Education for a dynamic future

Considering the current and emerging educational landscape of the 21st century can be somewhat daunting...

Profound digital growth in an increasingly global world, an unknown future job market, and technologies not yet invented to address problems that have not yet emerged...

How can modern educators position themselves within this dynamic learning environment? The answer I think, is to embrace it. To be afraid and do it anyway. To experiment and fail, to join the conversation, to accept that true learning has no end point. Educational enlightenment is not as easy as it sounds; change can be challenging, but when an educator approaches their role as one of facilitator, rather than expert, the whole experience of education and a teachers place within it, shifts.

Teacher librarians can be powerful leaders and change agents within school communities. By modelling best practise and "leading from the middle", teacher librarians can champion essential elements of future-focused education. Specifically, these may include learning networks and communities, inquiry learning, transformational use of information communication technologies, and a focus on critical, creative, collaborative and communication skill development.

School libraries, classrooms and school communities need to be as dynamic as our 21st century world is, and as educators, we must be courageous enough to be a part of it.

References

EF Explore America (2012, March 15). What is 21st century education? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/Ax5cNlutAys

Lunny, J. (2014, July 28). Imagine the possibilities [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/A_QnbQxnNCI

tksked. (2012, July 26). The future of school libraries [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/cKj6NT0KGOo