Assignment task:
2018 the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, an international organization that the US participates in along with 36 other nations prepared a position paper about education on "The Future of Education and Skills 2030" to kick off a multi year project It began with an interesting statement about the purpose of education:
From the Organization for Cooperation and Economic Development
We are facing unprecedented challenges - social, economic and environmental - driven by accelerating globalization and a faster rate of technological developments. At the same time, those forces are providing us with myriad new opportunities for human advancement. The future is uncertain and we cannot predict it; but we need to be open and ready for it. The children entering education in 2018 will be young adults in 2030. Schools can prepare them for jobs that have not yet been created, for technologies that have not yet been invented, to solve problems that have not yet been anticipated. It will be a shared responsibility to seize opportunities and find solutions. To navigate through such uncertainty, students will need to develop curiosity, imagination, resilience and self-regulation; they will need to respect and appreciate the ideas, perspectives and values of others; and they will need to cope with failure and rejection, and to move forward in the face of adversity. Their motivation will be more than getting a good job and a high income; they will also need to care about the well-being of their friends and families, their communities and the planet. Education can equip learners with agency and a sense of purpose, and the competencies they need, to shape their own lives and contribute to the lives of others.
Democratic societies have very high expectations for teachers and schools. What do you think that the most important priorities for schooling and educators should be? How do your views compare to the ideas about education outlined by the OECD above? How has your experience as a student, as someone who works within the educational system or as a parent shaped your views? Did your preK-12 education and/or your children's education nurture curiosity, creativity, imagination, resilience, empathy, self regulation and a sense of civic responsibility?