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"The illiterate of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn" |
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~Alvin Toffler |
Downtown Grand Rapids |
Video promo >
To say that education in America is at a "crossroads" is the understatement of our new, young century. With so much in turmoil – from budget cutting to competing pedagogies – education is often expected to solve many of our social ills and societal problems. It consequently remains at the vortex of a swirling political tornado that often seems to destroy anyone who tries to "fix" it. Unfortunately, education today is political and more often than not seems to ignore the object of its being: learning.
In the face of all this controversy, I believe we have an opportunity – unparalleled in our history – for a quantum level change in the way we educate. All we have to do is learn to relearn again. Rethink how and why we do things the way we do, and renew our zeal and optimism for learning again. This is our first challenge: to come together and rejoin our efforts toward this goal.
Leading educational planners, architects and designers want to design learning environments, not just "classrooms". They want to respond to new pedagogies and new methods of project-based learning that encourage interactive environments. They are excited by the opportunity to integrate new ideas in lighting, acoustics, sustainable design and non-traditional spaces in which teachers and students can excel.
Leaders in Higher Education and those who "teach teachers" are creating new pedagogies; new approaches to learning that are cognizant of the cross-pollinating of disciplines as described in Frans Johansson's, The Medici Effect. Coincidentally, the development of multiple intelligences, project based learning, and multi-tasking rubrics are setting the table for a new generation of educators and learners.
Technologies in support of education and the "new universe" of social networking are enabling and challenging everyone involved in planning the future of education. By definition, those whom we teach are the next generation. Do we really understand them? What is the perennial "undiscovered country" that is technology and how do we anticipate what change is to come?
Administrators, legislators and other government leaders are faced with a challenging economic future that will require innovation and a rethinking of education and its "delivery" in order to not just survive, but to thrive.
Great teachers, who are in the middle of the storm, who give all that they have to educate "their" children, desperately want change, and support for the learning environment that they live and work in every day. They are continually asked to do more with less while they maintain their passion and energy for what they do. They possess great ideas which often provide valuable insights as feedback from the "front lines" of education.
Yet, all of us will need to learn to unlearn and relearn again.
Each group is vested in this effort, and has its own forums and conferences – with their constituents often finding themselves "preaching to the choir". The goal of this conference is to bring all these voices together and to learn from each other to identify and support the common goal of what new learning environments need to be and how to work within them.
We all need to learn to connect and reconnect in ways that we have never done before.
Another challenge to all of us at this conference will be to think in real time. We cannot wait for promises to be filled in a distant future, when the economy is humming again, when billions of dollars of bond issues pass, and operational funds are restored. We cannot afford to lose another generation of students while we wait for a restoration of a status quo. Instead, we must demand innovative solutions that offer opportunities for solutions in today's schools and communities, under today's economic and social environment.
It is often discovered that change does not have to be expensive, but it does demand a will to change how we are doing things.
We are so fortunate to have Stephen Heppell and Dr.Yong Zhao with us for this conference as they are internationally recognized leaders in education and learning. We know that their vision and awareness of what could be and what will be creates a fertile ground for an intelligent discourse and exchange of ideas for realizable solutions in today's world.
We also have a plethora of great sessions and workshops by leading educational planners, educators, designers and experts in the field of education – including an inside look at how the very talented and creative Steelcase design and research staff approach design for the educational environment, most notably their recently developed and highly successful LearnLab™. Also, we do not want to end this discussion on the last day of the conference as we hope to set up website to record the results and a blog to post continuing commentary.
Welcome to our 2010 CEFPI Midwest Great Lakes Regional Conference. We thank our host, Steelcase, for the use of their wonderful Steelcase University facility for this great opportunity to coalesce. We thank our generous sponsors for their support as well, for this event would not be possible without them. And of course, we thank you in advance, for attending and contributing to what we expect to be an insightful and fulfilling conference for all!
So now, the only question is: Are you Ready?
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Theo Pappas, AIA, REFP, LEED AP
Conference Chair
CEFPI MWGL Region Area 3 Governor |
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