The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

Our Future

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The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

Our present school system will notprovide the knowledge or skills our

citizens will need for the 21st Century.

We need a pilot 21st CenturyKnowledge Age School.

Now.

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age (KA) School

Why?The Educational Reasons:

one third of Ontario’s elementary students failto meet the provincial standards of literacy andnumeracy

one quarter of high school students drop outbefore graduation – a further one quarter of thestudents are arguably undereducated.

one third of the Toronto students have noacademic help outside the classroom.

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

Why?The Economic Reasons:

Manufacturing and Web 1.0 technology (20% ofwealth base and diminishing) has moved to Mexico,China and India.

Natural resources (10% of wealth base) are depletingand are more costly to harvest in a Green era, but willhelp in the short term.

Service sector (70% of wealth base) is the potentialremaining source for new long term wealth generation.Different skills and knowledge are required to buildwealth in this sector.

The old era is over

Shift Happens

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

Does that mean we’re lost? No.Fareed Zakaria

Because we have: The foundation, funding and tradition ofuniversal, compulsory, public education

A diverse, multi-cultural and very ambitiouspopulation with major links to most other nations

An economy that can support the transformationbetter than in most other countries

No other country, except for the USA, is ahead ofus so far.

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

What are these skills for the 21st

Century?

Why can’t schools just adapt to them?

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

The 21st Century skillsKen Kay

Mastery of core skills and content Team work, partnerships and collaboration Critical thinking and analytical skills Problem solving skills Creative and innovative approaches Superior personal and technical communication skills Flexible organization skills Personal management skills Comfortably operating in a Web 2.0, 3.0 and futureelectronic environments Global awareness and understanding

It’s not about laptops. It's about shouldertops.

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

Why can’t the schools just change to meet thenew needs?

Because teachers are mandated first andforemost to deliver ‘subjects’ to ‘classes of students’and only incidentally to build learning, solving andco-operative skills – even among themselves. Because ‘content’ is the master, not the servant. Because most of the requisite 21st Century skillsand technology are inconsequential in schools.

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

Inconsequential?Key 21st Century skills that are presentlyincidental or not commonly counted for marks:

Collaboration/ teamwork/partnerships Most Web 2.0 programs and devices Team self-directed program organization Group problem solving for marks Schedule outside of timetabled subject classes Innovative/creative thinking Skills in Web 2.0 world Global awareness and understanding

Learning is still a personal contract betweenindividual teachers and students, K to 25.

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

But there are all sorts of reformed, ‘alternativeschools’ and/or programs:

Arts Athletics GBLT – diverse gender identity Sleep deprived Optional attendance Single sex Africentric Individually timetabled Distance

These are socially reconfigured schools, noteducationally reformed.

Educational reform is creating a new system,no matter what the social configuration.

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

That being the case, what’s next?

Putting the pieces together

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

Key 21st Century elements involved increating the KA School:

Curriculum/program (Results that Matter) Organization (The Economist, January 21, 2006) Facilities (The Language of School Design) Prakash Nair

Form follows function

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

Curriculum/Program: From classroom todirected learning -

Team based Problem solving design Key skills and content covered Organized around a growing understanding ofcommunity

Schools organized in divisions by ages of students: Upto 7 years old; 8 and 9; 10 and 11; Middle I, 12 and 13;Middle II, 14 and 15; and Senior, 16 and 17.

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

The Learning Organization:Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline

Teacher created/directed curriculum/program designedto a mandate from the Board:

Vision: Prosperity in the Knowledge AgeMission: Create an organizational model that reflects andrealizes the visionGoals: 90% of the students to graduate from school and 70%prepared to follow further educationValues: No harm, inclusive, accountableImplementation: Community exploration frame, deepeningover the years to grow into global partners.

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

Facilities:From ‘cells and bells’ to ‘community’ learning centre.To accommodate at least 15 learning modalities

Independent studyPeer tutoringTeam collaborationTeacher one-on-oneLecturesProjectsWeb 2.0 + technology basedDistance learningIndividual/team exhibition/performance drivenProblem-based team learningCommunity service-orientedGreen and geothermalCollaborative and partnership-basedCentred on the Personal Learning ProfileActive, constructivist learning

With acknowledgements to Piaget, Gardner and Nair etal.

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

Facilities

From this:

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

To this:

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

Supportedby this:

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

In Green

From this:

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

To this

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

Andover thelonger termto this:

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

And Now to Action:

Realizing the 21st Century Knowledge AgeSchool:The Pilot

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

The Action Plan

Steering Team

Management Team

Operations Team

VisionMissionGoalsValues

COO/ManagerCFO

Design/architectOrganization

facilitatorCurriculumfacilitator

Tech facilitator

TeachersWorking with

Management team

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

$7,300,000$4,800,000Totals

500,000500,000Web 2.0/Eq’pm’t

500,000500,000Green/Geothermal

3,000,0002,000,000Facilities

2,500,0001,250,000Educators’ team

600,000450,000Management team

200,000100,000Steering team

HighLowItem

Cost Ranges for the Pilot Project

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

And the Payback is -

$760,000 lifetime earnings:+ welfare, health care, detention

savings

One saved student“

Annual 20,000 dropouts mean$280,000,000 potential

income gain

Nil“

Attract new students = moreincome

Nil“

Whole new industry for jobgrowth in the new economy.1,000’s of export jobs.

Marketing to global market“

With out-of-country paidenrolment: $3,000,000 p.a.

Annual budget $6,000,000“

Leading schools good forcommunity prosperity

$5 million to 7 million.21stC KA School

3 years’ payback$500,000Green/geothermal

Seminal investment$2,500,000Trained Core Team of 35educators

PaybackValue/costItem

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

Where do we find the investment?Public/private partnership

Government (Ministry and School Board): (One half of funds)The facilityThe normal per pupil operating budgetShare educational preparationSteering/management set-up

Public subscription: (One quarter of funds)Foundations, Corporations and Chambers of Commerce

Share educational preparationShare renovations

Corporate providers (ground floor of huge new industry) (Onequarter of funds)

Green/geothermalWeb 2.0 systems and equipmentShare renovations

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

Call to actionWhat more do we need to know before we

act?Nothing

What have we to gain by creating the pilot21st Century, K A School

Everything

The 21st Century, Knowledge Age School

Our Future!

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