Following on from our blog on Youth Safety on a Living Internet: Report of the Online Safety and Technology Working Group, which recommends (among other things) the encouragement of “full, safe use of digital media in schools’ regular instruction and professional development in their use as a high priority for educators nationwide” (p. 7), we thought it would be inspiring and helpful to take a look at what is already being accomplished in this regard. In keeping with our global perspective, our first feature, in what will be a series of reports, is on a group from the United Kingdom which is leading the way in this field. We think you will be impressed! If you’re not, you are hard to please!
As noted on their website, Futurelab is an independent not-for-profit organisation that is dedicated to transforming teaching and learning, making it more relevant and engaging to 21st century learners through the use of innovative practice and technology. They have a long track record of researching and demonstrating innovative uses of technology and aim to support systemic change in education – and are uniquely placed to bring together those with an interest in improving education from the policy, industry, research and practice communities to do this. Futurelab is close enough to government to be influential, but distant enough to have an independent viewpoint; credible and respected by academia, but with rigorous project management, support and delivery mechanisms that deliver to commercial timelines. Their integrity and commitment to positive change allows them access to education practitioners and learners and they, in turn, support them to adopt new teaching practices with a range of research-informed support and tools.
Futurelab’s work to date covers a range of both topical and forward-thinking areas including, among others, curriculum innovation; learning spaces and building capital programmes; digital inclusion; health and well-being; play and computer games; adult and family learning; assessment; and digital literacy and participation. Examples of their work include:
- Developing a new approach to teaching and learning, resulting in an enquiry-based curriculum that is available to all schools (Enquiring Minds, supported by Microsoft)
- Researching a variety of subjects from the use of computer games in families and in schools through to supporting schools to help learners to use and create using digital technologies and to effectively link home and school to support learning
- Being commissioned by Local Authorities to advise schools going through the BSF process to ensure that resultant buildings are future proof and meet the needs of learners
- Developing a range of free resources for educators to support a range of activities from supporting debate and thinking skills through to a series of podcasts that reflect on what it means to transform education using technology
- Supporting the education community to plan effectively for the future.
Futurelab relies on funding and partners from across the education community – policy, practice, local government, research and industry – to realise the full potential of their ideas, and so continue to create systemic change in education to benefit all learners.
Impressive, right!
Check out some of their resources, such as Education Eye, where you can discover and share a wide-range of educational innovations selected from the best of the web on a daily basis (it only takes a moment to register). Take a look at the Futures Thinking Teachers Pack, which supports teachers and learners to develop approaches to exploring the future that are not about making predictions, but about considering possible, probable and preferable futures in order to support action and decision making in the present. As these approaches aim to prepare young people for the future and to support them to fully participate in all aspects of civic, cultural, social, intellectual and economic life, it is therefore important for young people to be given opportunities to think carefully about that future and their role in it.
Our Editorial: Way to go, FutureLab! We applaud your work in this field and especially appreciate your “team approach” and the ways in which you promote and support 21st century skills, digital media, digital inclusion, life long learning, families learning together, and place young people at the heart of the matter. Thanks for showing us what can be done, and done so well.
Tue, Jun 15, 2010
Global Perspective, Problem Solvers and Solutions