Monday, March 16, 2015

What exactly is 21st century learning?

I've started reading (professionally) again. Our PLG is reading Key Competencies for the Future (Hipkins, Bolstad, Boyd, McDowall).
I thought I'd try to summarise my thinking or understanding of Chapters 2 and then 3, but I've found myself thinking about the title of this post.

Page 29 - "as with many kinds of change, it is often easier for all of us to see what we're moving away from, than to imagine exactly what it is we are moving towards."
This is challenging stuff and offers me a suggestion of why some are reluctant to move away from their current practice. While very few would try to justify that a one size fits all approach has merits, depending on how they're positioned to make change, they may prefer to continue what they're doing, as the alternative is too unclear. To me, this is about personality types. Risk taker, early adopter, whatever you call them, there are those who are happy to embark on something new, not knowing exactly where they're going, and not having an end in mind at any point. They enjoy the journey, the process.
We're not all wired the same way. This is a good thing. It can also be frustrating when it comes to some matters. Especially change. Some need to know the details and won't start the change process until some or all of these details are known, considered, debated, trialled and evaluated. Others simply cannot wait to start.

When considering the "wicked" question in the title of this post, it's not surprising that many of us are feeling excited, agitated, perplexed, exhausted, etc when contemplating what it is we need to do to have future oriented learning happening in our schools.

So, what is it that you are moving towards? What exactly is your definition or understanding of what 21st century learning is?




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