What is the future of education?
This is one question I promise not to claim to know how to answer accurately! If we were all asked this particular question merely 15 months ago, we’d offer a multitude of possibilities, and neither theory would outline this magical school year! Having said that…let’s ponder aloud…
In the last few funny months, we’ve had to offer exponentially more choice to our students, out of sheer necessity. As challenging as it was in some situations, it afforded us to notice what was there all along that we could have offered without facing a pandemic. Techy tools, well being check ins, and independent Google slideshows!
I believe the future holds even more choice, still undiscovered, if you will…that we should seek to see without having to be placed in a challenging spot. It’s a mine where we’ve only scratched the surface, whilst rubies and emeralds await a few layers below.
On another note, we’ve noticed how wellbeing is crucial for facing a global challenge, thus we have no choice as educators, but to provide this knowledge and preparation for our little humans. And some have, way before this avalanche waved over our unsuspecting heads, yet many of us rushed to equip kids about sustaining well-being in a quick panic, almost in crisis mode, just a tad late.
In conclusion, we need to both think big and pull back all at once. Expand choice and possibility through imagining the “What if” scenario, preparing for all possible futures (teaching creativity, tech, well being, life skills, collaboration, community, etc) as well as diminish gimmicks and the unnecessaries, to create time for meaningful learning.
