Keynote presentation to the virtual Teaching and Learning forum for educators in Qatar, October, 2021

1. Future Focused Learning
Derek Wenmoth

2. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190109-the-perils-of-short-termism-civilisations-greatest-threat

3. “Failing to value the lives of all
these descendants is akin to
‘colonising’ the future – essentially
deciding that future generations
have no ownership rights there, or
any say over how it evolves…
We treat the future as a distant
colonial outpost where we dump
ecological degradation, nuclear
waste, public debt and
technological risk.”
Photo by Chris Boland /
www.chrisboland.com
Roman Krznaric
Author of The Good Ancestor

4. www.futuremakers.nz

5. Learn from the Past
To know something about someone's
past, and how it has shaped who they
are today, so enriches your
relationship.
Sir Pita Sharples (2012 History Matters).

6. Learning from the past
Picture from a reading book for the primary school (8 year olds) in Sweden, 1903

7. The fourth industrial revolution
● Steam and water
● Mechanising production

8. Shifting expectations….
● Compliance
● Conformity
● Certainty
● Volatility
● Uncertainty
● Complexity
● Ambiguity

9. Looking to the future
He pai te tirohanga ki ngā mahara
mō ngā rā pahemo engari ka puta
te māramatanga i runga i te titiro
whakamua
‘It’s fine to have recollections of the past,
but wisdom comes from being able to
prepare opportunities for the future.’

10. What does the future look like?
And it’s all happening so fast!
● Cultural assimilation
● Human rights
● Poverty
● Religious intolerance
● Economic collapse
● Food/water supply
● Climate change
● Cryogenics
● Nano-technology
● Pandemics/global health

11. Live in the present
“The future depends on
what we do in the present.”
Mahatma Gandhi
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimforest/2398652242

12. Future learning
Education is not a linear process of
preparation for the future: it is about
cultivating the talents and sensibilities
through which we can live our best lives in
the present and create the best futures for
us all.
Sir Ken Robinson, international educationalist in Out of our
Minds - Learning to be Creative
Photo source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ter-burg/3569194255

13. Future learning
“To help students address unknown
future problems, curricula need to focus
on areas with the highest transfer value –
in other words, they need to give priority
to knowledge, skills and attitudes that
can be learned in one context and
applied to others.”
Andreas Schleicher, OECD

14. 20 competencies for a democratic culture
What capabilities and
competence are you
developing in your
students?
Council of Europe: Digital Citizenship Handbook - https://rm.coe.int/16809382f9

15. The IB Learner Profile
The IB learner profile is the IB mission
statement translated into a set of
learning outcomes for the 21st century.
The learner profile provides a long-term
vision of education. It is a set of ideals
that can inspire, motivate, and focus the
work of schools and teachers, uniting
them in a common purpose.

16. In the future learners will....
● need to know stuff we can hardly guess today
● always need to know if the facts they've
dredged up are accurate and truthful
● need to know how to regularly clean up their
electronic trail
● need to know enough to make more
complicated medical choices
● have the ability to embrace diversity
● face the fact that technology favours some
and eclipses others
● be forced to take on moral questions no
human has ever faced
Photo by Larm Rmah on Unsplash

17. What does this mean for schools today?
Personalisation – one size doesn’t fit all – in fact, one size
fits noone
Curriculum – what is important to learn, and how is it
important to learn it?
Assessment – what does success look like? How can it be
measured?
Role of technology – how can it be leveraged to help achieve
our goals?

18. www.futuremakers.nz

19. THANK YOU.

20. Breakout Room Questions
https://padlet.com/derek51/kc5eubp33m7qmiz
b
Click on ‘add comment’
to add your responses

21. Thank
you
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