Education is not the filling of a pot but the lighting of a fire.
- W.B. Yeats
In the videos and articles on this page, various professionals and organisations working in or for education highlight different perspectives that influence the future of education. We collect these views and practical examples to inspire teachers and parents and to discuss the possibilities.
If you come across articles or videos about educational innovation that are interesting to share, please send them to us so that we can place them on this page. That way, this page will be from and for all of us.
Doing is the best way of thinking
Creative thinking is in the top three most important competences for the future and thrives best on unpredictability, chaos and diversity. But at school, by the time we are 8, our creativity is halved.
School and work lead to conformity. Around the age of 40, we reach the status of terminal seriousness. How do we break through this?
Doing and experiencing, learning differently, stepping out of your comfort zone, making mistakes is allowed. Doing is the best way of thinking!
World without technology
Many parents encourage their children to pursue the highest possible level of education. Ideally, they want them to go to university.
Learning a trade is undervalued in our society. We do not realise enough that we would be nowhere without technology, without people who have learned a trade and can make anything. The people with gold in their hands. We don't even see it, we take it for granted.
But where would we be in a world without technology? You'll think differently after this film.
Students are currently being prepared for a world that no longer exists
Globally, our children are stuck in educational systems that barely differ from those that their parents and even grandparents were part of, despite the world being a vastly different place. 76% of all teenagers have no sense of purpose or clear path towards their future. Learner dissatisfaction is at an all time high and school dropout rates are on the rise.
This interview with Christopher Pommerening, the Founder and Chief Empowerment Officer of Learnlife was published by Digital Future Society, a think tank that seeks to build an inclusive, equitable and sustainable future in the digital era.
How will automation affect jobs, skills, and wages?
As the nature of work changes with automation, millions of people may need to switch occupations and acquire new skills.
Automation will displace many jobs over the next ten to 15 years, but many others will be created and even more will change. Jobs of the future will use different skills and may have higher educational requirements.
The people vs the school system
This film denounces the contemporary education system. While cars and telephones have changed completely in 100 years, the classroom looks almost the same as it did a century ago.
Students are not being prepared for the future. Instead, we need people who can think creatively, are innovative and critically independent, and have the ability to connect, it is argued.
How should it be done?
Do schools kill creativity?
Creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson challenges the way we're educating our children and he champions a radical rethink of our school systems, to cultivate creativity and acknowledge multiple types of intelligence.
In this TED talk, Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.
Parents as partners in the learning journey
In the Learnlife community, parents, experts and companies work together with "learning guides" (teachers). They use their experience and expertise to develop young people and work with them on real life projects. In this way, young people develop all kinds of competences, learn to work together in an inspiring way and are well prepared for their future.
Read about how Learnlife works with parents to support young people's development in this article "Parents as partners in the learning journey".
Incubator for new ideas on education
The new Radboud Teaching and Learning Centre will put the spotlight on education at the university. The goal: better education and better equipping students for life after graduation. According to Jan Bransen, Professor of Philosophy of Behavioural Sciences and academic leader of the TLC, good education cannot be captured in figures or performance measurements, but rather by educating admirable and beautiful people who make this society a nice place to live in together.
Teaching the top 5 future skills through project-based learning
Technological developments and AI are making innovative solutions to global problems possible at a rapid pace. But then you have to know about them and be able to use them. Competencies such as complex problem solving and creativity also play a role. How can we develop young people at school?
Be inspired by Kyle Wagner, a teacher in Hong Kong. He explains how Project Based Learning allows young people to work on real issues in their immediate environment and develop their competences.
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, macro-historian, Professor, best-selling author of "Sapiens" and "Homo Deus," and one of the world's most innovative and exciting thinkers, discusses his newest work, "21 Lessons for the 21st Century."
Key Ideas from the talk:
- Most important things to emphasize in education are Emotional intelligence and mental stability.
- Kids need to reinvent themselves repeatedly because of rapid change caused by AI and other technologies.
- How tech companies like Google can contribute to creating a more balanced society