The document discusses how schools need to change to prepare students for their digital future. It notes that society is changing rapidly due to increased diversity, technology, globalization, and an aging population. While technology is transforming how people live and work, schools continue focusing on outdated skills and are at risk of becoming irrelevant. The document argues schools must shift to teaching skills like creativity, collaboration, problem solving and digital literacy to ensure students' future success in a global, technology-driven world.

1. Preparing students for their digital future Dr. Scott McLeod January 24, 2007

2. Get this presentation! www.scottmcleod.net/owatonna

3. The Times They Are A-Changin’

4. Societal trends Increased diversity Increased technology Aging population Globalization

6. Technology is changing us This is about our way of life. An historical analog would be the Industrial Revolution, but compressed into 15 years - not played out over a century. Hang on - this will be quite a ride. - Joseph S. Kraemer

7. Globalization Economic and cultural The World is Flat , Thomas Friedman The Flight of the Creative Class , Richard Florida

9. Aging population Most of the current folks in charge don’t really “get it” when it comes to technology By 2030, there will be twice as many retirees as now but only 18% more workers

10. Aging population Neither education nor technology is generally high on senior citizens’ list of interests Different views of work, education, and life

11. The Rise of the Creative Class

13. Importance of creativity Daniel Pink, A Whole New Mind Can someone overseas do it cheaper? Can a computer do it faster? Is what I’m offering in demand in an age of abundance? Relationships, collaboration, creativity, innovation, problem-solving, pattern detection, synthesizing, adding value

14. Are schools focusing on the right things? No generation in history has ever been so thoroughly prepared for the industrial age. - David Warlick

16. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills

18. The Not-So-Hidden Revolution

19. Revolution Web 1.0 v. Web 2.0 Putting the power in the hand of the users Collaboration Creativity Disintermediation Reach

20. Web 2.0 A quick tour Wikis Blogs – me , the big guys Podcasts ( audio , video ) YouTube ( online video ) Flickr (online photo) Delicious (social bookmarking) Digg Google Maps mashups MySpace MMORPGs Video game mods

21. Web 2.0 Interconnected Collaborative Personalized Autonomous Freewheeling Empowering

23. Are schools teaching the right things? While we teach whatever we teach at school, the kids go home and learn the skills they need to survive and prosper in an interconnected global economy. - Clarence Fisher

24. Video games Brain-rotting waste of time or high-octane learning environments? Kids who can’t sit still in class for five minutes can be mentally locked in for hours at home playing video games “ Engage or enrage me” (Prensky)

25. Jump Start 2nd Grade

26. Millie’s Math House

27. Kid Phonics 2

28. Elder Scrolls: Oblivion

29. Stranglehold

30. Star Heritage: Ship of Ages

31. Digital natives, immigrants, & refugees http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/10/21/beyond-the-digital-native-immigrant-dichotomy/

32. Avoiding Irrelevance

33. 14,383 school districts

34. 95,726 public schools + 29,273 private schools = 125,000 schools

35. Irrelevance, part 1 Our intelligence tends to produce technological and social change at a rate faster than our institutions and emotions can cope with. . . . - Gwynne Dyer

37. Irrelevance, part 2 When the rate of change outside exceeds the rate of change inside, the end is in sight. - Jack Welch

38. Irrelevance, part 3 They say, “We can’t handle this much change.” I say, “Your [relevance is] in jeopardy. What choice do you have?” They say I’m extreme. I say I’m a realist. - Seth Godin

39. We need to somehow change faster No one jumps a 20 foot chasm in two 10 foot jumps. – Miguel Guhlin

40. What schools can’t do

41. What we need leadership v. management

42. What we need anticipatory v. reactionary

43. What we need future-oriented v. compliance-oriented

44. Change is hard What does it mean when something changes how it’s always been? - Liz Phair

45. Thank you! Dr. Scott McLeod Director, CASTLE University of Minnesota www.schooltechleadership.org www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org www.scottmcleod.net/contact