8 minute read
Transforming Education Drivers of Change
BY HELEN PEREIRA-RASO, HEAD OF SCHOOL
Grade 9 student, Eric Sacher, collaborating with two at-home classmates to identify mystery substances during a chemistry lab.
TO PIONEER...YOU HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO SPEND TIME SERVING AS AN OUTLIER. YOU HAVE TO WALK THE PATH THAT OTHERS ARE NOT PREPARED TO WALK.
- David Culberhouse
A rapidly evolving world needs confident, driven, intellectually agile and empathetic citizens. In order to thrive, students will need to be lifelong learners who are confident in leveraging their skills and knowledge as they navigate life. Our goal, as outlined in the HTS Vision for Learning, is to inspire our students to be driven in their pursuits, make an impact in their communities, both professional and personal, and be nimble as they approach a complex and rapidly evolving world. Education builds human capital; it increases an individual’s capabilities, enhances economic productivity and facilitates the development and adoption of frontier technologies (Goldin and Katz, 2007).
The global pandemic is currently teaching us that everything we know can change in an instant. The ways in which we work and learn have all been interrupted. We had to pivot immediately. We began to reimagine the very institutions that make up the social fabric of our communities – our churches, libraries, hospitals and, of course, schools. Everything from curriculum, to class schedules, to technological tools required a redesign. We had to ask ourselves questions like, “What matters most in our students’ learning at this time? What is the best way to
engage our learners? What impact is this pandemic having on them socially and emotionally? How is the pandemic shifting how students learn?” Questions related to accessibility and equity have also been at the forefront of educators’ minds, because this pandemic has illuminated many issues that we chose not to give our full attention to in the past. The realities of 2020 have gone hand in hand with the unprecedented digital transformation of economic markets that are now far more integrated. Education has been tasked with providing skills and competencies that are needed to operate in our modern world. It must evolve in order to continue to deliver on its purpose to support the development of young people as capable and contributing citizens. Agile institutions maintain their relevance by paying attention to trends; they leverage systems thinking to identify plausible future scenarios that can guide planning, policy development and programming innovations. “The future is inherently unpredictable because it is always in the making” (OECD, 2020). Let’s not fool ourselves; the path ahead is not going to be completely smooth. We must begin the work of transforming our formal and informal education systems to align with a long-range outlook towards lifelong learning. What are the current drivers that are putting tension on institutions across the globe? How are artificial intelligence, micro-credentialing and social-political forces demanding a more equitable and just society? In what ways is a changing workforce impacting what K–12 students should learn? What changes might we need to see as we prepare our students for their future? The answers to these questions require that young people in school today become masterful learners; their adult lives will consist of multiple careers, pivots within their professional lives and the necessity to upskill and reskill, in order to perform at their greatest potential. Here are four key scenarios that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has identified as possible transformations in the future of education (2020): 1. Schooling Extended: Participation in formal education continues to expand and we begin to see more international collaboration and technological advances support more individualized learning. The structure and processes of school remain. 2. Education Outsourced: Traditional school structures break down and learning takes place through more diverse, privatized and flexible arrangements, with digital technology as a key driver. 3. Schools as Learning Hubs: Schools remain but diversity and experimentation become the norm. Schools are connected to their communities, favouring ever-changing forms of learning, civic engagement and social innovation.
The “school walls” come down and there is a greater connection out into the world. 4. Learn as You Go: Education takes place everywhere, anytime. There are no longer distinctions between formal and informal education as technology opens new frontiers in learning and accessibility. These scenarios are not solutions, nor are they options from which to choose. Rather, they are fact trends, key economic patterns and technological, social and political indicators that are already acting as disruptors across the globe. Educational systems are paying attention to these forces and leveraging those that best fit their communities. For some, they are even transforming the way students learn. How is HTS responding, so that we can continue to educate our students in ways that build their potential, increase their individual capabilities and enrich their personal and professional contributions? We have had our eye on the future since the day of inception. In the last 10 years, the Board of Governors, along with the school's leadership teams, have made significant strategic decisions, financial investments and commitments to transform the HTS educational experience to be future-forward, relevant and centred on the belief that the learner, our students, your children, can and will reach their full potential.
The great news is that at HTS, we have been thinking a lot about the future and critically examining our programs, curriculum and instructional approaches, so as to engage students in the process of learning. Our responsibility to the future is to teach students to love the process of learning and learn how to
Maren Hostick, JK student.
THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THOSE WHO PREPARE FOR IT TODAY.
- Malcolm X
learn – igniting within them their love of lifelong learning. Students at HTS have been immersed in personalized learning for years; they have been introduced to coding, virtual reality, design-thinking approaches to problem solving, hackathons, professional internships and professional micro-credentials. We continue to design programs to meet our students where they are as learners (individual care and attention) and to connect the learning to their passions and interests while enriching their knowledge and skills so that they thrive in life.
HTS has, in fact, been preparing for the future; however, this can at times be a lonely place to exist. All of this also means that educators, parents and students must be comfortable with discomfort. The process of discernment, creation and iteration is, in itself, a lived experience that we must embrace, especially if we are going to thrive in our ever-changing world. Isn’t that what we want for all of our students – that they thrive and flourish as contributing adults and citizens?
At HTS, we are proud of our strategic priorities that are committed to challenging the status quo and designing a future-forward learning ecosystem. Learning cannot take an “either-or” stance; it is not a dichotomy. No person learns the same way, and so not every approach to learning (whether it’s face to face, fully online or a hybrid) will be impactful in the same ways for every learner. We need robust, dynamic and differentiated approaches that honour the diversity of the incredible humans we are privileged to serve.
This outlook only enhances our vision: • to recognize and honour the uniqueness and dignity of all learners • to foster student agency and choice, to invite their curiosity and courage • to help them explore new opportunities and be innovators themselves • to build their character
We do this through the relentless pursuit of excellence. Because at the heart of it all, we believe that the purpose of an education is to prepare students for life, even if, as the pandemic has taught us, it is filled with possibilities that are not yet known.
Goldin, C., and Katz, L. (2007). "The Race Between Education and Technology: The Evolution of U.S. Educational Wage Differentials, 1890 to 2005," National Bureau of Economic Research. http://dx.doi. org/10.3386/w12984 OECD (2020). "Back to the Future of Education: Four OECD Scenarios for Schooling." Educational Research and Innovation, OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/178ef527-en
Raj Dewan
Board of Governors Member and HTS Parent In what ways has your HTS experience transformed you?
Being much more engaged and involved with my children’s school in such an active way has brought me a greater appreciation for all that is HTS – what it does for not only our children, but also us as parents.
My involvement at HTS, having been initially on the Finance Committee, then the Strategy Committee and ultimately the Board, has opened my eyes to the various facets and complexities of how the school is run today and its focus on the future. It has been an empowering experience to participate with the school in these ways and equally empowering to learn how the school engages with so many people of different backgrounds, affording them the opportunity to contribute. At the heart of our Board meetings, and what I believe to be true for the school, is the focus on the future of the school. Our future, and that of the school, is the legacy that we, as parents and governors, will leave to our children and the next generation.
Lambert Liu ’20
If a genie gave us a single wish, the smart answer would be to wish for more wishes. So, in the same way, if we could learn anything, the smart answer would be to learn how to learn. This idea encompasses the main takeaway from my time at HTS. During my four short yet memorable years, I have deeply understood how to learn and love learning at the same time. This has become my most prized possession.
How did it happen? It all started with the little things – from the supportive teachers who shaped my character, to the opportunities that pushed me beyond my horizons. Funnily enough, the guidance I received at HTS hardly ever gave me any straightforward answers. Letting my mind wonder was the key to opening a door to my own ideas, my own perspectives, my own paths in life. And I cannot be grateful enough.
