspiring to witness the commitment of our education colleagues and the focus of so many schools and organizations to take a stand against all that divides us. The message is clear in that if one of us suffers, we all suffer. By way of example, Asger Leth’s video, Three Beautiful Human Minutes, is a moving testimonial conveying the message that there is more that brings us together than we think. Teachers are also regularly seeking ways to embrace and learn from our differences. Alison Schofield recently posted a helpful article entitled, “How Teachers can Honor and Nurture all Students’ Languages and Cultures within an International School.” The University of Minnesota, where I am currently engaged in graduate studies, just launched a “We All Belong Here” campaign, with five key messages: 1. Our differences drive our greatness, 2. Respect everyone every day, 3. Rise above intolerance, 4. Stand up to injustice, 5. Strive to be inclusive.

This work is not easy, though it is of paramount importance. The studies of a colleague at the American School of Brasilia, Gavin Hornbuckle, highlights one of these challenges. Gavin conducted extensive doctoral research in the area of intercultural competencies. The results of his study and others indicate that “while teachers often believe that they possess the intercultural skill-set required to [help students to develop intercultural competence], in reality, this may not be the case” (Horbuckel, 2013). The research also stresses that the majority of educators have more of a monocultural mindset, while our students show evidence of being more sophisticated in their intercultural development” (Cushner, 2012). It is a fact that intercultural competence does not come naturally and is an area that we, as educators, need to continually work at, particularly as we seek to understand, embrace, and celebrate our differences.

Returning to Prime Minister Trudeau, one of his recent statements may serve as a guiding principle for our schools: “If we allow individuals and organizations to succeed by scaring people, then we do not actually end up any safer. Fear does not make us stronger, it makes us weaker. We are bound by one, unwavering, unshakable truth: we are stronger not despite our differences, but because of them”.

References:

Cushner, K. (2012). Planting seeds for peace: Are they growing in the right direction? International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 36(2), 161-168.

Hornbuckle, G. C. (2013). Teachers’ views regarding ways in which the intercultural competence of students is developed at an international school in Southeast Asia: a mixed methods study. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY-NC 2.0) Flickr photo by Roel Wijnants (Painting): https://www.flickr.com/photos/cosmosfan/14628522324

Versão em Português

“Nós somos mais fortes por causa das nossas diferenças e não apesar delas” ~ Primeiro- Ministro Trudeau

O recente, horrível e trágico ataque que ocorreu na mesquita no Quebec e a resposta subsequente dos canadenses e cidadãos preocupados ao redor do mundo é um lembrete pungente de um dos nossos principais propósitos como educadores. Como instituições de aprendizagem, devemos modelar e viver segundo os mais altos padrões associados à tolerância, à empatia e ao entendimento e assim rejeitarmos categoricamente todos os atos de ódio, intolerância e discriminação. A oportunidade única de servir como educador inclui um compromisso inabalável para modelar e defender os valores que prezamos nas nossas escolas.

Embora não seja papel do professor promover e impor pontos de vista pessoais políticos, éticos e morais é responsabilidade dele denunciar, sem exceção, todos os comentários e ações que não estão em total adesão ao foco da escola na valorização da pluralidade, diferença, compreensão, respeito e tolerância. Como a intolerância é, geralmente, resultado do medo e o medo é, muitas vezes, gerado a partir da falta de compreensão, o foco na aprendizagem nas escolas desempenha um papel cada vez mais importante para entendimentos mais profundos. A esperança é que as suspeitas e incertezas que resultam de uma falta de compreensão ou conhecimento serão substituídas por curiosidade, apoio e apreciação.

A resposta do primeiro-ministro Justin Trudeau ao tiroteio foi um apelo à ação e à união como nação: “Não iremos defender o ódio e o fanatismo. Juntos, vamos cavalgar a partir desta escuridão, mais fortes e mais unidos do que nunca. Isso é o que somos…amor, sempre amor, em vez de ódio.” É também animador e inspirador testemunhar o compromisso de nossos colegas de educação e o foco de tantas escolas e organizações em tomar uma posição contra tudo o que nos divide. A mensagem é clara, se um de nós sofre todos sofremos. Como exemplo, o vídeo de Asger Leth,Three Beautiful Human Minutes, é um emocionante depoimento que transmite a mensagem de que há mais coisas que nos unem do que pensamos. Os professores também estão regularmente buscando maneiras de abraçar e aprender com nossas diferenças. Alison Schofield publicou recentemente um artigo (article) útil intitulado “Como professores podem honrar e nutrir todos os idiomas e culturas dos alunos dentro de uma escola internacional.” A Universidade de Minnesota, onde estou atualmente envolvido em estudos de pós-graduação, acaba de lançar uma campanha “We All Belong Here”, com cinco pontos-chave:

Nossas diferenças impulsionam nossa grandeza;
Respeite a todos, todos os dias;
Eleve-se acima da intolerância;
Posicione-se contra a injustiça;
Esforce-se para ser inclusivo.

Embora seja de suma importância, esse trabalho não é fácil. Os estudos de um colega da Escola Americana de Brasília, Gavin Hornbuckle, destacam um desses desafios. Gavin conduziu uma extensa pesquisa de doutorado na área de competências interculturais. Os resultados de seu estudo (study) e outros indicam que “embora os professores muitas vezes acreditem possuir um conjunto de habilidades interculturais necessárias para [ajudar os alunos a desenvolver a competência intercultural], na realidade, isso pode não ser o caso” (Hornbuckle,2013). A pesquisa também ressalta que a maioria dos educadores tem mais uma mentalidade monocultural, enquanto nossos alunos mostram evidências de serem mais sofisticados em seu desenvolvimento intercultural (Cushner,2012). É fato que a competência interucltural não vem naturalmente e é uma área em que nós, como educadores, precisamos trabalhar continuamente, particularmente enquanto procuramos compreender, abraçar e celebrar nossas diferenças.

Voltando ao Primeiro-Ministro Trudeau, uma de suas recentes declarações pode servir como princípio orientador para nossas escolas: “Se permitirmos que indivíduos e organizações tenham sucesso ao amedrontar as pessoas, não estaremos mais seguros. O medo não nos torna mais fortes, porém mais fracos. Somos ligados por uma verdade inabalável, sólida: Somos mais fortes por causa das nossas diferenças e não apesar delas”.

Future of Education

We recently hosted an evening event with parents and teachers entitled, “The Future of Education.” The workshop was more of a discussion about the factors that are currently disrupting and redefining education rather than an articulation of what education will look like in the future.

To begin the discussion, each participant was asked to describe the most effective learning experience in his or her life. While there was a wide range of responses, there was one common theme: All but one of the learning experiences occurred outside of a K-12 school setting. The one parent whose experience took place in school shared that his Grade 2 teacher allowed him to extend his learning in an area of personal interest that developed well beyond the level required in the syllabus.

The participants were then asked to explain why they believed the learning experiences they described were so effective and meaningful. What emerged from the ensuing discussion was the concept of relevance – when the learning represented a high level of relevance to the learner, the result was usually an effective and deeply meaningful learning experience.

Relevance

So, is the concept of relevance as a basis for our educational programs the panacea we have been seeking to significantly improve K-12 educational programs and, in turn, student learning and development? While we know there is no simple “one solution fits all” solution to improving schools, we are seeing an increased focus on relevance and personalized learning. If forced to use one word to describe the future of education, many would agree that the word would be relevance.

The research of Lee Jenkins (2013) highlights why this discussion is important. Jenkins worked with 3,000 teachers from Kindergarten to Grade 12 to determine how enthusiastic students are about school. The result of the study was that 95% of kindergarten students are enthusiastic about school. However, this percentage drops significant each year until Grade 9 when the percentage of students enthusiastic about school drops to a low of 37%. The small increase between Grades 10 to 12 is attributed to the focus of some students on graduation and beyond (see graph below). It seems that we should all be concerned with the results of this study.

Source: The New Meaning of Educational Change, Fifth Edition, by Michael Fullan

It is believed that a greater focus on relevance in education will contribute to ensuring a higher level of student enthusiasm for school. To that end, relevance can be defined in many ways, including the framework of preparing students for life beyond school.

Future of Jobs

In Future of Jobs, published by the World Economic Forum, the report lists the top ten skills needed to thrive in a 2015 work environment. Looking ahead five years, it is believed that over 35% of the skills considered important for work today will have changed, resulting in a different list of top ten skills in 2020.

Top 10 Skills in 2015:

Complex Problem Solving
Coordinating with Others
People Management
Critical Thinking
Negotiation
Quality Control
Service Orientation
Judgment and Decision Making
Active Listening
Creativity

Top 10 Skills in 2020:

Complete Problem Solving
Critical Thinking
Creativity
People Management
Coordinating with Others
Emotional Intelligence
Judgment and Decision Making
Service Orientation
Negotiation
Cognitive Flexibility

In comparing the two tables, it is interesting to note that five of the skills in 2020 are relationship based: People Management, Coordinating with Others, Emotional Intelligence, Service Orientation, and Negotiation. It is also interesting to note that Creativity moved up the list from tenth place in 2015 to third place in 2020.

Creativity

George Land was responsible for developing a creativity test for NASA to determine how innovative potential scientists and astronauts were as part of the candidate assessment process. In 1968, Land used the same test to evaluate children over a ten-year period. The results were astonishing, as displayed in the chart below.

Source: Most Likely to Succeed: Preparing our Kids for the Innovation Era, by Tony Wagner and Ted Dintersmith

The test was given to 1,600 students with a resulting score of 98% for five-year-olds. The same students were tested five and ten years later, scoring 30% and 12% respectively. The same test was given to 280,000 adults, who scored an average of 2%. The conclusion of the study was that non-creative behavior is learned.

The significant drop in levels of creativity has been attributed, in large part, to, an educational system that was developed on a premise established 200 years ago during the Industrial Revolution to train students to follow instructions and be good workers. Education has of course evolved since that time, though it can be argued that the framework associated with the original premise continues to limit reform in education.

Returning to the title of this post and the Future of Education, some of the questions that will guide future educational reforms will need to include issues relating to creativity, future work skills, enthusiasm for school, and, perhaps most importantly, the concept of relevance and the learning process.

O Futuro da Educação

Recentemente nós promovemos um evento para pais e professores chamado “ O Futuro da Educação”. O workshop foi mais uma discussão sobre os fatores que atualmente estão perturbando e redefinindo a educação do que uma articulação sobre o que a educação virá a ser no futuro.

Ao começarmos a discussão, pedimos que cada participante descrevesse a experiência de aprendizado mais eficaz em sua vida. Em meio uma variedade de respostas, notamos um tema em comum: Todas as experiências, exceto uma, aconteceram fora do ambiente escolar. O pai que contou sobre a sua experiência na escola disse que a sua professora do segundo ano permitiu que ele estendesse sua aprendizagem em uma área de interesse pessoal que se desenvolveu muito além do nível exigido pelo programa.

Em seguida, pedimos aos participantes que explicassem por que eles acreditavam que suas experiências de aprendizado compartilhadas ali foram tão eficazes e significativas. O que emergiu do debate que se seguiu foi o conceito de relevância – em que o aprendizado representou um alto nível de importância para o aluno e o resultado foi uma experiência de aprendizado efetiva, profunda e significativa.

Relevância

Sendo assim, será que o conceito de relevância como base para nossos programas educacionais é a panaceia que temos buscado para melhorar significativamente os programas educacionais K-12 e, por sua vez, o aprendizado do aluno e seu desenvolvimento?

Apesar de sabermos que não há uma simples “solução para todos” para a melhoria das escolas, estamos vendo que existe um foco maior na relevância e aprendizagem personalizada. Se nos esforçarmos para achar uma palavra que descreva o futuro da educação, muitos irão concordar que a palavra seria relevância.

A pesquisa de Lee Jenkins (2013) destaca por que esta discussão é importante. Jenkins trabalhou com 3.000 professores do jardim de infância ao 12º ano para determinar como alunos entusiasmados se sentem sobre a escola. O estudo mostrou que 95% dos alunos do jardim de infância estão entusiasmados com a escola. No entanto, esse percentual cai de forma significativa a cada ano, até a 9ª série, quando a percentagem de alunos entusiasmados com a escola cai para 37%. O pequeno aumento entre os 10º e 12º anos é atribuído ao foco de alguns alunos na graduação, entre outros (ver gráfico abaixo). Parece que todos nós devemos nos preocupar com os resultados deste estudo.

Fonte: The New Meaning of Educational Change, Fifth Edition, by Michael Fullan

Acredita-se que um foco maior na relevância em educação contribuirá para assegurar um maior nível de alunos entusiasmados com a escola. Para isso, a relevância pode ser definida de várias maneiras, incluindo a abordagem de preparar alunos para a vida além da escola.

O Futuro dos Empregos

O artigo “O Futuro dos Empregos”, publicado pelo Fórum Econômico Mundial, lista as dez principais habilidades necessárias para prosperar em um ambiente de trabalho de 2015. Olhando cinco anos para frente, acredita-se que mais de 35% das habilidades consideradas hoje importantes para o trabalho, irão mudar resultando em uma lista diferente das dez melhores habilidades em 2020.

As 10 melhores habilidades em 2015:

Resolução de problemas complexos
Interação com os outros
Gestão de Pessoas
Pensamento Crítico
Negociação
Controle de Qualidade
Orientação de Serviços
Julgamento e Tomada de Decisão
Escuta Ativa
Criatividade

As 20 melhores habilidades em 2020:

Resolução de Problemas Completa
Pensamento Crítico
Criatividade
Gestão de Pessoas
Interação com os outros
Inteligência Emocional
Julgamento e Tomada de Decisão
Orientação a Serviços
Negociação
Flexibilidade Cognitiva

Na comparação das duas tabelas, é interessante notar que cinco das habilidades para 2020 estão ligadas a relacionamento: Gestão de Pessoas, Interação com os outros, Inteligência Emocional, Orientação a Serviços e Negociação. Também é interessante notar que a criatividade subiu na lista de décimo lugar em 2015, para o terceiro lugar em 2020.

Criatividade

George Terra foi o responsável pelo desenvolvimento de um teste de criatividade para a NASA para determinar o potencial e quão inovadores cientistas e astronautas eram, como parte de um processo seletivo. Em 1968, Terra usou o mesmo teste para avaliar crianças em um período acima de dez anos.

Os resultados foram surpreendentes, conforme mostrado no gráfico abaixo.

Fonte: Most Likely to Succeed: Preparing our Kids for the Innovation Era, by Tony Wagner and Ted Dintersmith

O teste foi aplicado a 1.600 alunos com uma pontuação de 98% para crianças de cinco anos. Os mesmos alunos foram testados cinco e dez anos mais tarde, marcando 30% e 12%, respectivamente. O mesmo teste foi dado a 280.000 adultos, que marcaram uma média de 2%. A conclusão do estudo foi que o comportamento não criativo é aprendido.

A queda significativa nos níveis de criatividade tem sido atribuída, em grande parte, a um sistema educacional que foi desenvolvido em uma premissa estabelecida há 200 anos, durante a Revolução Industrial, para ensinar alunos a seguirem as instruções e serem bons trabalhadores. A educação vem, naturalmente, evoluindo desde aquela época, embora se possa argumentar que o quadro associado com a premissa original continua a limitar a reforma na educação.

Voltando ao título deste artigo e ao Futuro da Educação, algumas das questões que irão orientar as futuras reformas educacionais terão de incluir questões relacionadas a criatividade, habilidades de trabalhos futuros, o entusiasmo para a escola, e, talvez a mais importante, o conceito de relevância e o processo de aprendizagem.

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) flickr photo by Nelson de Witt:Child's Play; https://www.flickr.com/photos/mcescobar1/4826861354