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

Looking into the contemporary issues or trends that are influencing New Zealand actually puts perspective on a lot of things, especially regarding our education system and where it is leading our youth. Sir Ken Robinson really got me thinking in his Education Changing Paradigm talk when he used ADHD as a reference to how we are getting kids through the education system - anaesthetising them, instead of allowing them to be divergent and wake up their senses. 


KPMG (2014) stated that The world is changing faster than at any time in human history. It included alarming statistics that show you how fast our world is growing. Being in a technological world means that 90% of digital data was only created 2 years ago yet the earliest computers have been around since the 1950's. This is a scary thought.
Identify and evaluate two contemporary issues or trends that are influencing or shaping NZ or international education, which are most relevant to your practice.
The two Megatrends that stand out the most to me are Individual Empowerment and Demographic Patterns.
Individual Empowerment is mostly seen as a positive to our nation and growing world. It focusses on the increase of middle class citizens, provides better health care, and an increase in education statistics.This trend is about giving more power to the individual by providing for good living through health and education - these are two areas that currently seem to be suffering in New Zealand. This means that by 2030 there will be more middle class citizens than lower class meaning there is more opportunity. The downside to this trend is the power given to individuals. By 2030 there will be an increase in lethal and disruptive technologies which will be at the hands of anyone who wishes to have that kind of power. We see it already in the 21st Century with the Middle East, bombings, and poverty stricken areas.

Demographic Patterns interests me as the worlds population increases, our natural resources will become scarce. It is funny to think back to some of the movies I watched when I was younger and how they always had references made to a world that had ended, became baron, or uninhabitable. With this trend, most countries economies will suffer and be determined by their demographic position, there will be an increase growth in human population putting more strain on food and water supplies, and because of all this growth the standard of living will be compromised. Having more poverty is not what we need.

By following the readings for this activity, I have become more aware of just how much the world has changed in such a short time. 2030 is only 14 years away which isn't very far. My youngest child will only be 15 years old and he will need to be prepared for what the world has to offer. I can only help him by making sure he and his older siblings are equipped with the knowledge needed to be up there in the Individual Empowerment category so they have the power to lead their own lives successfully - whatever that might be. This is the same with my teaching practice. Sharing my knowledge and new understandings with colleagues and students to better provide them with the knowledge to make the right choices. All learners young and old need to be divergent. They need to be able to multitask, and be diverse in the way they think, act and learn. There shouldn't be any restrictions and therefore our future generation will be able to cope with the rapid changes that are happening now and continue to evolve.

References:

KPMG Australia. (2014, May 22).Future State 2030 - Global Megatrends. Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im5SwtapHl8

Pearson. (2013, April 26).Global trends: The world is changing faster than at any time in human history. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdZiTQy3g1g

The RSA.(2010, Oct 14).RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U.

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