21C Learners Conference
I (and, I know, many of you) have felt for some time now that we need to get off the school treadmill and take a long, hard look at what we are doing in education. What do our children really need from the education system as they prepare for life in an uncertain future? I know that the prevailing political climate around education is perceived as being all about getting back to the basics of core knowledge, and that many colleagues feel constrained and stifled. But we – teachers everywhere – remain responsible for the learning experiences we create in our classrooms, and I can’t believe that we don’t have the opportunity, and indeed the responsibility, to raise our voices and help to shape the future of learning.
In March this year I brought together a fantastic group of innovative educators at the conference ‘21st Century Learners – investing in skills for their future’. Richard Gerver gave an inspiring call to action, reminding us that the real experts in education are the people working in schools every day, and challenging us to think how we can remodel our schools to make them relevant to the demands of the 21st century. Alec Patton of Innovation Unit got us thinking about what it takes to truly engage learners in their education, and gave an overview of his fantastic guide to project-based learning – ‘Work that Matters’. Stephen Breslin of Futurelab gave us a glimpse of the challenges the future holds and the implications for ‘the workforce of tomorrow’, and he urged us to engage with and in research – to make sure that our innovations are based on sound evidence of what works. Lizzie Lewis of Sapere showed us the power of Philosophy for Children for developing a supportive environment for collaborative enquiry and critical and creative thinking. Gordon Poad of Cap-a-Pie Associates introduced us to his vision for Creative Enquiry-Based Learning, and Rachel Billington of Partners in Creative Learning took a fresh look at the place of creativity in the curriculum. Finally, children and teachers from Kingsland Primary School in Stoke-on-Trent gave a wonderful example of the way their curriculum develops creativity and independence.
It was great to see a group of people with such passion for learning and for the futures of our children sharing such inspiring examples of what great education can look like. It filled me with hope and excitement about the future of learning, and renewed my commitment to work towards a vision of a truly relevant and engaging experience of school for all our 21st Century Learners.
