Why Education Must Change

I spent two days at the Christa McAuliffe Tech Conference in Manchester last week, and left each day with my head spinning from ideas, resources, strategies, philosophies, discussions, tips, techniques and plans. There was so much to see, hear about, talk about, play with, explore and consider. It has taken some time to digest, analyze, synthesize and reflect on the experience. But oh - did I learn new things! I felt both tired and exhilarated at the end of each day, and it was a great feeling.

It occurs to me that this is the kind of learning experience we want our students to have. We want them to open their minds, consider the possibilities, get curious enough to want to know more. We want them to use all their senses when presented with a big idea. We want them to feel good about learning, and take ownership of their education.
Of course, this takes a lot of planning - the Conference Committee started creating this experience for us last year as soon as the 2015 Conference ended. But it could be and should be part of our planning to set up a learning environment that engages our students on many different levels whenever and wherever possible. 

Several of the keynote speakers talked about the huge changes in education in the 21st century.
You may be interested to see and hear Jennifer Fox speaking about this topic as one of the keynote speakers at the CMTC:

Click here:
Jennifer Fox Keynote Speech: Why Education Must Change

Published on Dec 3, 2016

Why K-12 Education Must Change

"The next 10 years will dramatically change our lives and almost everything in it. The rise of robots, advancements in computers, global competition, the economics of the environment (among other developments) will make skills training in most fields, with a few exceptions, obsolete at ever quickening rates. We know that the only way for people to live meaningful and fulfilling lives is to receive an education. But it cannot be the kind of education we are used to. We have to stop teaching the curriculum and start teaching the individual – each individual, every single individual, and teach them as individuals, with unique interests, abilities and strengths. And what we teach them will have to be uniquely human as increased automation will cause the mass disappearance of traditional jobs. We are headed into a world where creativity and innovative thinking will be more valuable than rote learning of any depth. Our educational system must embrace art, teamwork, leadership, empathy, and the deeper aspects of human life and society as core curriculum in order for us to thrive."