The Futures of Learning - Evaluation and Summary

Learning is about the process of developing sufficient surface knowledge and then move to deeper understanding such that one can appropriately transfer this learning to new tasks and situations. (Hattie Conference 2018 Brisbane)

Personalised learning is about meeting the needs of individuals and their interests.

Learners are more successful at becoming efficient with tasks when they build strong metacognitive abilities, reflect on new ideas learned, and integrate that information with their existing or prior knowledge and skills. The process they use to adopt the new knowledge will support all further learning. When the new learning becomes second nature, this will provide further creativity and originality. The awareness and understanding of ones own thought processes - Metacognition, is nurtured through learning that fosters participation, is personalised and customised, is focussed on problem-based learning, and contains activities that require peer collaboration. These learning types result in Deeper Learning because individuals aren't expected to memorise and repeat facts and knowledge that are of no interest to them, instead when content and context is of interest to individuals, they are able to comprehend difficult concepts and ideas, evaluate new ideas, and summarise their understanding based on reactions and insights.

While programs need to be personalised, teachers also need to ascertain what knowledge individual students have obtained and decide whether to move forward with learning or to revisit some of the process already visited in more depth. (Scott, C. 2015)

The current education system is broken and learner needs are often unclear as learners move from one sector to another, ie. Primary to Intermediate to Secondary School. This is not necessarily due to the pedagogy of teachers but the policies and pressure given from the government to meet certain standards and achievement levels.  With personalised learning, learners approach problems in their own way, explore and grasp ideas at their own pace. Due to restraints within the New Zealand education system and curriculum, teachers have become resistant to change or hesitant to change their practice to enable their learners this opportunity of personalised learning. Teachers who crave change and are effective in 21st Century teaching create regular opportunities for learners to select the types of experience they want to further investigate and grow their curiosity. This doesn't mean that teachers hand all responsibility over to their learners. Learners are more successful when they are taught how to learn as well as what to learn and therefore, teachers need to design and plan activities that match the interests and needs of learners and the curriculum.  (Scott, C. 2015)

Teachers need to encourage collaboration and communication, engage with and motivate learners, and cultivate creativity and innovation. Unknowingly, teachers are using technology in their everyday lives. They use social media, emails and other online forums to communicate and collaborate. They use computers to create learning paths. They are interior designers with how they create a stimulating learning environment. All this has been a learning journey for teachers - using technology use hasn't come naturally. Teachers now need to turn these skills around and allow their students to learn the same way. Opening up learning through the technology promotes learning with no boundaries (Anytime and Anywhere).  (Scott, C. 2015).

John Hattie's Effect Sizes state that Collective Teacher Efficacy has the highest impact on learners and is in the number spot with an effect size of 1.57. Therefore, as a collective group, teachers need to work together to embrace 21st century learning and accept that their roles as teachers, while remain central to the education system, must make the move away from imparting knowledge to guiding the learning. Teachers need to become coaches that provide guidance  to help students develop skills and learn processes that enable them to achieve their learning goals. (Hattie, J. 2012)

Summing up - A lot of what is now being discussed about education isn't new. In the early 19th Century, Ellen White, an American Christian Pioneer and author of "Education", referenced education practices that we are referring to now in the 21st century. Comparisons were made using words that were almost identical.  Comparisons looked at neuroplasticity, holistic, metacognition, education for employability, and Visible Learning and Heutagogy.  Education has always been about the learner. (White, E.)

Valerie Hannon speaks about a very eye opening issue that, while it affects all areas of humanity, it has a direct link to how education needs to be viewed and turned around. Everything starts with a story. We tell ourselves about ourselves. What we think and talk about is what will happen due to influence.

Everything has to have a purpose - start the new story with a purpose - this should be learning to thrive in a transforming world. There are 3 main reason why we are not thriving in  our current state:

1. Our planet - the 6th extinction is caused by humans
2. Apotheosis of technology - New geological age - which is the actions of humans
3. Our evolution - climate change

These are a huge problem because we are not controlling the rise in the surface temperature of the earth. This means we are slowly destroying our ability to survive.

Another area that is causing limitation for our species to thrive is Technology and Control. There are 3 main concerns in this area:

1. Scales of job disruption by robotics
2. Artificial intelligence
3. Global connectivity - having the ability to share, collaborate and communicate any time and anywhere, which is slowly affecting our relationships and ability to build new relationships.

Artificial intelligence is causing potential job automation due to the introduction of robots. 30% of jobs will be impacted by artificial intelligence by 2030. Low achievers will be impacted the most by work availability. This means that employment needs to be viewed very differently. There are already robots acting as teaching assistance in some schools.

But with some of the new innovations in robotics has meant evolution is also in our hands - Genetic Engineering and Human Enhancement Technology.

What does all this mean for education? Well, there are four interrelated competencies that Valerie talks about which can not be ignored:

1. Education needs to be based on learning goals. These need to focus on being how to live sustainably, how to protect earths eco-systems, and acquiring global competence.
2. Societal - to navigate a disrupted and uncertain landscape of work, and to reinvent a participative, authentic meaningful democracy that is recreated by the kids for them. Societies thriving really well are not the richest, but they are the ones who distribute their resources equitably.
3. There are the interpersonal competencies like building relationships with real people to learn empathy. Learning morals and values from other generations. Technology is penetrating how we make rich relationships because of the impersonal requirements that screens give you.
4. Lastly, Intrapersonal competencies and feeling a sense of security in ones self. Never being disconnected from who you are and where you are from. (Hannon, V. 2018)

Kids need to learn to learn new skills, to learn re-learn, and love learning. As educators, we still have a role to play that technology, no matter how advanced, can't do. Technology can not replace the empathy and personal touch that humans give to one another. Teachers are what can keep connectivity alive between students. They are fair and impartial. They can teach the process of learning and relearning and can teach students how to be life long learners where skill becomes the forefront of thriving beyond 2030.

(Refer to Onenote Contemporary Teaching Week 1)

References:

Hannon, V. (2018) Korero Matauranga: What should education be? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbNcM7Qrr2Q

Hatti, J. (2012). Visible Learning For Teachers - Maximising Impact on Learning

Scott, C. (2015). The Futures of Learning 3: What kind of pedagogies for the 21st century?

White, E. (?) Education