The need for 21st Century relevant curricula are being touted by policy makers and supported by educators. How this plays out in the intersection between problem based learning, service based learning, cooperative learning as well online and offline environments is a fertile point of discussion.
What is clear is that the process of learning itself is starting to receive much needed attention and that we will see new methods and tools that create environments that inspire self-learning and passion for life long education.
Schools like the iSchool where all students have day-long access to laptops and have the opportunity to learn in more fluid environments remind me of the best qualities of Montessori schools where the approach to students in-class balances self-learning with cooperative learning and a variety of small communal spaces where students can work and play.
Research shows that gap between puberty and full developmentof the pre-fontal cortex is widening and thus the time when empathy, emotion and passion are dominant characteristics is also widening. This presents a unique opportunity for 21 Century approaches where a process of education, based in compassionate action that integrates the aggregation of knowledge with the communication and civic skills necessary for personal success and indeed to a more equitable and just world.
Yes, the Mind and Life Conference is still ringing in my ears.