Our existing education system is like the rocket ship of the past that got us into orbit. That was the engine that built the economy of our very successful country.
But isn’t it past time that we build a new engine to get us to the education moon?
It took a company like SpaceX to use design thinking to reorient the US space program and bring the prowess of space adventure back to the US. They found a new design and new technology to give them the thrust and a competitive advantage.
So, have you found a new design or new technology embedded in bold leadership to embrace the passion for education redesign? This pandemic that we are in is the defining moment that is separating redesign from re-engineering. If you are caught in the crisis, it may be a good time to re-evaluate your redesign program. If you are meeting the challenge of the pandemic with some ease, then your design thinking and planning is kicking in.
How to “SpaceX” Your Education System
Let’s address the whole arena of technology and its role in managing the crisis and in leading redesign. Most technology in schools is 5-30 years old – oops! It may be important for us to define technology, so we don’t create a cohort of defensive readers.
Technology is defined as science or knowledge put into practical use to solve problems or invent useful tools.
When we mention the word technology, it is most often equated with Chromebooks, laptops, and 1:1 and curriculum software. We do not speak of it in its true context and hence will not be able to exploit it to drive the value of the brave new world, the Age of Agility, and learning tuned to the individuals’ learning abilities.
Had schools taken advantage of the existing updates in technology that are already on the market, we would now have virtual classrooms and virtual technology in every school and home, we would have been able to integrate at-home learning smoothly, and we would not be talking about inequity and inequality to the extent we are. If we had built a learning system in our community from the ground up with design thinking, then it would look unlike most schools we see today; so how do we go from here to there amid a crisis and beyond?
The Crisis-Driven Learning Revolution
The amount of money being spent on edtech technology since 2016 has skyrocketed, with a market cap for technology companies sitting at an all-time high in excess of $250 billion. Schools that embrace the integrated learning evolution discover that they can drive sustained success; high connectivity leads to high performance and streamlined learning can empower creativity. Collaboration beyond the classroom is part of the secret sauce. Let’s rediscover what it is that we need and explore the education landscape.
If you’re interested in learning how Lumen Touch can help you and your district be ready for the present and the future of learning, please get in touch. We’re eager to show you how we can help you save time and money while improving student learning beyond the realms of our current thinking.