[This is the second of my reflections on a recent Brookings Institute webinar I participated in.] “Follow the science” has become a familiar term during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone from politicians to journalists have been using the term to defend the actions taken by governments and health officials in the response to this public health threat. And yet, for all of the arguments made for the science supporting these decisions, there remain many who are skeptical, and yet others who are the ‘deniers’, those who believe the actions are completely unnecessary or part of an elaborate hoax. … Continue reading Follow the science

[This post is part one of a reflection on a Brookings webinar I recently participated in.] I took the opportunity this week to participate in a webinar presented by the Brookings Institute titled “A new path to education reform: The next chapter on 21st century skills“. I thoroughly enjoyed the stimulus of the discussion among the panel led by by Brookings Fellow Helen Hadani, each of whom shared their various perspectives on how to remake education, foster educational equity, and prepare students for a better future. Rather than go into detail of all of the discussion I’ve included the recording … Continue reading Playful Learning

How could the SDGs be used in schools? Might they simply provide a context for learning, or could they be something more? What if they became the framework for the curriculum itself? Continue reading Could the SDGs be our curriculum?

The legacy we leave might eventually add up to something extraordinary, but it will be built from the smallest blocks. The decisions made in a moment of crisis, the encouraging word to a student, colleague or parent, the pivoting of action to reflect the change in circumstance. And all of this done with a conviction of ‘making a difference’. Continue reading What will your legacy be?

Leading involves guiding people to the best possible eventual outcome – even when there are no precedents or ‘guide-books’ to follow. A leader’s focus is on what is likely to come next and readying to meet it. That means seeing beyond the immediate to anticipate the next three, four, or five obstacles. It also means seeing the people involved and ensuring their needs are addressed. Continue reading Managing or Leading?

A transformation involves a dramatic change in form or appearance. It is not simply about improving something, it involves an extreme, radical change. So if we learned from the experience of lockdown that a transformation in our system is needed – why is it so hard to achieve? Continue reading Transformation requires risk

As we wrestle to address both the scope and scale of these global problems, it calls into question just how well are our young learners equipped to contribute to collective well-being and a sustainable world? Continue reading Global Competence

On its current trajectory our education system is unlikely to genuinely address the myriad of complex, wicked problems that our current generation of learners in schools will face in their future. Continue reading Complexity, climate and the curriculum

Throughout the years I have worked with students, teachers, school leaders and served on national policy groups, I’ve frequently heard comments to the effect that “technology is just a tool, it’s what we do with it that matters.” In the early days I even heard myself saying that from time to time. After all, there’s nothing special about a hammer or a saw until it is picked up and used by someone with the ability to use it to achieve something they have determined to build or create. Continue reading Tech is just a tool… isn’t it?

As education systems around the world continue to adjust to the realities of “Life after COVID” attention is continuing to focus on what the future of schools and schooling might look like. This thinking is driven in part by the need to build resilience with the prospect of further crises that may force the closure of schools again into the future, and also by the recognition gained from the experience of the COVID lockdowns that there are aspects of our current structures that don’t suit all learners and indeed contribute to inequities in our system and society. Continue reading Four Scenarios for the Future of Schooling