I began writing this series a year and a half ago to explore the many considerations we need to contemplate regarding the changes that will occur in the next decade and what our students will need to be successful in that time-frame and beyond. Access, happiness, mental well-being, reflection, patience, social-emotional learning, and mindset are…
Audio read by Lynn Thomas I recently attended a book launch open house where my friend Rob Dunlop celebrated the culmination of four years of work on his book STRIVE for Happiness in Education. Rob is totally on the right track with this book. In a time of such significant upheaval on multiple fronts, his…
"talking about divergent topics in other classes would encourage students to see the interconnectedness of our world"
Audio reading by Lynn Thomas The fall of 2017 was a turning point for me. It marked my official deep dive into global projects... and I was terrified! All the 'what if' scary scenarios popped in my head like 'what if my students hate it?', or 'what if I bomb this?' Fortunately, those scary scenarios…
What's the point of teaching knowledge when we have Google? Well, it's simple, because you don't know what you don't know. You need to know something to ask something of Google, right? Furthermore, how do you know you should even be asking something in the first place? William Poundstone considers this very conundrum in his…
Happy makes the learning happen As parents we all voice the same sentiment for our children: "I just want them to be happy." But do we actively practice that sentiment? Do we teach the frames of mind that would ensure happiness in our children? Do we really know what being happy actually means? Much research…
Audio reading by Lynn Thomas Galileo experimented, pondered, and tested theories thereby laying the foundations of what we now know as the scientific method. He was also a keen observer, inventer and thought deeply on almost everything - definitely a Renaissance man. It's an understatement to say he was very clever, and he was very clever…
Audio reading by Lynn Thomas In considering education and how it should evolve to best prepare the class of 2030, we should look at it like we look at Frankenstein. Remember? That cautionary tale warning of the evils of science? Well, not really, it is more the tale of a scientist who longed for things in…
The biggest challenges students in kindergarten right now will face when they graduate is a rapidly changing work environment so being flexible is essential, and flexibility requires confidence. Confidence is the by-product of strong emotional intelligence and it will be necessary to successfully navigate the work-world of the future. Social-emotional intelligence ensures students are self…
The third in a series discussing the Class of 2030. I remember one Christmas getting the SUPER large box of Crayola Crayons. One hundred undulating colours of possibility. I was absolutely giddy with excitement. Imagine all the beautiful things I could draw! Astronauts or ballet dancers, camels or dragons, elephants or fairies, anything I could…
