Relationships between people may be the one constant humans will experience in their lifetime. Environments and technology will change, but there will always be people working to respond to challenges in our societies. If this is true, prioritizing the human aspects education and learning is key to a successful society.
The themes from personalized standards and a movement away from datafication all contribute to a more natural learning environment centred around students first. In public education we have experienced that shift from students responding to teacher expectations to teachers responding to students’ learning needs. This is the job and the challenge of a teacher today.
Are students prepared for life after secondary school? As I reflect on this question my answer leans towards no; as a teacher, this makes me sad. Standardization and privatization in public education have been detrimental to students and have not provided many of the skills necessary to be successful in life beyond the classroom. Ironically, the skills many employers are looking for (problem solving, self-monitoring, confidence, team-work, communication, and more) are the same skills that more personalized approach to education could provide. Perhaps framing the discussion around the personal and professional skills that students will develop through a modern approach in education could allow these themes to go mainstream.
I understand the resistance and challenges that would exist, but I do appreciate the space to have a conversation about these themes. These ideas are truly focused on students and their future rather than teachers and the past.