The Future of Education

This twenty-five-minute oral presentation will describe a school’s ten-year journey in pursuit of teaching for innovation. Beginning with Personal Passion Projects in 2007 embracing student choice and empowered learning, students in their final year of Junior School were challenged to explore questions of their design. Over the years since, students have benefitted from this experience and developed the skills and disposition required for innovation. With continuing shifts in educational imperatives the evolution of this programme today allows students to engage in a learning experience that enhances communication, critical thinking, creativity and collaboration.

This extensive experience of teaching for innovation has allowed teachers of this programme to refine and develop their understanding of the skills required for innovation and allows them to provide scaffolds and learning supports. Students apply an iterative design thinking approach as they develop and implement their project ideas. Thinking skills are developed through the use of ‘Making Thinking Visible’ and positive dispositions for learning are promoted through ‘Habits of Mind’. Students engage with the design of multiple projects throughout the year beginning with a research based topic to lay foundational skills for project management. Subsequently students investigate the design and construction of every day items before considering creative modifications that may enhance them or bring new utility. The culminating activity is a semester long project of the student’s own design exploring concepts of their choice and presented as they desire. Past projects have included laser engravers, novels, computer games, sporting equipment and concepts for small businesses. The impressive diversity of learning is showcased at an end of year gallery walk attended by parents and members of the school community.

This presentation will share the learning from this experience and offer suggestions for teachers and schools wishing to include teaching for innovation in their programmes. If the future our students will inherit requires the capacity to find and solve novel problems a strong foundation in innovation is essential.