Sharing Good Practice
But what implication will this have for education ? For starters , it underscores the importance of schools focusing on project-based learning . Collaboration skills are crucial for success in the gig economy .
While some jobs will require greater specialisation than ever , for the most part , we ’ ve got to teach our students to be flexible . They will need to equip themselves with a wide range of skills . A focus on cross-curricular learning , inter-disciplinary problem solving , and the ability to transfer knowledge and understanding across media will be enormously beneficial . Additionally , all the other 21st century skills of effective communication , leading by influence , leveraging networks , etc . will also be valuable .
In the future workplace , the ability to pivot , unlearn , relearn , and upskill will be crucial . Intrinsic motivation and self-drive will continue to be a key factor in ensuring success .
However , the most significant impact will possibly be on the number of students deciding to spend four years in college and incurring huge student debts in the process . It is hard to put a figure , but there can be no doubt that a sizeable percentage of the student population will choose not to pursue their formal education in colleges and get a single degree . Instead , they may likely decide to dive straight into this new gig economy .
Participatory Culture
Henry Jenkins II is an American media scholar and author of several books . In 2006 , he led a group of researchers from MIT and produced a White Paper titled that examined digital media and learning . This report highlighted a digital divide — a socio-economic inequality in access to and use of ICT technologies . Installing computers in schools and handing out devices is not the solution to this problem . Instead , what they recommended was the promotion and development of cultural competencies and social skills that students require to participate fully in contemporary society .
This study defines participatory culture as having ; low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement , strong support for creating and sharing one ’ s creations , informal mentorship , belief that members ’ own contributions matter , and social connection ( caring what other people think about their creations ).
According to Jenkins , forms of participatory culture include :
Affiliations — memberships , formal and informal , in online communities centred around various forms of media , such as message boards , metagaming , game clans , and other social media ).
Expressions — producing new
creative forms , such as digital sampling , skinning and modding , fan videomaking , fan fiction writing , zines , and mash-ups .
Collaborative Problem-solving — working together in teams , formal and informal , to complete tasks and develop new knowledge ( such as through Wikipedia , alternative reality gaming , spoiling ).
Circulations — shaping the flow of media ( such as podcasting , blogging ).
Currently , the vast majority of our students around the world are passive consumers of other people ’ s creative output . We must teach the value of contributing to the sum total of human knowledge and creative endeavour .
As we move into the future , we must encourage our children to be active producers of material and enthusiastic creators of content .
Rohan is an award-winning educator , innovator , entrepreneur and edtech consultant with over 22 years of experience in the educational sector . He is an author , keynote speaker and moderator of the Expo 2020 Next Gen World Majlis . In 2019 , he was featured at the World Government Summit as one of six individuals embodying the Advanced skills of the Future . He is currently the Director of Innovation and Future Learning at GEMS Wellington Academy Al Khail . He is the first , and so far the only , educator from Dubai to be a finalist of the one-million-dollar Global Teacher Prize .
38 Term 3 Apr - Jun 2022
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