Re-shaping education in the 21st Century

This was the starting point for a global education tour at an AmCham business breakfast with 42 participants on May 20, presented by Anthony Salcito, Microsoft’s Vice President for Worldwide Public Sector Education. Speaking on “Society version 2.0: Education, the foundation of tomorrow’s employees and employers”, Salcito claims the challenges are the same everywhere. “Leadership is unsure, but changes have to be visible. Teachers are just expected to figure it out, and some of them do. But the result is that excellence is produced in small pockets: next door to every model classroom is another classroom where ‘nothing much is happening’.”

Progress is being measured on three strategic thrusts. The first is transforming education, not through technology, but by shifting expectations and support.

“It’s very easy to give access to computers, but it doesn’t always lead to sustainable long-term change,” Salcito said.

As an example of long-term sustainable change, Salcito compared Singapore and Jamaica: “About 25 years ago these two countries had roughly the same GDP. Jamaica invested in its travel and tourism industry. Singapore supported education broadly and wholeheartedly. The differences are visible today.”

The second thrust is to foster local educational innovation and respect local needs and cultural standards. One size doesn’t fit all.

The third is to enable jobs and opportunities. In an educational context, this means connecting classroom lessons to skills and employment. Algebra, for example, is important for developing skills in abstract thinking. Explaining the relevance of classroom concepts to the real world is vital, especially for students from less privileged backgrounds.

Moreover, kids must start thinking early about careers, and Salcito cited many examples of emerging economies where students do make the connection between school learning and later success in life – and state it explicitly.

Where technology can and does make a difference is in fostering interaction and engagement in new ways. Video content is emerging as a key component in social networking and gaming, which in an educational setting produces engagement among students.

Microsoft supports an initiative called Assessment & Teaching of 21^st Century Skills (ATC21S), which focuses on four elements: ways of thinking, tools for working, ways of working, and ways of living.

Digital literacy is about learning to handle new tools, such as social computing, pervasive displays and ubiquitous connectivity. Content is becoming available everywhere and is becoming device-independent; cloud computing and more natural user interaction will make learning – and working – even more engaging.

As a final touch, Salcito let us know that “the next version of Microsoft Office will be built around the needs of students.”

Written exclusively for AmCham Sweden by Robbin Battison, Battison & Partners AB
Photos by Alexander Farnsworth