Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Do We Have the Right Models?

  • By Jerry Enderle
  • 11/01/17

I spent most of last week in Kansas City at the EDspaces Conference and Expo, the annual conference put on by the Education Market Association. The theme and main topic of discussion among the attendees was The Future of Education Facilities. No matter where you were, you heard discussions about how to accommodate 21-century teaching and learning models, collaboration, the classrooms of the future, and preparing students for the workplace. Granted, that is what we have been talking about for a while now, but when you have that many people gathering to work toward a common cause, you will almost always come away with some new insights, ideas and unique ways to address the issues. I wish there was enough space to cover all of the innovative ideas and solutions that I saw and heard there, but that would not fit in even several columns. So, I am going to focus on just one of the presentations.

On Thursday morning, Jaime Casap, Google Education Evangelist, spoke at the Plenary Session. The title of his talk was “Iteration and Innovation in Education.” The reason I was affected by what he said is that I spend my time focusing on the mechanics and background forces that are, and will be, of great importance as we continue to improve the learning environment. But are we also considering some of the realities and asking all of the right questions? Here are a few of his thoughts that struck home with me.

  • The education system isn’t broken — you and I are proof of that — but we need to look at what is right with the present system and continue to tweak it.
  • Today’s students are members of the first true tech generation and their concept of learning is different. We must figure out how to take advantage of that?
  • In a world of constant iteration we need to teach critical thinking skills and we need to be teaching collaboration.
  • Predicting the ideal future classroom is not possible because the elements that will be involved have not yet been created.
  • Transformation has no end point, just a next version, and a next version, and a next version.
  • The future starts tomorrow.

It sounds to me like it starts right now.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Round Rock ISD Completes New Early College High School

    Round Rock ISD near Austin, Texas, recently announced that construction is complete on a new, 46,500-square-foot campus for Early College High School, according to a news release. The new facility will allow the school’s students and staff to move from portables into a permanent building and increase its enrollment to 500.

  • Full Sail University Announces First Student Housing Facility

    Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., recently announced that development has begun on its first student housing community, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Nvision Development for construction and long-term management of the facility, which will stand five stories and have the capacity for more than 570 beds.

  • University of Oklahoma Announces New Campus Master Plan

    The University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., recently announced that it will soon launch a new, comprehensive Campus Master Plan to guide the campus’ physical development during the next decade, according to a news release.

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.