Harnessing the Perfect Storm

Harnessing the Perfect Storm

The Future

For decades, education has been an easy institution to define. It consisted of acknowledged literacy skills, definable bodies of knowledge, and pedagogies for teaching willing students within information-scarce learning environments. Today, for the first time in decades, we are questioning our notions about teaching and learning as we adapt to a world that is changing faster than our ability to react. We are struggling to rethink what it is to be educated, to reinvent where it happens, and redefine our roles as educators — as the line between teacher and student appears to blur.
This presentation, by 30+ year educator, author, and technologist, David Warlick, will explore some of these changes and challenges and arrange them as a set of converging conditions that might actually hold the clues for redefining and retooling 21st century education.

For decades, education has been an easy institution to define. It consisted of acknowledged literacy skills, definable bodies of knowledge, and pedagogies for teaching willing students within information-scarce learning environments. Today, for the first time in decades, we are questioning our notions about teaching and learning as we adapt to a world that is changing faster than our ability to react. We are struggling to rethink what it is to be educated, to reinvent where and when it happens, and redefine our roles as educators — as the line between teacher and student blurs.

There is a new story to be told about education today, one that is simple but complete and that can be described during a typical elevator ride.  The story is a three bullet list that rises out of the perfect storm of converging conditions that are coming to define Learning 2.0.

This is one of my premium keynote addresses, geared principally for education leaders, but quite appropriate for all stakeholders. This presentation can also be expanded out into half- and full-day presentations, covering issues of learner characteristics and the new information landscape.

Alternative Titles:
Telling the New Story

Our Students • Our Worlds

Image Citation:
Darkmatter, “Back to the Future.” Darkmatter’s Photostream. 20 Oct 2005. 31 Aug 2007 .

My New Life

My Old Life

My New Book