Our 21st Century Education Lecture last night was full of thoughtful comments and stimulating discussion. Dr. Milton Chen shared with us many fascinating example and videos from his work with the George Lucas Educational Foundation and Edutopia. It was inspiring to see examples of schools that are innovating and seeing successful results – both in terms of student-reported engagement and interest, as well as in improved test scores.
This lecture was a great step as we develop new ways of teaching for the 21st Century – both in the classroom and out of school. Dr. Chen emphasized “The Thinking Edge,” or adjusting our mindset about education. When we look at education in a new light, the other edges will follow.
I have heard it described that the American education system is not so much falling behind as it is standing still while other countries are advancing. However, the ideas presented by Milton Chen give us fuel for a great leap forward in educating our children.
One of the takeaways of Dr. Chen’s talk was the idea that we must make school life more like real life. We need to teach our children skills like critical thinking and teamwork…skills that will help them tackle future jobs – jobs that may not even exist, yet!
Thank you to everyone who joined us. For those of you who were unable to make it, we hope you’ll join us at next year’s event. In the meantime, we will continue the conversation here on the blog.
