In order to reflect the globally connected economy, educators need to develop innovative approaches to learning, Jaime Casap, chief education evangelist at Google, has said.
Speaking at a panel discussion at the Wharton-QS Stars Reimagine Education conference last month held in Philadelphia, Casap told delegates: “What I call for more than anything is a shift to think about education from an iteration and an innovation perspective.”
“I think the first thing we can start with is stop asking and stop doing the same things that we currently do”
“I think the first thing we can start with is stop asking and stop doing the same things that we currently do and trying to get, for example, technology to fit in our protocol, and instead figure out what do we do with technology to expand what we do,” he observed.
He shared a passion for global experiences shaping learning, and underlined that the globalised, knowledge-based economy is driving the need for a change in attitudes to what and how we teach.
“There’s still parts of the world that are very industrial-based,” he continued. “But in large chunks of the world what we’re facing is a globally connected, network-based, knowledge-based economy, and our education system has to reflect that.”
Speaking later with The PIE News, Casap emphasised that value of an international insight as well as nimble mindset, sharing that his daughter is about to spend six months in Argentina.
“The idea that you can go and visit other countries and get ideas and see what is going on and then be able to take those ideas and implement them in your space is absolutely critical,” he explained. “There are some great ideas not just in your community but all over the world.”
But, he added, there is no global solution to bring innovation to the field of education. “What works in one school might not necessarily work in another school. You have to take cultural influences into consideration,” he concluded.
The Reimagine Education conference and awards ceremony, which was attended by 350 delegates from 31 different countries, showcased and celebrated innovative projects in the field of education.
Delegates also spoke about the need for more collaboration, endorsing knowledge sharing in the classroom.
Read our full PIE Chat with Jaime Casap here.
