Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgsisummit/10062791224/
I was part of the WGSI Learning 2013 Education Summit held in the Perimeter Institute in Waterloo, Canada. Together education experts from around the globe designed a blueprint for a school that would meet the needs of learners in 2030. This blog tells my story.
There is no such thing as luck. At our Summer Graduation, Baroness Oona King, in her acceptance speech for her honorary degree spoke of luck as the intersection of preparation and opportunity. This is how I explain the fortunes leading to my involvement in designing the blueprint for a school suitable for the year 2030. Here I describe my experience and my thoughts.
The opportunity.
Michael Brooks contacted me by email back in February. It seemed one of those random emails that I could have just deleted, but the scale and ambition of bringing education experts from around the globe to create a school for the future caught my imagination. Also he offered to buy me a coffee if I met up to chat. Originally, I didn't think I was going to be invited. I was talking to Michael about education experts I would like to see on such a panel. It was not until March that I received another email from Michael asking me to be part of the Quorum.
The preparation.
As someone who has a fair bit of self doubt and the occasional episode of impostor syndrome, I began to wonder 'why me'. Often. Talking to other delegates at the summit, this was not an unusual feeling. The answer to this in all cases was our preparation. Not in the sense of what we did to go to the summit (most of us did little preparation before hand) but in the sense of the sum of our professional experiences so far.
For me there were several skills and experiences I could bring to the summit. I was a secondary school teacher (11-18 years) for a decade before becoming a tutor for trainee science teachers at the University if Sussex. In addition I have written several titles for formative assessment activities via Badger Publishing, contributed to the school based assessment criteria for NIS schools in Kazakhstan and have a doctorate based in formative assessment in science education. So although I had not prepared for contributing to this summit, my professional experience at this point in time gave me a certain level of expertise to offer.
There is no such thing as luck. At our Summer Graduation, Baroness Oona King, in her acceptance speech for her honorary degree spoke of luck as the intersection of preparation and opportunity. This is how I explain the fortunes leading to my involvement in designing the blueprint for a school suitable for the year 2030. Here I describe my experience and my thoughts.
The opportunity.
Michael Brooks contacted me by email back in February. It seemed one of those random emails that I could have just deleted, but the scale and ambition of bringing education experts from around the globe to create a school for the future caught my imagination. Also he offered to buy me a coffee if I met up to chat. Originally, I didn't think I was going to be invited. I was talking to Michael about education experts I would like to see on such a panel. It was not until March that I received another email from Michael asking me to be part of the Quorum.
The preparation.
As someone who has a fair bit of self doubt and the occasional episode of impostor syndrome, I began to wonder 'why me'. Often. Talking to other delegates at the summit, this was not an unusual feeling. The answer to this in all cases was our preparation. Not in the sense of what we did to go to the summit (most of us did little preparation before hand) but in the sense of the sum of our professional experiences so far.
For me there were several skills and experiences I could bring to the summit. I was a secondary school teacher (11-18 years) for a decade before becoming a tutor for trainee science teachers at the University if Sussex. In addition I have written several titles for formative assessment activities via Badger Publishing, contributed to the school based assessment criteria for NIS schools in Kazakhstan and have a doctorate based in formative assessment in science education. So although I had not prepared for contributing to this summit, my professional experience at this point in time gave me a certain level of expertise to offer.
Picture Credit: Equinox Summit: Learning 2030 Forum Workshop - September 28, 2013 (Photographer: Brian Emery)
My position.
I was asked to contribute a blog prior to the conference. In this, I decided to set out my case for a no grades and no examination, school system (see blog here). I thought this was quite radical, as although all the research points to the problems with grading pupils and high stakes examination, my experience in England and Kazakhstan show me that grades are the currency of education and examinations the banks. I have since read one of the few contemporary books on this subject, 'De-testing and de-grading Schools: Authentic alternatives to accountability and standardization.' (2013) Eds Joe Bower & P.L. Thomas.
My experience.
Over four days, about forty individuals, including education experts and 'young leaders' who had in one way or another been let down by the school system, had to arrive at a blue print for the new school (or perhaps more accurately, learning environment). Over the fours days, in the rather futuristic Perimeter Institute's Space Room and Sky Rooms, we worked together (not always seeing eye to eye) and eventually came to consensus on a blue-print that was revealed as a communique on the last day. The education experts from around the world offered such a range of perspectives that they challenged my thinking and opened my mind to possibilities that I had not considered. In addition the future leaders contributed often raw experiences of education, but also hope, resilience and viable solutions. Each day was started with a public plenary where particular ideas were presented and explored. In addition TVO, the Ontario Public Television station, ran shows that engaged with the public. During that, I was pushed outside my comfort zone, having to do a webcast and being on a live panel show, The Agenda (see it here). The interaction of ideas, media,
My leaving thoughts.
This summit experience has I hope become preparation for future intersections with opportunity. On a personal level I want to pursue the possibility on a 'no-grade/no-exam' education system in the future. I want the explore the possibilities in the UK at first, then global implications. For the summit, the communique and the future Blue-Print will spark discussion and hopefully inform parents, teachers, schools and policy on how to develop education to nurture twenty-first century learners.
I will explore some of the key issues raised in a future blog.
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AC-G
