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Related topics or keywords - current context for education
shifts in society
The world has undergone massive and rapid social change in the past century, and the pace and scope of change is only increasing. Canadian schools – along with families and communities – must work to respond to fundamental social shifts that have transformed the nature of our society.
expanding world view
Globalization and the increasing interconnection of our world is changing the face of our planet and the challenges that we, as a species, must face. Education must help supply today’s young people with the knowledge, attitudes and skills they will need to survive and thrive in a dynamic present and an uncertain future.
Failing Our Kids: How We Are Ruining Our Public Schools
Education expert Charles Ungerleider makes our situation plain: Canadians have never placed a higher value on education, but if we do not do something now about the neglect and decline of our public schools, we may lose the benefits that they provide and miss the opportunity to fix them.
A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future
The era of “left brain” dominance, and the Information Age that it engendered, are giving way to a new world in which “right brain” qualities – creativity, empathy, synthesizing – predominate. Take note: the future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind.
Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling
Thirty years of award-winning teaching in New York City’s public schools led John Gatto to the sad conclusion that compulsory governmental schooling does little but teach young people to follow orders as cogs in the industrial machine.
Education is Inside Out, Upside Down: John Abbott Speaks
Posted December 19th, 2007 by carrieannJohn Abbott speaks about how schools have it wrong.
Featured in this video:
John Abbott is the President of the 21st Century Learning Initiative, an initiative to facilitate the emergence of new approaches to learning in the United Kingdom.
The changelearning website project emerged from the collaboration of John Abbott and Heather MacTaggart, the Executive Director of Classroom Connections, a Canadian non-profit educational organization dedicated to optimizing student learning.
Youth Speak: Life as Student in the 21st Century
Posted January 7th, 2008 by carrieannThis short video summarizes some of the most important characteristics of students today – how they learn, what they need to learn, their goals, hopes, dreams, what their lives will be like, and what kinds of changes they will experience in their lifetime. Created by Michael Wesch in collaboration with 200 students at Kansas State University.
(Runtime 04:44)
John Abbott Challenges Faulty Assumptions About Kids
Posted January 28th, 2008 by carrieannJohn Abbott speaks about the fact that children are innately inquisitive and insists that schools need to capitalize on this fact.
Featured in this video:
John Abbott is the President of the 21st Century Learning Initiative, an initiative to facilitate the emergence of new approaches to learning in the United Kingdom.
A Factory Model of Education: Heather MacTaggart Speaks
Posted January 28th, 2008 by carrieannHeather McTaggart discusses the fact that a factory-production model of education still exists, although we are now well into a knowledge-based economy era.
Featured in this video:
Heather MacTaggart is the Executive Director of Classroom Connections, a Canadian non-profit educational organization dedicated to optimizing student learning.
Heather MacTaggart on Educating for Today and Tomorrow
Posted January 28th, 2008 by carrieannHeather McTaggart discusses the need for schools to educate students for the realities of today and the possibilities of tomorrow.
Featured in this video:
Heather MacTaggart is the Executive Director of Classroom Connections, a Canadian non-profit educational organization dedicated to optimizing student learning.
Heather MacTaggart Asks: Why Act Now?
Posted January 28th, 2008 by carrieannHeather McTaggart speaks about the roles that community and home must play in our system of education, particularly in the context of a rapidly changing world.
Featured on this video:
Heather MacTaggart is the Executive Director of Classroom Connections, a Canadian non-profit educational organization dedicated to optimizing student learning.
John Abbott on Biological Adaptation vs. Cultural Change
Posted January 31st, 2008 by carrieannJohn Abbott speaks on the ways that biological adaptation interacts with human culture.
Featured in this video:
John Abbott is the President of the 21st Century Learning Initiative, an initiative to facilitate the emergence of new approaches to learning in the United Kingdom.
The changelearning website project emerged from the collaboration of John Abbott and Heather MacTaggart, the Executive Director of Classroom Connections, a Canadian non-profit educational organization dedicated to optimizing student learning.
Learning About Learning: A Conversation with John Abbott and Heather MacTaggart
Posted January 31st, 2008 by carrieannJohn Abbott and Heather MacTaggart discuss the need for people to take the time to examine the current research about learning in order to envision and create the best possible system of education.
Featured in this video:
John Abbott and Heather MacTaggart Discuss Why Children Concern Us All
Posted January 31st, 2008 by carrieannJohn Abbott and Heather MacTaggart discuss why the education of children is a concern of the whole society.
Featured in this video:
John Abbott is the President of the 21st Century Learning Initiative, an initiative to to facilitate the emergence of new approaches to learning in the United Kingdom. Heather MacTaggart is the Executive Director of Classroom Connections, a Canadian non-profit educational organization dedicated to optimizing student learning.
John Abbott on Educating for Sustainability
Posted January 31st, 2008 by carrieannJohn Abbott discusses the need for education to address the pressing issue of sustainability.
Featured in this video:
John Abbott is the President of the 21st Century Learning Initiative, an initiative to facilitate the emergence of new approaches to learning in the United Kingdom.
Report: Public Education in Canada -- Facts, Trends and Attitudes
Posted January 10th, 2008 by carrieannWith this report, the Canadian Education Association provides a context for rethinking schools to drive dialogue and critical thinking about the challenges we face in educating all students to take their place in a world of dynamic social, technological and economic change.
what's the problem?
Problems in education can be seen in a variety of symptoms in our youth and in our society. How did we get here and why is it so hard to change?
2007 Survey of Canadian Attitudes Towards Learning
Posted January 10th, 2008 by carrieannThe annual Survey of Canadian Attitudes toward Learning (SCAL) provides a unique opportunity to gauge the opinions, perceptions, and beliefs of Canadians about various aspects of learning in Canada. Now in its second year, the survey was designed by the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) in consultation with Statistics Canada, which administered the survey on behalf of CCL.
get informed
Before we can take action towards improving education in Canada, we need to be sure we understand the problems at hand. We must take the time to re-examine the big picture: the history of education, the social changes of the past 100 years, the roles of community and family in schools, and what research has shown about how humans learn best. When we understand where we are and how we got here, we can begin to re-envision our schools and work to transform education to meet the needs of today and the challenges of tomorrow.
No Time for Complacency: 2007 Annual Report on the State of Learning in Canada
Posted January 14th, 2008 by carrieannThis report by the Canadian Council on Learning examines many of the factors that contribute to successful lifelong learning—from early childhood, through the school years and into adulthood. It also takes a special look at the link between health and learning, and at the learning challenges faced by Aboriginal Peoples in Canada.
(NB: published in both English and French)
education for today and tomorrow
Since public education became common, less than 200 years ago, the rate of change has accelerated exponentially. Education needs to come to terms with ongoing and increasingly rapid changes in society, technology, the economy and our world.
can the learning species fit into schools?
Posted January 17th, 2008 by carrieannEducation critic John Abbott quotes Bill Gates who states unequivocally; “High schools are obsolete… by that, I mean that even when they are working exactly as designed (they) cannot teach our kids what they need to know today”. Abbott explores what we know about our species that might help us understand better how humans learn and how to provide young people with the learning experiences they need.
(This paper was delivered to The Campaign for Learning, 10th June 2005, Kensington Town Hall, UK.)
signs of trouble
Something is clearly wrong when we see growing youth disengagement, increasing dislike for school with each passing grade and rising rates of teenage depression and suicide. Expansion of both home schooling and private school enrollment also indicate dropping confidence in public education and recent studies show that our students are getting through the system without the basic skills or problem-solving abilities needed to function in today’s economy. Minority and low income students are the hardest hit.
Learning with the Grain of the Brain
Posted January 17th, 2008 by carrieannIf young people are to be equipped effectively to meet the challenges of the 21st century it is surely prudent to seek out the very best understandings from current scientific research into the nature of how humans learn before considering further reform of the current system.
This article by John Abbott and Terence Ryan appeared in the Spring, 1999 issue of Education Canada.
changing economy
Society has undergone massive and rapid shifts. The 21st century economy requires radically different approaches to work, productivity and prosperity – and consequently requires us to rethink our approaches to learning, schools and education.
A Policy Paper: The Strategic and Resource Implications of a New Model of Learning
Posted January 17th, 2008 by carrieannThis Policy Proposal, from the 21st Century Learning Initiative in the UK, is written to assist those in positions of influence to initiate powerful changes to current educational arrangements. The circumstantial evidence for such a transformation of learning is drawn from the best in research and practice from around the world. The paper shows that better informed, and more effective, models of learning could be organised through a redistribution of expenditures and responsibilities, at a total cost no greater than current levels of expenditure.
the rise of technology
Moving to a digital era has changed how kids process information, the role of the teacher and the skill set youth need to function effectively in their world. In addition, schools have not yet been able to take advantage of the learning opportunities now possible trough the integration of technology.
