The World is Changing

An adaptation of Shift HappensUK used by the (former) DCSF. This is a new look at Britain in a changing world.

At last year’s ASCL conference, Michael Barber gave a striking keynote; ‘Impossible and Necessary: Are you ready for this?’

It ‘is a speech which begins with a question, explores some dilemmas facing humanity, examines the immense challenges they place before us as educators, suggests how we might rise to those challenges and finishes with the same question…..If we want a different, richer, better, deeper, more sustainable future we will have to choose it and pursue it with vigour. Humility overcomes hubris. Generosity triumphs. And the only place to start is in our classrooms. Are you ready for this?’

Click below to read the entire speech:

impossible-and-necessary_m-barber-14-march-09-22

“ …if we expect our pupils to become successful learners, confident individuals and responsible citizens it is simply not enough to hammer home the three Rs for the sake of league tables and expect them to pick up the rest. Life skills have a pedagogy, just like literacy and numeracy, start with the end in mind; deliver a curriculum that supports the outcomes you want for your learners…”

If you’re reading this, then you’re already on your way to becoming part of 21st Century Learning and you should feel very welcome!

21st Century Learning is not a company, a division of a company or a traditional educational establishment. What it IS is a concept. The concept is built upon firm founding principles of wanting the best for learners who will live their lives in a century that is already rapidly changing. The best quality intellectual capital will be the cornerstone of 21CL, intellectual capital based upon research from best practice in the UK and around the world.

We are becoming increasingly aware that the knowledge and information economy is rapidly expanding at a pace that is hard to maintain. 21CL seeks to find the constants and to help learners and educators find meaning in a rapidly changing world. How will it do this? Great question. We have part of the answer but the real solution lies with you: the education professional. 21Cl will seek to capture best practices from schools, learners, teachers, researchers and home and use this new platform to share and create ideas by using the most suitable new web technologies.

This is our first post. The 21st Century Learning revolution starts here.