The Future of Learning

The above title refers to a study by Howard Gardner and his colleagues at Harvard to examine the kinds of 'thinking' and 'learning' that will be necessary for students to succeed in the 21st century. He and his colleagues attribute this paradigm shift to these current and future trends; a) globalization: With megacities all over the world, there is now a seamless transaction of money, ideas, customs and brands. Given that 200 million people worldwide do not live in the country in which they were born, there is now more cross-cultural information than ever. b) the biological revolution: According to Gardner, this means, "Everyday we are learning more about the kind of creature we are. If we are going to be thinking of learning, then we need to know how we learn as a species." c) the digital revolution: refers to how technology can be mobilized positively in education; Gardner goes on to say that "some are digital immigrants and some are digital natives." d) lifelong learning: this is the future of learning, which will incorporate non-linear systems, group learning, collaboration, just-in-time responses, out of the proverbial box learning, and moving beyond powerpoint to IM, Facebook, Twitter, and technologies which have yet to be created.

For more information please visit: http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/teaching/TC106-607.html

The Disciplined Mind

Mind #1: The Disciplined Mind, by Howard Gardner:
This is the Mind that is necessary for learning major ways of thinking: historical, artistic, scientific, and mathematical. This is the Mind we once thought of as the task of school, but is now about becoming an 'expert' in a profession, craft or art, or "end up unemployed or working for someone who is an expert."
For more information please visit:
http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/teaching/TC106-607.html

Howard Gardner's 5 Kinds of Minds

As you may remember, Howard Gardner was the plenary speaker on Wednesday night of the Convention. Some of you may remember his theories on Multiple Intelligences, or 'many kinds of smart.' His talk on Wednesday was about his current research on learning taking him in a new direction. There is some crossover from multiple intelligences, but mostly it was about what learners need to have to learn and adapt in the 21st century. He refers to '5 Kinds of Minds', briefly described as follows:

The Disciplined Mind: working steadily to improve knowledge; becoming an 'expert'
The Synthesizing Mind: how to recognize and organize information from all of the different outlets that exist
The Creating Mind: the mind that breaks new ground, ponders new solutions
The Respectful Mind: recognizing diversity, in all its forms, as a fact of life, and collaborating with others
The Ethical Mind: conceptualizing oneself as a (good) worker and citizen; recognizing one's responsibilities in these areas

In future blogs I hope to discuss each 'mind' in more detail, as well as throw in other reflections and revelations from the convention. Looking forward to hearing from you.