I found this article on the Getting Smart blog. Its predictions are thought-provoking, and utterly within the realm of possibility, even likelihood. Fundamental shifts in the educational landscape are happening, and the rate of change will only increase with time. These are exciting days in our field and a willingness to explore and adapt are essential for any school that aspires - as we certainly do - to providing its students with world-class preparation for the lives they will lead. Many of the changes predicted in this article are underway, in one form or another, at Friends, as our teachers expand their repertoires and reimagine their roles in the classroom.
http://bit.ly/nDhmdD
I recommend, if you haven't read it already, Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown's recent book "A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change". I may be biased (I edited the book), but embracing change instead of fighting it; exploiting, instead of restricting, the almost unlimited access to information that is now available; and encouraging peer-to-peer learning through exploration and play make a lot of sense to me. As an alumna (class of 1977), I think of Friends as a dynamic institution, built on a solid foundation but always looking forward. Integrating Thomas and Brown's approach would seem to be a natural next step in the school's evolution.
ReplyDeleteThanks very much, Lilith. I will definitely pick up a copy of that book, as it seems like a very timely response to the world we're living in.
ReplyDeleteMatt