Getting Schools Ready for the World

Before the end of this decade, almost 5 billion people will carry mobile devices. Will Richardson asserts that because this technology creates ubiquitous, complex, immediate connections to the world, the most important skill is the skill of being able to learn. "Students moving into adulthood today," he writes, "need more than anything else to be voracious, passionate learners, adept at creating their own personal learning curriculum, finding their own teachers to help mentor and guide them in their efforts, and connecting with other learnings with whom they can collaborate and create." Richardson cites research suggesting that children are born with many of these dispositions, but the kind of explicit instruction that traditionally goes on in schools serves to discourage them. He recommends that school change by (1) clearly articulating the abilities they want to develop in learners; (2) creating deep learning cultures in which all--both adults and students--are viewed as learners; and (3) giving students greater freedom to pursue their own interests.