Fission was a defining technology of the 20th century and "splitting the atom" .... the rational, analytical, reductionism of splitting something into smaller manageable bits that can be conquered and easily measured has come to define many of the operational principles and thought processes of the 20th century.
Much of current formal education is a legacy of 20th century fission - split into so many separate (even conflicting parts) and divided into levels that rarely mix. Most education events reflect this fission - focusing on specific sectors or areas only - creating separate and defined bubbles of experience - rarely would a network manager mix in an event with students or someone in the school sector mix with those in the university sector for example.
Educational fission is good for management and measurement but creates a set filter bubbles with all the conditions for memetic "in-breading" that reinforces the status quo and acts against innovation and change .... its no wonder the education system has such difficulty with progressive innovation and change.
Exponential and combinatorial developments in information and communication technologies present completely different social challenges to those presented by the industrial and engineering technologies of the 20th century. 21st century technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics excel at the easily measurable and testable rational analytical reductionist fission material we find in the formal education system. 21st century technologies are set to displace the very skills taught and learned in our 20th century education system!
The education system today seems hellbent on teaching future generations to be drivers in a driverless future. Our education systems must shift from teaching people how to navigate to teaching people how to explore. Machines excel at navigation - our education systems must rebalance and shift from teaching people those things which machines can do better than us to teaching things that people still do better than machines - imagination, creativity, holistic and synthetic thinking and most of all the ability to learn rather than just remember because the future is unknown.
Fusion may come to define the 21st century.
Physicists are in a worldwide race to create stable fusion devices that could not only mimic the Sun but release abundant energy, without the volumes of toxic waste generated by fission ..It's true: nuclear fusion and Iron Man are here to save the world.
Fusion needs to define education in the 21st century
Diversity and interconnection are essential elements in evolution and innovation. To evolve, innovate and thrive in the 21st century education needs to shift from fission to fusion - to shift from closed, disconnected and standardised practice to open, connected and diverse practice. Education needs to embrace fusion and evolution through diverse connections, sharing and variation to catalyse innovation, creativity, change, adaptation and evolution.
Its time for education to use its imagination!
The aim of Teach Meet Tech is to bring as many of the different parts of education together as possible and see what happens.
Teach Meet Tech is an inspireNshare education and technology fusion event series - unique TeachMeet x TechMeet events bringing together tech startups, students, teachers, IT people, schools, AE, FE, HE, 6th form colleges, libraries and the general public to talk about Education & technology.
The next Teach Meet Tech Event is on Thursday 15th December - see http://inspirenshare.com/tmtl3
To find out more visit http://inspirenshare.com/tmt
To find out more about inspireNshare visit http://inspirenshare.com
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