EDUCATION: A NEW GENERATION OF TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND PARENTS

Jean-Yves Charlier

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Promethean CEO

www.prometheanworld.com

INTRODUCTION

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.Thank you for inviting me to this Predictions and Broadband Summit. It is a pleasure tobe here with you today to provide my insights on the challenges facing the educationsystems around the world and the enormous potential that digital technologies and nextgeneration networks represent for the transformation of education.As the chief executive of one of the leading education technology companies in theworld, Promethean, I hope you will my insights informative and perhaps thoughtprovoking.Whilst it is clear that digital technologies will provide enormous potential for the learning

of today’s and tomorrow’s generations, technology is certai

nly not an end-

game in it’s

own right and should only to be considered as one of several key foundations for neweducation systems. Furthermore, the implementation of digital technologies in theclassroom and in the education systems will be a never-ending evolutionary process.

THE CHALLENGE

There is clearly significant pressure in every country for education to change.Globalization, economic cycles, changes in the competencies needed for new andchanging occupations, to name a few, as well as the new generation of digital nativeswho are learning in new ways

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all these dimensions are fast changing expectations ofhow to equip the future generations for the world of tomorrow.

Most education systems around the world are being reformed. But reform isn’t

sufficient and transformation of education is a must for countries to develop the talentsand skill-sets required for the 21

century.And in the Western world, i

f we don’t challenge and

transform ourselves our educationsystems, others will. Just imagine, five percent of the most gifted students in China

today is greater than the total population of Portugal. So for Portugal to competetomorrow, just like any other Western country, it is essential to have a powerfuleducation system.In the 19

century, the education systems around the world evolved to meet therequirements of industrialization. Our education curriculums are very linear as a resultwith a hierarchy of subjects based on a set of old programs of math, science,geography, history and language.We must ask ourselves whether these structured curriculums can meet therequirements to create 21

century talents and skill-sets and whether they can motivateour digital native students.

THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATON

Before, we investigate how our educations systems should be transformed and thevalue of technology and next generation networks, we should reflect on the purposes ofeducation overall.In the modern world, the education systems need to meet five main purposes. The firstis an economic purpose. There is no doubt that education needs to teach the studentsof today for the occupations of tomorrow, in what are more global, faster and morecompetitive economic conditions. The old economic models are out and innovation,talent, and technology will be essential in creating the economic models of tomorrow.The second is a society purpose. Education needs to ensure that students leave thesystem equipped with the skill-sets to live in harmony as citizens in an ever-changingsociety. With higher drop-out rates than ever in most Western education systems, andparticularly in the United States, this is a matter than needs urgent attention bygovernments alike.The third is a social purpose through the importance of creating systems wherebystudents learn to work together, learn with teachers, and hopefully in the future, learnmore-and-more with external experts to the education system.

Tomorrow’s edu

cationsystems will see lecture-style classes we have today complemented with collaborativelearning. In the 21

century classroom, teachers will no longer be at the front of the

classroom but much more in the centre.Education also serves a fourth purpose and that is a cultural one. We expect thateducation will enable our students to engage with culture through their sense ofpersonal identity and be part of culture in a global sense, even if that might beappreciating rap culture and an artist such as 50 Cents.The final major part of education is a personal purpose. Education has to focus onpersonal capacity and what makes us distinct. Our current education systems havelittle time for anything else than a standard approach. This will have to change aspersonalized learning will be essential for the education systems of tomorrow.Any attempt to transform education has to take these five main purposes into account.

TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION

Today’s

generation of students are radically different than any other generation of thepast century; they spend most of their day, except at school, immersed in technology.They are listening to music on MP3 devices, using their mobile phone, playinginteractive games in a variety of formats including mobile devices and using computersto learn and interact with a stream of new social networking applications. Our digitalnatives expect information to be on tap, up to the minute and delivered in engaging,interesting and interactive ways. The TV is out and the internet is clearly in.Only when our digital natives attend school do they find often they are required todigest knowledge which they perceive as irrelevant and hard to understand, deliveredin a slow and less engaging manner. In a recent survey in the UK, 98 percent of 12-year olds indicated that they want to do well in school, yet only 38 percent look forwardto going to school.Technology should not be a cause of strain on our education systems but a source oftremendous potential to transform t

eaching and learning. In today’

s world, technologydelivers the skills needed for the future and can make learning more relevant as well asincrease the attention and interest of students. This in turn can lead to increases instudent achievement.