Students at the center of innovation. You won't find them bored and disengaged!

When I walk around schools, I see teachers working incredibly hard. They are investing enormous energy into engaging, coaxing, motivating, encouraging, managing, persuading, and captivating students.

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Is this simply the nature of the teaching profession?

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I reckon that their strenuous efforts stem from the outdated system in which they have to work in. Schools often lack relevance and authenticity for students. The subjects they are expected to learn often seem disconnected from their lives, leaving them bored, demotivated, and disengaged. And, leaving teachers exhausted.

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If schools were genuinely innovative, they would acknowledge this reality and devote their energy to creating an ARTful education!

Innovation in schools, when it is ARTful, synergizes relevance, authenticity, and transferability, contributing to the betterment of our world by fostering generous hearts and principled leadership to shape the future. By empowering students as "solutionaries" (as coined by Marc Prensky), it nurtures their ability to effect immediate positive change, enhancing personal growth. This approach equips adaptable learners with skills to apply knowledge, skills, and attitudes meaningfully across diverse contexts.

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Here's a more detailed look at the ARTful lens:

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Authentic: Tasks that one can observe in the real world.

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Avoid the trap of using standard "school assignments" for purposes lacking authenticity—such as a five-paragraph essay only read by the teacher, a diorama showcasing the effects of global warming on marine life, or a collage arguing for improved environmental regulations.

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"Authentic" learning involves real-world engagement and meaningful application. It immerses students in genuine scenarios where they work on problems and projects that mirror those encountered beyond the classroom. Authentic learning not only imparts knowledge and skills but also cultivates critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration. By engaging with authentic tasks, students develop a deep understanding of subject matter and acquire skills that naturally extend to real-life contexts.

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Two easy ways to make projects authentic are a) shift the audience, making professionals the audience for students, and b) consider what people outside of school would create or do when facing a similar problem or need.

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Relevant to the students.

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If students aren't interested in a topic, and teachers have to resort to statements like, "You'll need this one day!" or "This will be on the test!" they've already lost the students. The best they'll get is compliance.

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"Relevant" signifies the alignment of learning experiences with the immediate and future needs of students. To engage students authentically, tailor curriculum content, teaching methods, and projects to resonate with their interests, aspirations, and the world around them.

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Avoid being merely charismatic by putting on a show or endlessly creating fun activities, which can be exhausting. True relevance in education bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world applicability. It ensures students are prepared and eager to address challenges and opportunities in their personal and professional lives, understanding that what they do in class matters beyond a test.

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Transferable skills, knowledge, and attitudes across disciplines and into the real world.

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Too often, students are confined to classrooms, learning skills and content that will never be transferred to the world outside. Even when skills seem relevant, students often don't get the chance to apply knowledge and skills across different situations, settings, and disciplines.

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Future-ready schools cultivate adaptable learners who can seamlessly apply their learning to novel challenges. Notice how transferable skills are not limited to a specific context but serve as versatile tools that empower students to excel in diverse scenarios. This means releasing students from the industrial-age boxes of subjects and allowing them to see and experience the world as it truly is—interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and integrated.

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Education prioritizing transferability fosters independence, autonomy, and a capacity for lifelong learning.

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When teachers view teaching and learning through these three lenses, there is a much stronger chance that the school experience will place real student innovation at its center.

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#EducationRevolution #InnovationInEducation #LeadershipJourney

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At The PDL Group, we free schools from an outdated model of education. We strategically advise schools, coach leaders, develop managers, and train teachers to redesign schools that meet the needs of students in the 21st century. We create Future Ready Schools.