036 – S1 E35 – How might we empower students to lead their own learning journeys by reimagining education systems to prioritize collaborative growth over standardized metrics of competition?

Inspired by the 18th-century Prussian schooling reform, many education systems today continue to subscribe to its key features: a prescriptive national curriculum that necessitates standardized testing, compulsory attendance for students who are grouped into those of similar ages, and teachers who are trained to prepare students to meet specific economic needs. However, the sociopolitical conditions of today are drastically different from the industrial demands of yesterday. Our financial markets have globalized, cultures have evolved, family dynamics have modernized, and opportunities for social mobility have diversified with the exponential advances in technology. Isn’t it time to reevaluate how our education systems must adapt to adequately prepare our children for the opportunities of tomorrow?

Over the past 10 months, I spoke with people representing 27 countries across 6 continents to examine the shifting perspectives on education practices, globally. Using the human-centered design framework to facilitate and process these interviews, I asked lots of big questions, and received amazing responses. In this season finale, I’ll share five emerging insights, and what opportunities they reveal about the shifts we need to make for meaningful reform to occur.

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Reference List

Brown, B. (2012). Daring greatly: How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent, and lead. Gotham Books.

Dweck, C. S. (2017). Mindset: The new psychology of success (updated edition). Ballantine Books.

Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The power of passion and perseverance (updated edition). Scribner.

Epstein, D. J. (2019). Range: Why generalists triumph in a specialized world. Riverhead Books.

hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to transgress: education as the practice of freedom. Routledge.

Rée. (Host). (2023–present) homeroom the podcast ****[Audio podcast series]. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/homeroom/id1696451338