Did you ever ask yourself why classrooms look all the same around the world and over time? Do you see any evolution compared to the beginning of education? Apart from the material, we always find the same chairs, tables, all facing the teacher and the board.
In Ancient Greece, students used to walk with their teacher, observe the world around them while reflecting and talking about math, sciences, languages...
Now we even have studies showing how movement is essential when it comes to learning, how the average focusing time for adults (so imagine for kids…) is 25 min, which means while studying or giving an intense effort to focus on a task, we should change activity to rest our minds every 25 mins.
As you surely do and hear, the educational system is often criticized for its slow pace of evolution, and it is more than obvious when compared to other industries (look at what a car was hundreds of years ago, and it looks like now, or even how we communicate now compared to the smoke message before...).
Despite advancements in technology and changes in societal norms, the basic structure of education has remained largely unchanged for decades, the ways to teach, the hierarchy in schools and the whole organization of the places. The main difference you can see is before we used to talk about teaching, now we talk about educating. Is it the place of a teacher to educate, should both be separated? I'll let you reflect on that.
There are some efforts to modernize the education system, new curriculums appearing like the IB based on concepts instead of blocks of knowledge, where the idea of skill building comes, but is not part of the graded assessment. Most of the time, the main evolution comes from after school programs, as they have more liberty. By building their own curriculums, they can offer classes that are more adequate with getting them prepared for the job market. However, one reproach that can be made is that most of the time, these programs tend to look more like a baby-sitting place and there is a lack of quality in education.
Some examples I find interesting to have a look at are Synthesis, Nxtlvl and other programs based locally around the world that focus on developing specific skills that are in high demand in the job market.
As an engineer, an animator, an educator, a family coach and a teacher, I reflect a lot on how we can improve this system. These observations made me create an after-school program to teach programming, ethical use of technology (discover AI, Blockchain and Metaverse), financial literacy, and soft skills for the next generation with a partner from the US. These programs are designed to teach students the skills they need to succeed in the digital age online, in small groups and in English.
Overall, it's important to continue to push for innovation in education to better serve the needs of students in the future. Studies say that 70 to 80% of jobs they'll have don't exist yet. The world is evolving exponentially and if we don't follow the rhythm we might have a hard time finding our place. By providing students with the skills they need to succeed in the job market, we can help ensure that they have the best possible chance of success in the future. Contact me to help them get ready for tomorrow!
Yours, Gaëlle Collas,
Pedagogical, emotional, and technological guide for international families, Spain
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