The future of education requires change

As I entered the Northlands Agricom on the evening of October 18, I knew the Inspiring Education conference was going to be unlike any other conference I've ever attended as a school trustee. First of all it was a huge setting with over 1,000 delegates. There were spotlights carefully stationed all around the room, projecting logos and designs on the walls. There was music, there was dance and there were some profound ideas being tossed around thanks to four keynote speakers and discussions on the result of the community consultations across the province since the beginning of the year.

"We need to prepare our kids for their future, not our past," said the first keynote speaker, Mr. Daniel Pink, writer of "A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Rule the Future." For those of you who aren't aware of the right brain-left brain discussion, left brain activity includes logical, linear and analytical thinking whereas right brain activity looks at the big picture and includes artistry and empathy.

Asia, Automation and Abundance are the reasons why we need to teach our students how to become more right-brain thinkers, Mr. Pink explained. The country of India has a billion people and in less than five months, it will be the largest English-speaking economy in the world...and it is connected to the rest of the world for free (via the Internet).

"Routine" is the scariest word in North America, Mr. Pink continued. An educated Albertan in 2029 will not be doing routine work if we expect to remain competitive in this global economy. Software AUTOMATES everything the left side of the brain is doing right now. And in our world of ABUNDANCE, it is up to our educated Albertans to use their artistry and right-brain thinking to provide people something they didn't know they were missing. Did you know that 460,000 cell phones are discarded every day in the United States? We didn't even know we needed cell phones 20 years ago.

Daniel Pink said educated Albertans will need "high touch" abilities if they are to succeed in 2029 such as, design-thinking, story, empathy, play, meaning and understanding the big picture. Google provides its employees with 20% time where they can play and solve problems in a self-directed way. They are "non-routine savants." We need passion, life-long learning skills and the arts. The most valuable prefix for the future is "multi."

I found it quite interesting that all four speakers at the conference talked about how video games provide a powerful tool for assessment. Video games are constantly providing feedback and the gamer is using his/her own self-direction and autonomy to solve problems. This fits in with the idea from cultural anthropologist, Dr. Jennifer James, that kids don't separate learning from play. She also said that the leading reason for a high diagnosis of ADHD in young children is that there is a MISMATCH in ENERGY between Grade One students and their teachers.

I really liked the concepts for change in the classroom that Dr. James discussed. She talked about how teachers need to be facilitators and tutors. They should teach our kids how to debate. There should be master teachers that videoconference to classrooms while the teacher in the classroom facilitates and tutors.

Dr. Mark Milliron talked about how our education system should look less like a pipeline and more like a "LEARNING SWIRL." I really liked this concept of how K-12 and post-secondary should be working together, side-by-side... how we should be focussing on a K-20 governance model.

He continued with the right-brain theory that our education system should focus on developing CRITICAL, CREATIVE, SOCIAL and COURAGEOUS learning.

University of Alberta President Indira Samarasekera also followed this line of thinking in her speech. She told us that Alberta has the lowest post-secondary participation rate in Alberta and that we need to focus on teaching our children how to be CREATIVE and how educators need to INVOLVE and ENGAGE students. "Creativity is the essential element for education in the 21st century," she said.

Dr. Samarasekera is originally from India and she said there are currently 540 million Indians under the age of 25. What is Canada's entire population? We need a new business model!

However, creative thinking is risky. It takes time and is often considered being lazy and unproductive. Creative people are considered weird, eccentric and different, but we need to celebrate these qualities instead of casting them out. Difference needs to be celebrated starting in Kindergarten.

"We need students who ask questions we cannot answer and then find ways together to answer them together," said Dr. Samarasekera. She told us that in the U of A's own surveying, they found out that only 20-30% of first-year university student are acquiring their learning in the classroom. The balance of their learning is experiential. Students are becoming more involved in community engagement - "community service learning."

In the question and answer segment, Dr. Samarasekera was asked how we can move forward. Her response was that we need to maintain the breadth in our current education system as we continue, but that our curriculum needs to promote engagement and broadly connect what's happening in the classroom with what's happening in the world. She also commented on how that 20% time is essential. It gives children the opportunity to play and really discover who they are. "We need to give our students that 'WOW' experience at school."

I know these concepts are a lot to take in at one reading, but after two and a half days of participating in this "Alberta Education" conference, I am convinced this is the direction we need to take. What worries me is how this will be translated into government legislation and practicality.

Each and every one of the four keynote speakers said that multiple choice testing is horrific and yet Alberta Education just changed the Math diploma exams to entirely multiple choice, in order to save money. I hope the Minister of Education was listening. The fact that his department organized this glitzy event should hopefully mean something.

As a mother of two young children just entering the K-12 system, I feel hopeful that their education experience will adapt to our global economy. I will continue to let them grow and experience life through play and creativity. I will allow them to try and solve problems on their own. After all, the education system is just one part of our children's learning experiences. It takes an entire community to raise a child and maybe even this entire world.