It is often said that “the future is not what it use to be.” In this information-driven, technology-rich world, where jobs are created and become obsolete in only a few years, preparing our children for a future that we can not even imagine has become one of our society’s greatest challenges.There are many barriers that prevent us from retooling our classrooms for 21st century teaching and learning. But at the core are the “stories” about education that we share. Most adults base their images of schooling on their education experiences from 20, 30, or 40 years ago. It is a story that is etched almost indelibly by years of being taught in isolated, assembly-line classrooms.

Our classrooms — what they look like, how the furniture is arranged, what teachers and students do, what is taught, how it is taught, and why — are all modeled after old and outdated stories that are still being told by our culture. We must change these stories and tell new ones, based on a new world, an unpredictable future, almost unlimited opportunities, a new kind of student, and compelling new learning experiences that have never been possible before.

This engaging presentation will inspire educators to craft and tell new stories. It will provoke visions of a new kind of classroom based on a new information environment, because only with visions of classrooms that are so irresistible that they will wipe out the old images, will we be able to reform education for the 21st century. [photo ((Evans, Steve. “The Storyteller.” Babasteve’s Photostream. 13 Jun 2006. 17 Mar 2008 http://flickr.com/photos/babasteve/166870759/.))]

Alternative Description
It is often said that “the future is not what it use to be.” In this information-driven, technology-rich world, where jobs appear and become obsolete in only a few years, it is certainly not your father’s future any more.

Retooling our classrooms into learning spaces that effectively prepare our children for a future of infinite opportunity will require a new story about teaching and learning. It must be a story that is so compelling that we forget about our childhood student experiences from decades ago and agree that a different kind of classroom, teaching, and learning experience is required and deserved by our children.

Join 30 year educator, David Warlick, as he maps out a story that addresses the market place (a global market) and resonates with deeply held values (our children and their future), and points to learning places and learning experiences that are preparing children to become inventive and resourceful life long learners, ready to harness their unpredictable future.

Alternative Titles

• Leading Education into a New Century: Telling the New Story
• Reinventing & Retelling the Education Story

This presentation has been reshaped into a new keynote address, Our Students • Our Worlds. The structure and content are almost identical, except that the storytelling focus has been removed. The new address can be extended to include that focus, and this presentation is still available if wanted.