Children born in 2012 will graduate from high school in 2030. They will grow up in a world dominated by the Internet, smartphones, computers, and tablet computers. They will likely participate in a historically crucial transition -- one as significant as the introduction of Gutenberg's printing press -- from learning steeped in books and blackboards to learning shaped by the screen. Agenda Programs
The Future of Higher Education: April 15, 2013: The Agenda's fifth program as part of TVO's Learning 2030 special series focused on the future of higher education: how are universities and colleges evolving to meet the needs of future students? What will higher education look like in the year 2030?
To read what some of our viewers had to say about the discussion, check out the #Learning2030 hashtag on Twitter.
Teachers Facing the Future: March 4, 2013: The Agenda's contributions to Learning 2030 continued in early March, with a discussion -- recorded at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario -- about the challenges awaiting teachers, as technology changes the face of education. Are teachers ready for the digital future?
We live chatted on our website and on Twitter during our time in Peterborough, on Sunday, March 3, both during a Big Ideas lecture delivered by Michael Fullan, professor emeritus of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto, and our Agenda broadcast. You can watch a replay of our chat below:
During our 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. EST broadcast on Monday, March 4, we hosted one of our liveliest Twitter chats yet, with #Learning2030 ending up trending in Canada.
To read more tweets from our chat, about teachers, technology, and the future of education, visit our blog, and check out the #Learning2030 hashtag on Twitter.
Learning Through Play: February 20, 2013: Our third program devoted to the future of education focused on the gamification of education. Will gaming and technology help students engage in lifelong learning? Can gaming be taught seriously, and help students develop knowledge and skills?
Digital Promise: No One Left Behind: Jan. 23, 2013: Our second Learning 2030 program focused on digital technology in the classroom: will it help students achieve beyond standard expectations? Or will technology create a wider gap between the haves and have-nots?
Once again, we hosted a live chat on our website during our 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. EST broadcast, and we were joined by engaged citizens who were eager to discuss the future of education in Ontario's classrooms. Watch a replay of the chat below.
The Classroom of the Future: Oct. 28, 2012: The Agenda's contributions to Learning 2030 kicked off in style, with a program recorded at Communitech -- "a not-for-profit organization that supports technology companies in Waterloo Region that promotes the region as a technology cluster" -- in Kitchener, Ontario, on Sunday, October 28, where we discussed the future of the classroom.
We live chatted before -- during a Big Ideas lecture delivered by Douglas Thomas, from the Annenberg School of for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California, on the new culture of learning -- and during our Agenda program. You can watch a replay of that chat below.
Web-Exclusive Videos
Agenda Plus: Distance Learning: On April 8, 2013, producer Mary Taws spoke with Minli Virdone, head of strategy and programs at Khan Academy, about how distance education factors into the future of higher learning.
Agenda Plus: Learning How to Teach: On February 26, 2013, producer Mary Taws spoke with two teacher candidates -- Melissa Wilson of Niagara University, and Diego Kettle of York University -- about what they're learning in teachers college, and how that stacks up with what they see in today's classrooms.
Agenda Plus: Gamifying Education: On February 19, 2013, producer Allison Buchan-Terrell spoke with Jeremy Friedberg, co-founder and principal at SpongeLab Interactive, a Toronto company that develops games, about the potential games and technology have for education.
Back in October 2012, our very own David Erwin spent additional time at Communitech, learning about what technology companies were up to, and profiling Kitchener's RealityCave.
For more web-exclusive videos, including our Entrepreneurs on Learning series, see the video player above, at right, or visit our video page.
Blog Posts
What Should We Know in Common?
By Agenda producer Wodek Szemberg
Knowledge in the Year 2030
We find ourselves in the midst of a transition that is not merely technological but most importantly epistemological. "How do we know what we know?" is a question that has left the confines of philosophy seminars and has become part and parcel of wider public discourse about the state of our educational expectations. As it should.
Our series, Learning 2030, aims to understand why traditional forms of teaching are no longer appropriate for a world in which immense amounts of knowledge are at our finger tips. The all-important question that needs to be asked is: How much knowledge must be in our heads first, before our fingertips can know what to do? ...
Read the rest of Szemberg's post.
Guest Post: Be Careful What You Wish For, Part II
By Julia Christensen Hughes, dean of the College of Management and Economics at the University of Guelph
The other area of the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) report that requires further scrutiny is its focus on enhanced differentiation. Its stated concern, specifically, is with maximizing the "quality of the overall system by enabling each institution to make an optimal and distinctive contribution to the province’s higher education system." Again, a laudable goal. One way in which the University of Guelph is proud to differentiate itself is as Canada’s "food university." Guelph’s business school -- the College of Management and Economics -- has a concomitant interest in the "business of food," and provides differentiated bachelor of commerce and MBA degrees on the basis of both its majors (e.g., leadership, consumer behaviour, hospitality, tourism, real estate, food, and agri-business) and approach (commitment to transformational learning, research that counts, and community engagement). Such efforts are supported by considerable depth in more traditional majors, such as economics, accounting, and marketing. It's this unique blend of traditional and emerging areas -- a blend of differentiation and duplication -- that is our strength. ...
Read the rest of Hughes' post.
Guest Post: Be Careful What You Wish For, Part I
By Julia Christensen Hughes, dean of the College of Management and Economics at the University of Guelph
Recently, the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) released a report -- Quality: Shifting the Focus: A Report from the Expert Panel to Assess the Strategic Mandate Agreement Submissions -- that calls for system-wide changes to post-secondary education (PSE) in Ontario. At the heart of the report is the desire to simultaneously enhance both quality and productivity in PSE, in the face of mounting recognition of the need for an ever-more educated and skilled populace, even as government resources decline.
The achievement of such seemingly contradictory outcomes is made all the more challenging by the fact that Ontario already has the most productive PSE system in the country, as concluded in a previous HEQCO report. According to Harvey Weingarten, HEQCO's director, Ontario's system is "doing more, producing better outcomes, with less resources, than any other province in Canada." ...
Read the rest of Hughes' post.
Guest Post: Public vs. Private
By Corbett Ball, a teacher at Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School in Baden, Ontario
In addition to the Khan Academy, this post concerns Mr. [Andrew] Campbell's reflections on the subjects of profit and market capitalism, in his post that purports to address pedagogy in the digital age.
Granted, I'm hardly surprised to discover a teacher in public education quietly propagating the old, tired, and trite assumption whereby profits necessarily equal corruption. I am surprised, however, to find it buried in an otherwise reasonable piece on the problems with efferent learning. For example, in arguing that learners should interact with teachers (whereas Khan simply broadcasts information), Campbell suddenly hangs a sharp non-sequitur, and decidedly left-handed turn, stating that Khan-esque models "are one-way content delivery systems, and large corporations stand to make a lot of money from them," as if the latter part of the clause has some bearing whatsoever on the discussion. ...
Read the rest of Ball's post.
Guest Post: Universities Need to Innovate, But Put Down the Sledgehammer
By Emmett Macfarlane, assistant professor of political science at the University of Waterloo
From major funding cuts in provinces like Alberta and Quebec to intensifying debate about their relevance in 21st-century society, universities are increasingly being called on to "modernize," adopt innovative new approaches to teaching and, in some cases, abandon research altogether. A litany of reform proposals have emerged in the context of a slow-growth economy where post-secondary education is simultaneously viewed as fundamental to future economic success but where public funding continues to stagnate or decline on a per-student basis. Faced with this reality, anyone who argues universities can rely entirely on traditional methods of operation is living in denial. The changes of the last couple of decades -- including new technologies, a growing reliance on non-tenured course instructors, massive expansion in enrollment, and aforementioned funding challenges -- mean good universities must innovate. ...
Read the rest of Macfarlane's post.
Guest Post: Why Khan Academy is Not the Answer
By Andrew Campbell, a Grade 4 and 5 teacher in Brantford, Ontario
Identifying the Right Problem
"The problem with television lies not in the quality of resolution but the quality of programming."
Nicholas Negroponte, "Being Digital"
Nicholas Negroponte is a genius and one of my heroes. He played a major role in creating the MIT Media Lab, Wired Magazine, and the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program. His book, Being Digital, was transformative. Every time I turned a page I read something that blew my mind.
One revelation was Negroponte’s thoughts on the future of TV. In 1995, HDTV was on the horizon and millions of dollars were poured into increasing screen resolution. Negroponte pointed out that what stopped people from watching more TV wasn’t screen resolution, but lousy programming. They were innovating on the wrong problem.
Before we solve a problem it’s important to make sure we’re working on the right problem. We need to do the same when improving education. ...
Read the rest of Campbell's post.
Guest Post: Another Take on Student-Centred Learning
By Heidi Siwak, a teacher in the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board
In Response to "The Challenges of Student-Centered Approaches"
I would agree that there are many challenges to implementing successful student-centered learning programs. Even defining and understanding "student-centered learning" is difficult for educators. Confusion exists about the differences between inquiry, project-based, problem-based, challenge-based, and self-directed learning. These terms are often used interchangeably, even though each follows a slightly different path, and yet they're all student-centered.
What research shows is that when students are directly involved in planning, goal-setting, and assessment of their own learning, they are more successful. Knowledge is retained longer, critical thinking skills become more fully developed and students can show up to two years growth during one academic year. That being said, research also shows that direct instruction is effective. It's no wonder that educators are confused, and that there's an ongoing debate about methods. ...
Read the rest of Siwak's post.
Guest Post: Learning 2030 -- Star Trek or Blade Runner?
By Andrew Campbell, a Grade 4 and 5 teacher in Brantford, Ontario
Watching TVO’s Learning 2030 series stirs up a vague sense of déjà vu for me. Steve Paikin intones over scenes of smiling children using electronic devices ...
"Children born this year in Canada will be ready to graduate from high school in 2030. Most of them will grow up playing with a tablet computer ..."
And I’m reminded of another TV show that began with a monologue over scenes of an idealized future ...
"Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. It's five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life ..."
Like Star Trek, Learning 2030 offers a utopian view of the future. ...
Read the rest of Campbell's post.
Guest Post: A Skeptical Take on Student-Centred Learning
By an Ontario teacher who asked that we don't disclose his identity
The Challenges of Student-Centred Approaches
I am a high school science teacher and am even now faced with challenges with student-centred approaches. I think that ultimately a balance must be found with all the ideas about the future of education that are being brought forward by the discussion around Learning 2030.
Let me illustrate this by describing what I see in my Grade 9 students every year -- math phobia, poor written and even verbal communication skills, weaknesses in thinking critically, and difficulties in synthesizing information. I don't think that one strategy will answer all of these challenges.
Read the rest of the post.
Guest Post: TVOKids -- Where Technology and Learning Collide
By Pat Ellingson, creative head of children's media at TVOKids
At TVO, we are committed to building an Ontario where every child is ready to learn. We want to help Ontario's kids be successful in school. Today, that means using technology to help support their learning.
For decades TVO has been working in partnership with leading academics, researchers, teachers, and parents to inspire and support children's learning. Today, there are more ways than ever to engage a child's learning -- smartboards, computers, mobile smartphones and tablets, and game consoles. They may not be the tools that most of us had when we were in elementary school, but they've inspired new methods of teaching and learning. And we're just getting started. Combined with great pedagogy, and supportive parenting, our community of learners are off to a great start. ...
Read the rest of Ellingson's post.
Guest Post: How Technology Can Customize Learning
By Rick McCleary, a teacher at Burford District Elementary School
"I wonder, will any of the rock samples collected make it to earth or is it just the information about the rocks that is sent to earth?"
This question opened a large discussion in my class that wouldn’t have occurred without technology. The question came during a scientist’s presentation to our Grade 6 class on the Mars Curiosity Rover. Our class was very fortunate to have Scott Van Bommel from the Mars Science Laboratory at of the University of Guelph come and present an overview of the Canadian component for Mars Curiosity. However, as students reacted to and responded to the presentation through a back-channeling program called Today’s Meet -- which allows students to comment and ask questions during a presentation without the interruption of raising their hand -- the question above appeared from a student that normally would never raise her hand and share her thoughts in class. This question led to a clarification and a deep discussion of what data was sent back to Earth and its usefulness.
This an example of how digital technology enhances the ability to personalize education, considering each student’s needs and desires. Technology also changes the delivery. ...
Read the rest of McCleary's post.
Guest Post: The Question of Marks
By Rick McCleary, a teacher at Burford District Elementary School
"John, why didn't you revise that story like we talked about? You had such a great idea to improve it!"
"I didn't need to. I got a C on it and that's fine."
"Sue, we talked about this math problem and how you can boost your grade by showing all your work and explaining your thinking. Why didn't you do that?"
"Well, you know, I already had a level 3 -- so I don't need to."
Marks can stifle learning. I've heard these two scenarios many times over the years. It seems that once a mark is placed on an assignment, many students see it as the end. They forge ahead to the next assignment, so they can check it off their list. ...
Read the rest of McCleary's post.
Guest Post: Award-Winning Teacher on Technology and Learning
By Heidi Siwak, a teacher in the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board
How do I use technology in my classroom? An interesting question.
I find that people tend to equate "technology" with "computers" and one must be careful not to forget that there is a vast array of tools and venues for learning that may or may not require an outlet and power bar. I suppose my caution stems from the understanding of someone with 20-plus years of classroom experience, that while new technologies are front and centre in this current educational revolution, it's not just about the technology.
Read the rest of Siwak's post.
New Perspectives: Outsourcing Memory to Google
By Agenda producer Mark Brosens
Once, educators debated how they ought to respond to the invention of cheap calculators. Should these little devices be allowed in classrooms? Did they change what students needed to know? Is there an intrinsic good in knowing how to do long-division by hand? Did calculators make students lazy and dumb?
That debate was really about how technology ought to be integrated into the education system. This debate is being revisited today, now that the widespread availability of the Internet allows us to outsource the memorization of facts to websites, such as Google and Wikipedia. ...
Read the rest of Brosens' post.
Why Are Finnish Kids So Smart?
By Agenda producer Eric Bombicono
Finland is seen by many as an educational superpower. Their students have placed at the top or near the top of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) over the past decade. The PISA tests a random sampling of 15-year-olds from 65 countries on reading, math, and science comprehension.
Since the test was introduced in 2001, Finland has increasingly been held up as a model for educational reform. But, what exactly are they doing that is so different? Let’s take a look.
Standardized Testing
Students do not have any mandatory exams until, as a high school senior, they are required to take an exam for entrance into university. In the first six years of school – beginning at the age of 7 – children are not even given grades. ...
Read the rest of Bombicino's post.
Guest post: Gaming and Education
By Daniel Ballantyne, a grade 10 teacher using games to help teach his students about civics
Prior to using Civic Mirror it was a struggle to engage students in a topic like responsible citizenship. Most would argue that they were “good” citizens, and would support their assertion with examples like recycling their garbage or being friendly to their neighbours. Although these are both great things to do, I believe that what they should know about participating in our society goes much further. While the Ministry curriculum provides excellent criteria (active, informed, purposeful) for judging what a responsible citizen looks like, my previous civics course did not provide a suitable context where students could actually practice being responsible citizens. ...
Read the rest of Ballantyne's post.
Guest Post: Teaching and Twitter
By Rick McCleary, a teacher at Burford District Elementary School
I've taught elementary school since 1986 – but nothing has reformed my teaching as much as Twitter. No, I don't follow the drivel that has made Twitter famous; in fact I follow very few celebrities. But I do follow many experts in my fields of interest.
These people have become my Personal Learning Network, or PLN. These people care deeply about the subjects I do, and we share and learn together, no matter what our location. I exchange information with friends from my own town and from as far away as Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. On Twitter, there are no geographic boundaries – the world is my playground and my classroom. This morning I had a problem with my computer and I received advice from 24 different people from around the globe. ...
Read the rest of McCleary's post.
