1. Dealing with Educational Change:
The Faces of the School of the Future
Eduardo O C Chaves
Coordinator,
UNESCO Chair of Education and Human Development
at the Ayrton Senna Foundation (São Paulo, Brazil)
Member,
International Advisory Council for Partners in
Learning
2. Topics
• Technology, Change and EducationTechnology, Change and Education
• Reconceiving EducationReconceiving Education
• Redefining LearningRedefining Learning
• Reinventing SchoolReinventing School
• Sustaining the New School with TechnologySustaining the New School with Technology
4. Technology
• Broadly understood, technology is whateverBroadly understood, technology is whatever
human beings invent to:human beings invent to:
• make life easier
• make life more pleasurable
• “Hard” and “Soft” Technologies
• ICT: most important technologies for education
5. Four Revolutions in ICT
• The invention ofThe invention of conceptual languageconceptual language
• The invention ofThe invention of alphabetical writingalphabetical writing
• The invention ofThe invention of movable type printingmovable type printing
• The invention ofThe invention of digital technologydigital technology
6. The Fourth Revolution
• In the past 25 years digital technology hasIn the past 25 years digital technology has
drastically changed the way we:drastically changed the way we:
• Access informationAccess information
• CommunicateCommunicate
• Do businessDo business
• WorkWork
• Create networksCreate networks
• Make friendsMake friends
• Have funHave fun
• Manage our love lifeManage our love life
7. Digital Technology and Education
• It is inconceivable that all these changes willIt is inconceivable that all these changes will
leave education & learning unaffectedleave education & learning unaffected
• And yet, the mere introduction of technologyAnd yet, the mere introduction of technology
into schools will not necessarily change theminto schools will not necessarily change them
• Technology induces change if accompaniedTechnology induces change if accompanied
by changes in ideas, in the way we viewby changes in ideas, in the way we view
thingsthings
8. Scharffenberger’s “Three S’s”
• Technology can be brought into schools to:Technology can be brought into schools to:
• Sustain what is already being done there
• Supplement what is being done there
• Subvert what is done there
• The impact of technology will depend on ourThe impact of technology will depend on our
being either conservative, or reformative, orbeing either conservative, or reformative, or
then revolutionarythen revolutionary
9. Negroponte’s Law
• The introduction of technology into schoolsThe introduction of technology into schools
will probably be much more innovative andwill probably be much more innovative and
transformative in places where the presenttransformative in places where the present
quality of school education is perceived asquality of school education is perceived as
quite badquite bad
10. Greg Butler’s Principle
• The best time to change is when you don’tThe best time to change is when you don’t
(yet) have to…(yet) have to…
11. The Hour is Now
• Even for good schools, the time to change isEven for good schools, the time to change is
nownow
• And change must not be merely reformative:And change must not be merely reformative:
it needs to be truly transformative (and thatit needs to be truly transformative (and that
means: revolutionary)means: revolutionary)
• Change has to be achieved first in the field ofChange has to be achieved first in the field of
ideas, in our “mindsets”ideas, in our “mindsets”
12. The Focus of Change – The Three
R’s
• We must:We must:
• reconceive education
• redefine learning
• and so reinvent schooling
• We need technology that willWe need technology that will sustainsustain the new,the new,
reinvented school – andreinvented school – and subvertsubvert the oldthe old
one…one…
14. The Traditional View of Education
• Education has been viewed, up to now, as aEducation has been viewed, up to now, as a
process by means of which one generation ofprocess by means of which one generation of
society transmits to the next:society transmits to the next:
• its way of viewing things (knowledge, science)
• its way of doing things (technology)
• its way of deciding what is important (values)
15. Emphases of the Traditional View
• On the content to be transmitted (academicOn the content to be transmitted (academic
disciplines, organized by grade / series /disciplines, organized by grade / series /
year)year)
• On those who master this content and thusOn those who master this content and thus
do the transmitting (teachers)do the transmitting (teachers)
• On the methods of transmission (teaching)On the methods of transmission (teaching)
16. A New View of Education
• Education is a process of human developmentEducation is a process of human development
• We are born incompetent and dependent
• But our “hard-wiring” is minimal and quite open
• And we have an incredible capacity to learn…
• Thus we can decide what we want to become
• Education is the “software” that allows us to
become competent and autonomous adults
17. Emphases of the New View
• On the “matrix of competencies” that we mustOn the “matrix of competencies” that we must
develop in order to become adults – taking intodevelop in order to become adults – taking into
account the fact that we are all differentaccount the fact that we are all different
• On the learner, who needs to develop into aOn the learner, who needs to develop into a
competent and autonomous adultcompetent and autonomous adult
• On the process of learning – “mathetics”On the process of learning – “mathetics”
(i.e., developing competences and skills)(i.e., developing competences and skills)
18. Autonomy and Competence
• We will beWe will be autonomousautonomous if we becomeif we become
capable of freely defining a project for ourcapable of freely defining a project for our
liveslives
• We will beWe will be competentcompetent if we become capableif we become capable
of transforming that project into a realityof transforming that project into a reality
• Education is the “software” thatEducation is the “software” that cancan make usmake us
both autonomous and competent adultsboth autonomous and competent adults
• Education takes place through learningEducation takes place through learning
20. Learning – The Concept
• Learning is clearly not the same as absorbingLearning is clearly not the same as absorbing
and retaining information (see Peter Senge)and retaining information (see Peter Senge)
• To learn is to become capable of doing thingsTo learn is to become capable of doing things
that we were unable to do beforethat we were unable to do before
21. How do We Learn?
• We learn to do things by trying to do them,We learn to do things by trying to do them,
making mistakes, receiving help and support,making mistakes, receiving help and support,
trying again, until we become capable oftrying again, until we become capable of
doing themdoing them
• Learning is anLearning is an activeactive process: it involvesprocess: it involves
doing things (even if the doing is mental)doing things (even if the doing is mental)
• And learning isAnd learning is collaborativecollaborative (co-labor-active)(co-labor-active)
22. The Place of Others in Our Learning
• Others canOthers can help us learnhelp us learn, but the learning is –, but the learning is –
or isn’t – ours aloneor isn’t – ours alone
• Thus others inevitably do participate in ourThus others inevitably do participate in our
education,education, but not as our “educators”but not as our “educators”
23. Paulo Freire
• No one educates another…No one educates another…
• But nor does one educate himself alone…But nor does one educate himself alone…
• We educate one another as we collaborativelyWe educate one another as we collaboratively
learn how best to live our lives in a complexlearn how best to live our lives in a complex
and often unjust worldand often unjust world
25. The Old School
• Its curriculum contains the basic informationIts curriculum contains the basic information
students are supposed to have in each of thestudents are supposed to have in each of the
basic disciplines (subject matters)basic disciplines (subject matters)
• Teachers deliver content to studentsTeachers deliver content to students
(teaching)(teaching)
• Students absorb this information (learning)Students absorb this information (learning)
• To evaluate the students is to check if theyTo evaluate the students is to check if they
absorbed the information (evaluation)absorbed the information (evaluation)
26. Technology in the Old School
• Technology in the old school supports theTechnology in the old school supports the
teacher, teaching, content deliveryteacher, teaching, content delivery
• The technology that is important is that whichThe technology that is important is that which
helps student access informationhelps student access information
27. The Context of the Old School
• Information was scarce; access to it, difficultInformation was scarce; access to it, difficult
• Values were stable; assumed to be universalValues were stable; assumed to be universal
• One lived most of his life where he was bornOne lived most of his life where he was born
• Contact with the “external world”, by travelContact with the “external world”, by travel
and by communication, was minimaland by communication, was minimal
• Everybody was certain that the future wasEverybody was certain that the future was
going to be like the past…going to be like the past…
28. The New School: Assumptions
• Students are active learners, and they want toStudents are active learners, and they want to
use technology to learnuse technology to learn (anytime, anywhere)(anytime, anywhere)
• But they want to learn things that are related toBut they want to learn things that are related to
their interests, that “have a point”their interests, that “have a point”
• Their learning must connected to the definitionTheir learning must connected to the definition
and implementation of their life projectand implementation of their life project
29. Learning in the New School
• Embedded in lifeEmbedded in life
• ActiveActive
• Contextualized (“just in time”)Contextualized (“just in time”)
• Modular (“just enough”)Modular (“just enough”)
• Practical (“how to”)Practical (“how to”)
• PersonalizedPersonalized
30. The Curriculum of the New School
• Its curriculum is not a grid of subject mattersIts curriculum is not a grid of subject matters
and series (academic disciplines and grades)and series (academic disciplines and grades)
• Its curriculum is a flexible and richIts curriculum is a flexible and rich matrix ofmatrix of
competenciescompetencies, with the various competencies, with the various competencies
that students will need to develop in order tothat students will need to develop in order to
transform their diverse life projects into realitytransform their diverse life projects into reality
31. Programs of Study in the New
School
• There is no reason why the program of studyThere is no reason why the program of study
of every student should be the same:of every student should be the same:
students are differentstudents are different
• A given student does not have to developA given student does not have to develop
every competency in the curriculum: onlyevery competency in the curriculum: only
those that are necessary or important forthose that are necessary or important for
transforming his life project into realitytransforming his life project into reality
32. The Teacher in the New School
• In the New School teachers will not teach…In the New School teachers will not teach…
• The function of “teachers” will be to advise,The function of “teachers” will be to advise,
orient, coach, mentor, and facilitate learningorient, coach, mentor, and facilitate learning
(by watching & listening, giving feedback,(by watching & listening, giving feedback,
asking challenging questions, callingasking challenging questions, calling
attention to issues and neglected aspects,attention to issues and neglected aspects,
instigating curiosity…)instigating curiosity…)
33. The Methodology of the New School
• In the traditional school, the teacher knowsIn the traditional school, the teacher knows
the answers and tells them to the studentsthe answers and tells them to the students
• In the School of the Future teachers &In the School of the Future teachers &
students alike should be asking instigatingstudents alike should be asking instigating
questions and looking for answersquestions and looking for answers
• This is the very essence ofThis is the very essence of problemproblem//inquiry/inquiry/
project-based learningproject-based learning
34. The Context of the New School - 1
• The school will, in many ways, be integratedThe school will, in many ways, be integrated
with the home and the community, becausewith the home and the community, because
the kind of learning it proposes and facilitatesthe kind of learning it proposes and facilitates
is full time and does not acknowledge theis full time and does not acknowledge the
constraining boundaries of the institutionsconstraining boundaries of the institutions
that seek to promote learningthat seek to promote learning
35. The Context of the New School - 2
• But the new school must have a wider focusBut the new school must have a wider focus
and be truly global, because our world isand be truly global, because our world is
each day more interdependent: economically,each day more interdependent: economically,
culturally and socially – and even politicallyculturally and socially – and even politically
• Its students may come to live and work inIts students may come to live and work in
different countries – if what we call countriesdifferent countries – if what we call countries
continues to be a viable political unitcontinues to be a viable political unit
37. Technology as Tool and Toy
• Technology is whatever human beings inventTechnology is whatever human beings invent
to make lifeto make life easiereasier or moreor more pleasurablepleasurable
• Some of our technology isSome of our technology is tooltool; some is; some is toytoy……
• Tools help us sustain our livesTools help us sustain our lives
• But it is our toys that give us reasons to keepBut it is our toys that give us reasons to keep
on livingon living
38. The Key to Success in Learning
• The key to success in work is in finding thingsThe key to success in work is in finding things
we enjoy doing and then inventing ways ofwe enjoy doing and then inventing ways of
making a living with them…making a living with them…
• The key to success in learning is inThe key to success in learning is in
identifying things that catch our interest andidentifying things that catch our interest and
trigger our curiosity and then finding ways oftrigger our curiosity and then finding ways of
developing our competencies by learningdeveloping our competencies by learning
them…them…
39. Education and Happiness
• The end of education is our developmentThe end of education is our development
• In the long run, education is nothing otherIn the long run, education is nothing other
than “the pursuit of happiness”: the creation,than “the pursuit of happiness”: the creation,
for each of us, individually, and of all of us,for each of us, individually, and of all of us,
collectively, of a life that fulfills our deepestcollectively, of a life that fulfills our deepest
aspirationsaspirations
• Technology is a powerful aid in this pursuitTechnology is a powerful aid in this pursuit
