Youth Futures:Youth Futures:Leapfrogging from Century 18 Leapfrogging from Century 18

to Century 21to Century 21

Youth Futures:Youth Futures:Leapfrogging from Century 18 Leapfrogging from Century 18

to Century 21to Century 21For:For:

GYPL Integrative SeminarGYPL Integrative Seminar03 November 0703 November 07Arthur HarkinsArthur HarkinsJohn MoravecJohn Moravec

The New Context Paradigm

• Increasing importance of creative human capital

• Increasing rates of change• Increasingly inaccurate predictions• Increasing need to create preferred

futures• Increasing sense that kids must share

creation of new futures with adults

…also…• Today’s kids participate in an

increasingly globalized world• Industrial society has given way to

the knowledge-based society …which is already starting to

transition to an innovation and creativity society

Which paradigm do we Which paradigm do we place our kids in?place our kids in?

First Proposition Set• Kids are vastly under-utilized as human capital• Kids can be brought into full relationship with the

exploding knowledge/innovation economy• Advanced educational technology will be required• “New” Workforce incorporating kids will be more

creative and much larger than present workforce• “Shadow Schools” are one approach to the re-

integration of children, adults, and the economy

Legacy: USA Century 18

• Farming/agriculture economy• Family based enterprises• Kids learned at home• Kids worked at home• Kids were engaged cross-generationally• Adults could learn from kids• Kids contributed at all economic levels

Legacy: USA Centuries Late 19th- Mid-20th

• Industrial economy• Job/wage/salary based enterprises• Kids learned increasingly at schools• Kids worked at low level, sometimes

dangerous jobs• Kids were engaged cross-generationally as

chattel, hirelings, or de facto (and de jure) slaves

• Kids learned from adults within division of age and labor formats

• Kids still contributed at all economic levels

Lasting Legacy Effects: USA Century 21

• Emerging knowledge/innovation economy is stunted• Integrated activities between adults/kids are highly

limited• Kids and adults learn less and less from each other• Adults anxious about/fear learning from kids• Kids separated from adults, following legacy industrial

economy model• Kids work mainly at menial tasks• Kids still contribute to all economic levels, but at far

lower levels than possible, feasible, and desirable

Moving from Legacy Millstones to New Futures

Leapfrogging…• means leadership rather than catching

up.• means using advanced (wireless)

technologies to assist students and teachers

• technologies permit moving from memorization to creative and innovative knowledge production

“New” Workforce Effects: USA Century 21 -

Leapfrog• Emerging knowledge/innovation economy can get a

quantum boost• Integrated activities can partner kids with adults• Adults are eager to learn from kids• Kids and adults learn more about each other• Kids and adults partner and collaborate, teaching to

and learning from each other• Kids work increasingly at creative tasks • Kids still contribute to all economic levels, but with

better distribution of effort than in the past

What’s it Going to Take?

• Voluntary establishment of “Shadow Schools”

• Voluntary participation by kids and adults

• Screened volunteers representing retired staff, graduate students, professionals, etc.

• Donations and grants for insurance costs, food, transportation

What Should be Avoided?

• Pressures on NCLB-strapped teachers• Pressures on adults and kids to

participate• Competition with legacy school functions

and personnel• Race, class, and attitude challenges• Low expectations and standards• Undue fanfare

What Should be Sought?

(Leapfrog!)• Top-flight volunteers from all

appropriate sectors• Use of latest technologies, including

Beta devices and software from partnering companies

• Excellent Web connectivity among Shadow Schools

• Collaborative relationships with similar schools in the US and abroad

Second Proposition Set• Mirror the creative workforce first and

foremost• Functionality first and foremost• Technology supports reliable

functionality• Every kid and adult a Creative• Every kid and adult an Innovator• NO FAILURES• Global leadership from Day 1

What is Our Role Today?

• Discuss merits/problems• Discuss enhancements• Discuss alternatives• Discuss implementation scenarios• Discuss early planning options• Discuss involvement of school partners• Discuss involvement of industry, business partners• Discuss involvement of technology collaborators• Discuss help from funding sources for insurance, food,

transportation

Some Questions• Is “Shadow Schools” the right language?• How about “Innovation Institutes” (or

“Creativity Labs” or “Creativity Centers”)?• Can/should the U of M and other colleges

get involved as collaborators?• Should a Web entity be established for

creativity and innovation among kids/adults and their collaborators?

Which Would You Rather See in the Next

5 Years?• Kids starting corporations with adults or

kids learning to despise “smart people?”• Kids working for Microsoft and Google or

kids running drugs?• Kids looking forward to exciting futures

or kids awaiting death or prison?• Kids who can change the world for the

better or kids dismissed by the world?

Responses – Fire Away!!