The Future of Education
Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to
those who prepare for it today
(Malcolm X)
Young learners are the future and as Malcolm X said in his famous quote, with education, people can be prepared while creating opportunities for themselves. Our opportunity as educators is to set learners up for success so that they are future-ready with the knowledge and skills that will serve them today as well as for tomorrow.
In the early foundational years, learners need concentrated skill focus in reading, writing, math, comprehension, and critical thinking which will serve as the strong base from which all other learning flows. Balanced with this concentrated skill focus, there can be much needed room for personalized learning extensions as well as real world learning. With so much digital saturation and overexposure to technology, young learners benefit from engaging in green space and the real world while also integrating learning about the innovations and careers of the future so that they can connect the why of learning while seeing their role in the future as environmental experts, digital citizens, multinational project managers, problem solvers in sustainability issues and more. The future requires highly skilled technical knowledge and by having a strong foundation, young learners will be future-ready.
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Such bold initiatives cannot be met within traditional generalist models of education because students need to engage in pathways of learning with structured cohorts, flexible exploration, and self-paced mastery so they can have concentrated skill focus as well as extension activities according to the strengths of their learning styles. This approach fits within a differentiated learning community model where students are engaged in their learning and teachers are able to concentrate on teaching instead of managing focus or even behavioral issues.
As Educators we can help young learners to ...
Building the Future
Not all students are the same and not all students are going in the same direction. Instead, learners each have their own unique learning styles, strengths as well as interests. Engaged learners are invested in their learning and such investment comes from having choices.
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Within differentiated learning communities, students choose a pathway of learning that best suits their learning styles which could include a structured cohort (in-person class learning), flexible exploration (blended learning), or self-paced mastery (individualized learning). With an integrated LMS (Learning Management System) students can extend their learning, personalized assignments, and have access to learning that will help them to be future-ready in competitive careers at a global level since the world of business, technology, innovation, and trade is now multinational.
Learners will need to build the foundational knowledge to be confident in a global economy where they seek out the opportunities because in competitive job markets, those opportunities will not just come to them.
As Educators we can help learners to...
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Prepare Students for High Demand Specialized Technological Careers
Provide learners with real world learning opportunities to integrate hands on learning with theory
