Podcast: The future of schooling

What should learning and schooling look like in the 21st century and beyond

Change can occur in incremental ways or through major events in history that permanently shift the status quo. Given how the pandemic has impacted human life in every way, the social and physical constructs of schooling have similarly been disrupted. While this shift has led to disorganization, it also creates an opportunity to re-imagine schooling based on what is most important for student learning, growth, and development. The impetus for change and redesign has never been greater. In this podcast, we will explore opportunities and possibilities for education and redesign what learning and schooling should look like in the 21st Century and beyond.

Transcript

Introduction

Welcome to today’s episode. Covid-19 has hit the social and physical constructs of the world hard. Schools have been especially hard hit. While this has led to disorganization, it has also created the opportunity to re-imagine schooling with a focus on what’s important for student learning, growth, and development. The impetus for change and redesign has never been greater, so today we are going to talk about the Future of Learning and Schooling.

Purpose of schooling

Times have changed since the traditional school system was designed. Times have changed since we were children in school. Our collective knowledge and technology are advancing faster than ever. We no longer need to memorize what we don’t use regularly; information is readily accessible to most. What’s important now is for students to learn how to evaluate and use the information that is available to them while having the ability to adapt to the pace of technological change.

Learning environment

In Europe it is common to find workplace regulations mandating access to natural light. This is because humans work better and are healthier when they have access to natural environments, sunlight, and space to move. The mental and emotional health benefits to students will improve their productivity if schools are built around this.

Classrooms will be more versatile. Row after row of desks will be gone; study after study shows that students, especially children, need to physically move around to be able to focus and learn better. Multi-use spaces will add the flexibility to organize activities around the subject matter instead of the furniture arrangement: large and small group projects; steam activities; easy transitioning from one skills station to another, none of this is possible in the traditional classroom where practical learning is minimized.

Technology can’t be avoided and must be incorporated into the classroom in a practical and purposeful fashion. The greatest need for this comes from globalization and climate immigration causing students to move around geographically. Robots are successfully being used now to help absent students have an active presence in the classroom, something sorely missing from video calls. Tablets can let teachers check student work anywhere in the world, provide assistance to students in targeted weak areas, and let students work in whatever fashion helps them learn best.

Academic curricula

The outdated model that students should be grouped in grades and everyone takes the same classes benefits no one and turns teachers into glorified babysitters. Classes will be organized and taught according to matrices that focus on skills and competencies. As students master material, they move to the next level in that part of the matrix. Students can spend as much time as they need to master a skill or competency. Diplomas will mean something again, that students have mastered everything necessary; no more advancing levels because most classes were passed while some were failed or teachers afraid of being fired for not passing a student.

Parent and Community involvement

Education will focus on larger group and class projects. Through working together, students will learn valuable social and emotional skills. Cooperation will teach students to share knowledge, how to identify and communicate important issues, and the importance of thinking about others. Projects will also be tailored to the needs of the community to increase the value of the lessons as students develop skills with real world applications while giving back to their community.

Including parents is crucial to develop healthy capable students. They will be invited into the classroom to share the skills and competencies they’ve mastered and to inspire young minds. Teachers and parents will work together to develop and implement education plans to help students where they need it. And having parents actively involved will help grow the emotional ties students need to build off of.

And now a word from our sponsors, the students. They say a village raises a child and they’re right. The village (the parents, school, and the community) must care for and provide opportunities for the student to learn how to give back to the village.