The Launching Pad

a holistic, skills-based, student-centered 21st century education strategy

The Launching Pad is the result of my deep dive into how education should be provided, given all the systemic changes and challenges we are facing. I started looking at education from a systemic lens due to my work with developing education programs for refugees.

One glaring realization I had was how rudimentary and traditional most education in emergencies is when those students require, more so than others, an education that is modern and that will equip them with skills that are globally sought out in order to overcome their current situation. Essentially, education should be the launching pad to secure jobs that will make them independent and stop being refugees, yet in reality, it is barely providing basic skills and keeping them in this never-ending loop.

With this realization came an even wider one: this unfortunate reality of disconnect between education and society applies more broadly to every person, learner, and student nowadays who is finding themselves in an uncertain and increasingly changing world. If you are a child today, you are born into a world that will look quite different when you turn 18 and even more so when you reach late adulthood.

Education is, and has always been, fundamental in equipping students with the skills required to be able to participate in the world, but more importantly, in molding their brains, personalities, and worldviews into the adults they become. Education is falling short of achieving its main goal and has to be revised given the requirements of the world today. A more holistic, multi-dimensional way of providing education is needed to ensure that it is, in fact, offering learners with what is essential to thrive in an uncertain world and to discover their unique abilities and skillsets to partake in it.

The Launching Pad is my starting attempt at mapping out the components and elements of a 21st century education system. It is a work in progress and one that I keep revisiting and adding to as I delve further into the world of education.

The​ ​world​ ​we live in ​is​ ​rapidly​ ​changing​ ​with technology​ disrupting​ ​ ​industries​ ​along with the​ ​jobs​ ​required for them​. ​We​ ​stand​ ​today facing​ ​a​ ​world​ ​where​ ​65%​ ​of​ ​students​ ​in​ ​grade​ ​schools​ ​are​ ​going​ ​to​ ​have​ ​jobs that​ ​don’t​ ​exist yet. Different skillsets are required to partake in this world, both on a soft skills level ( problem solving, collaboration, emotional intelligence etc...) as well as hard skills (digital literacy, technical skills, and so on) Given this rate of change, we don’t even know what other skillsets will be required, but one thing we do know is that they are currently not being taught at schools. Education reform has trailed far behind innovation and the gap between what we are taught at different levels of traditional education and what our society and economies need keeps on widening.

More importantly though, education needs a paradigm shift. It is not only important to learn, but it is important to learn how to learn. The process of discovery, analysis, and deduction that makes up learning is one that has long been overlooked, yet it needs to be at the core of an educational system. Regurgitating information is no longer useful in a world of information overload — when anything can be searched at the tip of of our fingers. Instead, learning itself needs to be around engaging with the real world, in a hands-on, project-based, playful learning-by-doing approach, where diverse, cross-disciplinary subjects are targeted at once, as is usually the case in life.

To​ ​further​ ​elaborate​ ​on​ ​this,​ ​I​ ​developed​ ​the​ ​10​ ​commandments​ ​of​ ​learning​ ​that embody​ ​this​ ​education​ ​mindset:

Weaving those commandments into a curriculum is possible by going​ ​beyond​ ​basic​ ​traditional​ ​subjects​ ​to incorporate​ ​more​ ​relevant​ ​21st​ ​century​ ​skills; along​ ​with​ ​social​ ​and​ ​emotional learning through different classes; offering psychosocial​ ​support/mental​ ​health​ ​activities as well as mindfulness activities and practices; ​​and​ building ​a​ ​creative​ ​learning space​ ​to​ ​truly​ ​create​ ​a​ ​holistic​ ​learning​ ​experience.

Such a curriculum is​ ​holistic​ ​because​ ​it​ ​doesn’t​ ​only​ ​focus​ ​on​ ​basic​ ​learning​ ​subjects but​ ​has​ ​a​ ​general​ ​focus​ ​on​ ​well-being​ ​as​ ​it​ ​also​ ​stresses​ ​the​ ​need​ ​for​ ​social and​ ​emotional​ ​learning,​ ​and​ ​mental​ ​health​ ​to​ ​be​ ​explicitly​ ​targeted. Well-being is further achieved by removing the focus on excessive examination and creating instead the space for creativity, personal development, and innovation.

The​ ​aim​ ​is​ ​to​ ​create​ ​a student-centered​ ​classroom​ ​that​ ​serves​ ​as​ ​a​ ​creative,​ ​multidisciplinary​ ​learning space.​ ​It​ ​includes​ ​a​ ​focus​ ​on​ ​learning while enhancing ​presentation​ ​and​ ​expression​ ​skills,​ ​social​ ​& emotional​ ​learning among other soft skills. Training​ ​students​ ​to​ ​express​ ​themselves​ ​is pivotal: people should learn from a young age how to​ ​form​ informed ​opinions,​ ​create arguments,​ ​and​ ​engage in healthy debates. They should be subjected to differing opinions and views and learn how to tolerate and respect them while still holding their own.

Such​ ​​a​ ​creative​ ​learning​ ​space also stresses peer-to-peer learning, collaborating on projects, and interactive education rather than sitting down and receiving knowledge. Most​ ​of their​ ​work​ ​should​ ​be​ ​presented ​publicly, ​shown​ ​around​ ​the​ ​school, and maybe hung on the walls. ​Throughout​ ​different​ ​projects,​ ​they should​ ​experiment​ ​with​ various ​ways​ ​of​ ​expressing​ ​themselves​ ​either​ ​by​ ​writing, digital​ ​tools,​ ​video,​ ​drawing,​ ​creating websites and so forth.

​Infusing education​ ​with​ ​specific​ ​skills-based​ ​workshops​ ​also helps​ ​students​ ​make decisions​ ​about​ ​their​ ​futures​ ​and​ ​gain​ ​insights​ ​on​ ​different​ ​work​ ​trajectories and​ ​career​ ​choices​ ​that​ ​they​ ​can​ ​follow.​

At the same time, learning can be hybrid and does not necessarily have to be in one place. By including​ ​more​ ​interactive​ ​and innovative​ ​materials,​making​ ​use​ ​of​ ​open-source​ ​tools​ ​and​ ​focusing​ ​on​ ​students​ ​having​ ​an​ ​active role​ ​in​ ​their​ ​education​ ​through​ ​project-based,​ ​collaborative,​ ​and​ ​play-based learning, a hybrid pedagogical approach could be achieved.​

Having a hybrid​ ​online-offline,​ ​skills-based​ ​curriculum ​promotes​ ​both​ ​individualized​ ​and collaborative​ ​learning​ ​at​ ​once with​ ​its​ ​online,​ ​interactive​ ​nature.​ With an individualized learning system, education can also happen in different places and is not tied to one room, one pace, and one teacher.

​A​ ​supporting​ ​ecosystem​ ​is simultaneously​ ​targeted​ ​with​ ​teacher​ ​training​ ​and​ ​parents​ ​workshops​ ​to​ ​ensure the​ ​successful​ ​transition into​ ​and​ ​establishment​ ​of​ ​such​ ​a​ ​progressive​ ​form​ ​of learning. Education becomes more multifaceted and holistic with ​a supporting​ ​ecosystem​ ​of​ continuous ​teacher​ ​training​ ​and​ ​parent​ ​acculturation.​ ​In​ ​fact, teacher​ ​training​ ​is​ ​​essential​ ​in​ ​the​ ​success​ ​of​ ​such​ ​a curriculum​ ​because​ ​the​ ​teachers​ ​have​ ​to​ ​be​ ​active​ ​co-designers​ ​of the educational experience.​ ​Parents​ ​have​ ​to​ ​also​ ​be​ ​introduced​ ​to​ ​the​ ​benefits​ ​of​ a holistic learning experience and how to extended beyond the classroom and be ​involved​ ​in​ ​their​ ​children’s​ ​education.

Going one step further, engaging different people and stakeholders can also go beyond the parents and teachers, essentially morphing the continuity of the school into a network of organizations and affiliations. ​Linking​ ​the​ ​school​ ​with​ ​livelihood initiatives​ ​from​ ​higher​ ​education,​ ​work​ ​platforms,​ ​skill-specific​ ​bootcamps, entrepreneurship​ ​incubators,​ ​schools,​ ​and​ ​even​ ​governments​ ensures​ ​the​ ​continuity​ ​of​ ​education​ ​efforts​ ​and​ ​creates an education-to-work pipeline.

The Role of Teachers

As​ ​active​ ​co-creators​ ​of​ ​the​ ​curriculum,​ a ​teacher’s​ ​job is different from​ ​​the​ traditional ​authoritarian,​ ​top-down​ ​role.​ ​They​ ​are,​ ​first and​ ​foremost,​ ​facilitators​ ​for​ ​students​ ​and​ ​have​ ​their​ ​future​ ​and​ ​best​ ​interests​ ​in mind. They ​are​ ​keen​ ​on​ ​developing​ ​personal​ ​connections​ ​with​ ​students​ ​and​ ​learning more​ ​about​ ​their​ ​individual​ ​needs​ ​and​ ​challenges in order to adapt the education format to best suit them. Ideally, there are multiple teachers and assistants in any small classroom. They focus on different students simultaneously and can deliver a personalized approach despite being in the same space.

Focusing​ ​on​ ​teachers​ and developing their skills through trainings ​is​ ​essential​ ​for​ ​the​ ​success​ ​of​ ​education. The​ ​whole​ ​process​, from their perspective, ​becomes​ ​an​ ​ongoing​ ​cycle​ ​of​ ​teacher​ ​training​ ​and​ ​then​ ​applying it​ ​in​ ​lesson​ ​planning​ ​and​ ​delivery​ ​in​ ​the​ ​classroom. Lesson​ ​planning​ ​is​ ​not​ ​taken​ ​lightly​ ​and​ ​is​ ​explicitly​ ​scheduled​ ​into​ ​the​ ​school,​ ​with common​ ​prep​ ​time​ ​among​ ​all​ ​the​ ​staff​ ​once​ ​a​ ​week. During that time, ​all​ ​teachers​ ​assess​ ​skills and​ ​lessons,​ ​agree​ ​on​ ​themes​ ​moving​ ​forward​ ​and​ ​on​ ​different​ ​resources;​ ​identify opportunities​ ​where​ ​blended​ ​learning​ ​and​ ​project-based​ ​learning​ ​can​ ​be incorporated; create links across subjects and embark on​ ​one-on-one​ ​teacher collaborations to facilitate cross-disciplinary learning.

Finally,​ ​they ​are​ ​constantly​ ​evaluating​ ​their​ ​teaching​ ​approach,​ ​assessing​ ​what​ ​works​ ​and what​ ​doesn’t,​ ​and​ ​taking​ ​student​ ​feedback​ ​into​ ​consideration,​ ​even​ ​inviting​ ​a​ ​few of them​ ​to sometimes​ ​attend​ ​staff​ ​meetings. Regular​ ​teacher-teacher​ ​feedback, either​ ​face-to​ ​face​ ​in​ ​common​ ​meetings​ ​or​ ​online​ ​with​ ​a​ ​network​ ​of​ ​teachers​ ​as​ ​part of​ ​the​ ​online​ ​teacher​ ​resource​ ​center, also supports this feedback loop and creates a community of instructors that is working together to enhance the education system.