Activity 6 - Contemporary issues or trends in New Zealand or internationally

There are no shortages of creative, provocative and at times hilarious memes that help people to question and consider the implications of technology, government and global trends on education. In a more formal context Sir Ken Robinson consistently questions education in its present form and existence and in this adaptation he notes 3 main areas to consider:

1. Human capacity - it's interesting (and scary) to contemplate the effects that 'education' might have on my children.

2. Learning happens in groups - How can learning and collaboration be separated if working with people is a natural process?

3.       School culture; habits and habitats - Why do we factory line produce kids to fit a specific mold... when we are not even sure of what the mold will look like or of the material we will cast.

When considering the above areas and comparing them to the New Zealand ERO report of 2012's recommendations... I have identified two contemporary trends/issues that are most relevant in progressing 'education' within my classroom: Individualised learning and developing a responsive and rich curriculum.

Learner Centered Learning:

How do I make sure that the learner is at the centre of education in my classroom. This is one of the biggest issues in my eyes because it requires the redesign of current culture and spaces of learning at my school. Core Ed identifies this trend as a current area for improvement. To me the concept of student centered learning revolves around understanding how my learners learn, what they choose to learn, and about making links between what they enjoy and the real world.

Addressing this issue will require input from a community that is still very traditional in considerations towards 'future learning' and '21st Century Skills'. How do I ensure that my community agrees and supports directions of my classroom/our school without consultation and education?

A way to solve this issue could be by using student agency, in conjunction with community consultation and education to work collaboratively to engage learners and learning. This needs to be accompanied by a curriculum and school culture that is responsive to change, and relevant to students.

Ponderings to consider:

• How do you change an organisation that is not ready to redesign themselves to focus on the learner?
• Will it be difficult for kids to adapt to a system where they are expected to be autonomous learners?
• How will how we teach link with expectations and experiences at High School?

Responsive and rich curriculum:

When considering a responsive and rich curriculum it pays to consider the processes that students can use to learn knowledge, and then use this information to create new innovative and creative solutions/designs.

Having a rich and relevant curriculum is not enough however. Thought needs to be put into how pedagogy needs to change so make a rich and responsive curriculum powerful for student development. Using processes and approaches like Design Thinking empowers students to learn about and create new knowledge, and to develop complex 21st Century Skills in a meaningful and real way.

Ponderings to consider:

• How can I show that the development of 21st century skills goes hand in hand with development of 'core learning' areas?
• Can Science, Maths and the Arts be used to teach 'Core Skills' in isolation from 21st Learning approaches and skills?