Sharing Good Practice online . These are all essential skills for now and for the future . It is likely that some students are more proficient in their metacognitive ability than others and that , as a result , they are able to learn more than their peers while not physically being in school . The plans to return to normalcy should therefore focus on more intentional efforts to cultivate these essential skills amongst all students . The OECD ’ s report of the Future of Education and Skills for 2030 also highlights the importance of these metacognitive skills , “ as trends such as globalisation and advances in artificial intelligence change the demands of the labour market and the skills needed for workers to succeed , people need to rely even more on their ability to ‘ learn to learn ’ throughout their life .”
For these skills to be truly valued we must shift the goal post and broaden perspectives to a more expansive view of what success looks like , beyond the academic . Students ’ ability to communicate , listen , reflect , selfregulate and develop their social and emotional intelligence must be incorporated into what we assess , too often we focus on the outcome rather than the process of learning . After all , what you measure is what you treasure .
Interestingly , the areas that we felt to be most pertinent in developing , based on our data , mirrored all of those mentioned above and by so many others who highlight the importance of these deep pedagogies ( figure 1 ).
Technological Advancements
With so many schools having accelerated their use of digital over the last six months it is now time to re-evaluate how we should use technology to enhance learning and teaching . Having spent some time developing a digital strategy with our Head of Digital Skills it became very clear that our technological approach should marry with our pedagogical vision .
Our evidence informed approach led us to draw on the work of Professor Rose Luckin when designing our digital strategy as it married so well with our pedagogical vision . She recognises that educators ’ lives are going to change in significant ways , ‘ not because their roles are likely to be automated away , but because they will need to teach a different curriculum and probably teach in a different way ’ ( p 95 ). We are overly impressed by machines , says Luckin , because we ‘ undervalue what it means to be human rather than being a real reflection of the intelligence of the technologies ’ ( p 62 ). Just last month Forbes published an article on how soft skills are the future of work , stating “ as technological advances come more rapidly , hiring for adaptability and resilience is critical . You need open-minded people who can shift gears and take on different responsibilities as needed , adapt their behaviours to their teammates ' needs , manage uncertainty and find the positive when things go wrong . Agility and flexibility — which go hand in hand with adaptability — allow workers to bring and implement fresh ideas ”. We have begun to embed these skills into our KS3 curricula and create systems where we have the space and opportunity to value creativity and adaptability to take centre stage .
Today ’ s innovations often become tomorrow ’ s commonplace , we now need to think critically about how to deploy technology strategically . As school leaders we should be creating , designing and imagining a future where technology should be used in service of that vision rather than dictating it . Too often technological determinism overshadows our real needs , we should always start with the learner and the learning at the forefront of these decisions . By involving learners in the decision making , they will feel a shared sense of responsibility in their decisions that will impact their future . When students and teachers have the agency and capability to positively influence their own lives and the world around them as well as the capacity to set their own goals , reflecting and acting responsibly to effect change , they will collectively form a sense of belonging . This sense of belonging is paramount to creating a stable but progressive future where everyone can flourish .
Our Purpose : Our Drivers
During the pandemic there has been a lot of acknowledgement on how important teachers are . Looking back to just a decade ago there was a lot of enthusiasm around technology solving the teacher supply problems and discussions around how technology can replace the role of the teacher . I think we can honestly stop talking about this now as one thing that this pandemic has cemented is the realisation that human connections and interactions are at the heart of education . At this time , it ’ s become abundantly clear that the role of the teacher in the school community is irreplaceable .
Dubai College Innovative Pedagogies ( figure 1 )
There has been a sudden realisation of the many hats that teachers wear , perhaps there is even an argument for giving them more time to develop and nurture the social and emotional lives of our students instead of seeing
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