One of the voices and proponents of change in education that I have followed for some time is Ken Kay. He is currently the CEO of EdLeader21. In 2002 he cofounded Partnership for 21st Century Skills which is how I learned of his work. You get the idea that he is all about promoting the 21st Century Skills needed in our schools to help our students be their best.
I came across him again recently in the book, Bold Moves for School by Heidi Hayes Jacobs and Marie Hubley Alcock (a really great book by the way and material for another post soon). In the forward Kay talks about how the first phase of the 21st Century in schools has been the “table setting” phase and that it is time to move to a deeper level of implementation in all school systems.
If we think of the concept of “table setting” in our schools, then how long does it take to set a table? We are now in 2018, nearing the end of the second decade of this 21st Century. So as a school, where are we, and as an individual educator where are we? Is the table set yet?
Goodness knows, many schools have brought technology into the schools in a major way. 1:1 technology is more the norm than the exception. Add to that all the infrastructure behinds that scenes that no one sees, and we know that significant financial resources have been directed towards making schools 21st Century places of learning. But does the technology add to student learning or is it a newer more trendy tool? Is the laptop, or tablet a newer version of a notebook or overhead projector? Is a worksheet that is now available online any less a worksheet?
I contend that the teacher is the critical component to moving a school from the “table setting” phase to the actual meal. I believe there are three components that are key for moving on to the meal. Being a life-long learner is so important for educators, I would say it is even a necessary core competency for anyone in life. Having a high quality professional development program in place in a school is also very important. The terrain will change, but the path forward can be more easily found through high quality professional development. Finally, having a deep level of collaboration happening in a school is necessary. Education is not a solitary endeavor. Collegiality is nice, but if the school has a culture of trust and collaboration, so much more can happen.
It is past time for our schools to be moving on from the “table setting” phase — Bon Appetit!