Week Six: What future for education?

Reflect on: 

• Before you engage with the activities this week, start with recording your own views on what you think the future for education should be. You might want to consider:
• what is currently working well within the education system that you are familiar with?

There is a lot to do in Peru.  There are plenty of children who want to learn all in the progressive way and are eager to show how techy they are.

• what priorities and values does it reflect?

An urgent new educational programme!

• what requires improvement, or what has been forgotten?

Start from scratch!

Clare discussing Week Six

• Ken Robinson : How schools kill creativity
  
  
  Salman Khan : Let's use video to reinvent education
   
  Sugata Mitra : Build a School in the Cloud
  
  
  Daphne Koller : What we're learning from online education
  
  
  Geoff Mulgan : A short intro to the Studio School
  
  
  Sugata Mitra : Kids can teach themselves
  
  
  Peter Norvig : The 100,000-student classroom
  
  
  Dave Eggers : My wish: Once Upon a School
  
  
  Liz Coleman :A call to reinvent liberal arts education
  
  
  Arthur Benjamin : Teach statistics before calculus!
  
  
  Kiran Sethi : Kids, take charge
  
  
  Patrick Awuah : How to educate leaders? Liberal arts
  
  
  Christopher Emdin : Teach teachers how to create magic

• TED  Padlet Wall  This is difficult to chose!  All talks are worth to watch, learn and put ideas into practice.

Contribute to the discussion Now find one other idea that someone else has recorded that you like, and give them some feedback: why do you think this idea is important for the future of education?

Ana Rivas   Sugata Mitra: Build a School in the Cloud

Moral: engage kids and they will do the rest!  Hats off to Sugata Mitra for coming up with this marvellous worlwide project. I really hope many more grannies/teachers will sign in.

Hangout: impossible to attend 

Assignment Task

I would like to begin this final assignment by saying this MOOC has not given me the impression of a selection of material under the “What Future for Education?” umbrella.  To begin with, I found it well-organised, ran by up-to-date professors, giving lectures in a very natural and friendly way but full of food for thought, and giving participants a whole week to reflect on new concepts or refreshing old ones. 

During these six weeks, I found myself thinking about how to improve the education system in my country.  The first idea has always been how to break down the invisible barriers which prevent State teachers from performing their subjects in a more progressive way - because the results will be more empowering for our children.  I also thought, "my State peers" are also entitled to professional development, to keep up-to-date with the subject to teach, to master the use of  IT or "Educational Technology" Sugata Mitra uses this term in TED.  We want them to become digital immigrants title which will open a new world full of projects and discoveries in teaching and learning.  They will be able to download free e-books whose information will allow them to enhance online classes and/or foster the flip chart. 

Students from the three regions: Coast, the Highlands and Amazon area will benefit from this new teaching tools and brand new techniques.  They will forget "traditional teaching or giving knowledge" to produce tailor made projects in groups where everyone learns from each other.

On the other hand, the future of a country is based on the education given to own citizens.  Today Peru is famous for many reasons, ie Machu Picchu, one of the Modern Wonders of the World.  I have often asked myself:  Are Peruvians prepared to face new challenges?  Will new generations be able to handle these changes?   I think the Peruvian education has a great role to play in the answer to these questions.  

Did I enjoy this course?  Needless to say I did from the beginning to the end.  I have enjoyed every second of this course, from choosing a picture to the design and colours of my blog. The pedagogy used in this course was definitely appropriated for teachers who do not have the means or the time to attend face-to-face sessions in the UK.  Participants were immersed into the subject with a mild personal reflection, becoming gradually more specific.  The use of clear-cut videos and reading material gave enoguh support when needed .  Later on, participants were meant to give their own personal opinions -  in the padlet and/or discussing with peers online.  By then, attendees were equipped with the video lectures and reading to end this learning journey with a reflective and memorable essay.   

Finally, I would like countries to organize their future for education based on useful subjects grouped on syllabi based on the necessities reflected in today´s world; run by experienced and dedicated professionals where all kids will have a school to attend face-to-face or virtual!