unlearning education erica mcwilliam schools moodle moot, 2012, brisbane girls grammar school, 12...

Unlearning Education Unlearning Education

Erica McWilliamErica McWilliam

Schools Moodle Moot, 2012, Brisbane Girls Grammar School, 12 April, 2012Schools Moodle Moot, 2012, Brisbane Girls Grammar School, 12 April, 2012

Unlearning

   “What holds people back from taking risks is often as not …their knowledge, not their ignorance”. 

Charles Leadbeater

1. The future isn’t what it used to be.

Data Transformation: the 4 Data Transformation: the 4 Vs Vs

VolumeVolume

VarietyVariety

VelocityVelocity

VeracityVeracity

Cultural TransformationsCultural Transformations

ConnectednessConnectedness

Generational Change in the Generational Change in the WorkplaceWorkplace:

New Power Plays New Power Plays - - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo

Mistrust Mistrust

Moral-ethical issues Moral-ethical issues

2. We cannot teach kids 2. We cannot teach kids what they will need to what they will need to

know.know.

3. Learning & 3. Learning & unlearning matter more unlearning matter more

than knowing.than knowing.

Myth Reality

Flash of insight Comes from immersionBrilliant idea Fail often but earlyIndividualistic CollaborativeNew knowledge Admitting ignoranceInvention Mostly developmentOriginality BorrowingLook to the future Look sideways and backwardsAll about learning Unlearning just as vital as learningInternal R & D Networked, open innovationProduct pipeline Consumers as innovators (prod-

users)

Unlearning Unlearning Innovation Innovation

Source: Charlie Leadbeater

Myth Reality

Flash of insight Comes from immersionBrilliant idea Fail often but earlyIndividualistic CollaborativeNew knowledge Admitting ignoranceInvention Mostly development

Originality Borrowing

Look to the future Look sideways and backwardsAll about learning Unlearning just as vital as learningInternal R & D Networked, open innovationProduct pipeline Consumers as innovators (prod-

users)

Unlearning Unlearning Innovation Innovation

Source: Charlie Leadbeater

4. The cafe, not the school, is 4. The cafe, not the school, is the proper antecedent of the proper antecedent of

lifelong learning. lifelong learning.

The Penny Conference The Penny Conference 20122012

    http://www.skillshare.com/penny#/about

In the 18th century … coffee houses were known as Penny Universities. For a mere penny, people entered a communal space overflowing with ideas, literature, intellectual conversations and inspired debates. Here, men and women came to improve their minds, challenge their mindsets, and build a roadmap for change.

Penny Conference Agenda

• Together, we’ll answer one simple question… if we had to re-invent education from the ground-up for the 21st century, what would it look like and how can we create that future together?

• Conversations and debates are highly encouraged. Action is required. Join us to create a roadmap that will change the way our kids’ kids’ kids will learn.

5. Self-managers with 5. Self-managers with powerful learning powerful learning

portfolios trump those portfolios trump those who rely solely on who rely solely on

credentialscredentials

From Pyramid to From Pyramid to NetworkNetwork

Command and Control

Value Networks

Epistemological agilityEpistemological agility

“The capacity for moving seamlessly across disparate knowledge domains in ways that make for better living, learning and earning”

Involves: • The ability to select, re-shuffle, combine, or synthesise already existing 

facts, ideas, and skills in original ways through skills like pattern recognition, creation of analogies and mental models, the ability to cross domains, the exploration of alternatives, knowledge of schema for problem-solving and fluency of thought 

• ‘Knowing what to do when you don’t know what to do’ (useful ignorance)

• Learning from the instructive complications of error-making

• Anticipating the pleasure of the rigour of trans-disciplinary thinking

6. Distractibility is a boon 6. Distractibility is a boon to learning, not a mental to learning, not a mental

illness illness

7. Effective pedagogy exploits 7. Effective pedagogy exploits the productive tension the productive tension

between intentionality and between intentionality and distractibility.distractibility.

sage on the stage

guide on the side

meddler in the middle

Unlearning how to teachUnlearning how to teach

7 Propositions

• The future isn’t what it used to be.• We cannot teach kids what they will need to know.We cannot teach kids what they will need to know.• Learning & unlearning matter more than knowing.Learning & unlearning matter more than knowing.• The cafe, not the school, is the proper antecedent The cafe, not the school, is the proper antecedent

of lifelong learning.of lifelong learning.• Self-managers with powerful learning portfolios Self-managers with powerful learning portfolios

trump those who rely solely on credentials.trump those who rely solely on credentials.• Distractability is a boon to learning, not a mental Distractability is a boon to learning, not a mental

illness.illness.• Effective pedagogy exploits the productive tension Effective pedagogy exploits the productive tension

between intentionality and distractability. between intentionality and distractability.

Contact email: Contact email: e.mcwilliam@qut.edu.au