Leading Learning

Last week, our District had the pleasure of having Bruce Beairsto join our administrators group and present some of his thoughts on personalized learning. While I do not have the time or space to encapsulate his entire presentation, I wanted to take a moment to share some of the particulars that stuck with me.

As we try to get a handle on the how, what and why of change as part of the personalized learning agenda, it becomes necessary to answer the following question:  What is the most compelling reason for changing the way schools operate? As mentioned last week, the rate of change in the world should be compelling enough, but that aside, how are schools in their traditional structures (as Sir Ken Robinson might put it) preparing students for a future we cannot imagine? And if we cannot imagine IT, what skills prepare our youth to handle IT?

Fortunately, we are not alone.  Every jurisdiction is peeling this onion, and perhaps that is how we will get there, but unfortunately, there is no silver bullet.  We are not likely, as Bruce put it,  to "shrink wrap" this and send it out to a school near you.   And while the uncertainty creates unease, I think it makes sense and could be equally liberating. For if we believe we are preparing students to develop the skills they need to enter the unknown, an expectation of the shrink wrap solution would seem counterintuitive.

And what are these skills?  Bruce referenced several sources, such as Tony Wagner's Seven Survival Skills from his book, The Global Achievement Gap.

• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
• Collaboration Across Networks
• Agility and Adaptability
• Ingenuity and Entrepreneurship
• Effective Oral and Written Communication
• Accessing and Analyzing Information
• Curiosity and Imagination

This is not to suggest the "3 R's" have lost their importance.  Indeed, as a foundation, they are more critical than ever.  However, they are also not sufficient, and doing more of the same will not better prepare our youth for an uncertain, rapidly changing world.