As our graduates walk out of our doors for 2013, I started pondering what school will look like for my three kids in their Senior years. They will graduate in 2026, 2028, and 2030 respectively. This assumes that the most constant trend in education doesn’t change. The “batch processing” trend that both Seth Godin and Sir Ken Robinson refer to in various talks refers to the fact our kids are processed based on the date of manufacturing. I joke with my wife that our kids should be able to graduate by the time they are 16. Is this crazy to assume? Think about trends with MOOCs and online learning in general. Could we not assume that the ability to take online courses will reduce the amount of traditional seat time? Shouldn’t learning be condensed? The problem with this individually-focused learning is that it is in staunch opposition to the collaborative element we champion so much in schools. As Ewan McIntosh points out in this post, we need to make sure that we create the opportunities in our school for true collaboration. That means allocating space and time to that idea. I’m not sure schools are ready for that, but I know I am. And I now have less than 13 years to figure that out.
~Carl Hooker
