WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.330 Hello and welcome back to another episode of Blooming Curious. 00:00:03.359 --> 00:00:07.039 Can you believe that today is episode 50? 00:00:07.479 --> 00:00:13.190 I have shown up here every single week for the past 50 weeks to serve you, my 00:00:13.190 --> 00:00:17.090 dear listener and hopefully you receive some value hanging out here with me. 00:00:17.539 --> 00:00:22.659 If this podcast has given you something to think or wonder about, then why 00:00:22.659 --> 00:00:27.100 not Let others know by writing a review and clicking the share button 00:00:27.400 --> 00:00:28.900 and share it with someone you know. 00:00:29.400 --> 00:00:32.260 That will really help to spread the message. 00:00:32.970 --> 00:00:36.199 Today I want to talk about trends in education. 00:00:36.209 --> 00:00:39.410 We are hurtling towards the close of 2024. 00:00:39.449 --> 00:00:40.209 Can you believe it? 00:00:40.260 --> 00:00:43.380 And of course, all over the internet, I have been seeing trends. 00:00:43.380 --> 00:00:47.850 Things that experts are predicting for the future of education. 00:00:48.544 --> 00:00:51.415 And let me just add here what I think about trends. 00:00:51.955 --> 00:00:54.805 Trends are just that, they're just trends. 00:00:54.815 --> 00:00:58.395 It's the latest and greatest and most fashionable thing right now, 00:00:58.425 --> 00:01:01.844 and sometimes people get on the bandwagon and sometimes they don't. 00:01:02.464 --> 00:01:05.515 And before you know it, very often the trend passes. 00:01:05.565 --> 00:01:08.024 It's a bit like shoulder pads or ripped jeans. 00:01:08.024 --> 00:01:11.424 Across the board, there are a few trends that I have seen several 00:01:11.424 --> 00:01:15.034 sites mention, and so perhaps they will be the trends that stick. 00:01:15.334 --> 00:01:16.474 Only time will tell. 00:01:17.114 --> 00:01:20.824 I've been looking at these trends and curated what I think are 00:01:20.824 --> 00:01:25.774 the five most important trends going into 2025 and beyond. 00:01:26.834 --> 00:01:29.904 Number one, virtual and online learning. 00:01:31.129 --> 00:01:35.269 In an article in Forbes magazine, they predict that brick and mortar schools 00:01:35.269 --> 00:01:41.219 will stay, but that by 2035, so that's in 10 years time, online virtual 00:01:41.219 --> 00:01:45.519 schooling will be well established for those that either cannot or don't want 00:01:45.559 --> 00:01:47.659 to attend actual school buildings. 00:01:48.429 --> 00:01:53.249 And as technologies continue, to become more sophisticated, it'll 00:01:53.249 --> 00:01:57.189 be pretty easy for children and adults to engage in online learning. 00:01:57.209 --> 00:02:01.269 And of course, virtual learning will include learning through augmented 00:02:01.374 --> 00:02:05.194 reality and virtual reality, and this will mean that students can 00:02:05.194 --> 00:02:09.054 have experiences like virtual field trips and simulating experiments. 00:02:09.704 --> 00:02:13.084 And one of the benefits of online and virtual learning is that it makes 00:02:13.084 --> 00:02:17.674 learning accessible to just about everyone, provided you actually have 00:02:17.684 --> 00:02:19.654 a internet connection, of course. 00:02:20.244 --> 00:02:24.164 And technology also makes it easier for learners with diverse needs 00:02:24.164 --> 00:02:29.314 to access education and learning that actually suits their needs. 00:02:30.134 --> 00:02:33.534 And honestly, I think that COVID really started this 00:02:33.614 --> 00:02:35.994 shift and it's not going away. 00:02:36.724 --> 00:02:41.814 More and more of us are engaged in online learning, which we can do from 00:02:41.814 --> 00:02:43.564 the comfort of our very own homes. 00:02:44.154 --> 00:02:46.354 Of course, with an increase in technology. 00:02:47.274 --> 00:02:54.364 comes the increase in social isolation, not to mention an increase in mental 00:02:54.364 --> 00:02:59.404 health concerns and negative behavior, which we're seeing in children as a 00:02:59.404 --> 00:03:03.944 result of screen addiction and the impact of too much screen time on the 00:03:03.944 --> 00:03:05.914 developing brains of young children. 00:03:06.624 --> 00:03:11.714 And I think that having access to really good online and virtual learning is 00:03:11.714 --> 00:03:16.614 amazing for children and adults, but we must make a distinction as parents 00:03:16.614 --> 00:03:21.689 and teachers that Online learning and simply spending mindless hours 00:03:21.719 --> 00:03:26.919 either scrolling, surfing or gaming online is really not the same thing. 00:03:27.929 --> 00:03:32.409 I would really encourage teachers and parents to put some serious limits 00:03:32.409 --> 00:03:36.549 on the use of technology by children whose brains are still developing. 00:03:36.949 --> 00:03:41.419 We will need to ask ourselves who this really is for. 00:03:42.049 --> 00:03:46.109 Who is benefiting from having a device in a child's hands? 00:03:46.509 --> 00:03:49.439 Because I would argue that most of the time, the child is 00:03:49.439 --> 00:03:52.189 not in fact benefiting at all. 00:03:52.559 --> 00:03:55.779 I know that many people don't agree with me, and that's okay, 00:03:56.029 --> 00:03:57.549 but the proof is in the pudding. 00:03:57.999 --> 00:04:03.659 The increased time and access that children are having to electronic devices 00:04:03.819 --> 00:04:07.109 is in fact not doing them any favours. 00:04:07.669 --> 00:04:12.879 So I think the one trend that we will see increasing is poor mental health 00:04:13.139 --> 00:04:15.549 and a decline in children's curiosity. 00:04:16.299 --> 00:04:21.069 And personally, if schools really want to be trendsetters and be looking 00:04:21.069 --> 00:04:26.794 towards the future, I I would say be brave enough to buck the trend and do 00:04:26.824 --> 00:04:31.944 what is right for our children, give them more time to play outdoors, focus 00:04:31.944 --> 00:04:35.974 on teaching them life skills, to be curious, to be creative, and to be able 00:04:35.974 --> 00:04:40.674 to problem solve and to read and write and do arithmetic with confidence. 00:04:41.164 --> 00:04:46.144 Getting back to basics and giving children that basic level of respect 00:04:46.464 --> 00:04:50.704 to do what is right for them should be embedded in everything we do, 00:04:51.325 --> 00:04:53.795 despite what the latest trend is. 00:04:54.965 --> 00:04:57.275 Number two is artificial intelligence. 00:04:57.445 --> 00:05:00.545 I really think that artificial intelligence is going to 00:05:00.545 --> 00:05:02.615 make a teacher's life easier. 00:05:03.295 --> 00:05:07.815 When it comes to lesson planning, differentiating for different needs 00:05:07.965 --> 00:05:10.035 in our classrooms and for assessment. 00:05:10.565 --> 00:05:16.530 Already we have such tools like Lexia, for example, which I've used in my 00:05:16.530 --> 00:05:19.840 very own classroom, which targets the needs of individual students. 00:05:20.670 --> 00:05:25.500 And as a teacher, you can go in and you can see which part of the language and 00:05:25.500 --> 00:05:27.610 text students really struggled with. 00:05:28.030 --> 00:05:32.780 And then you can actually give them mini lessons that you can teach in small groups 00:05:32.870 --> 00:05:35.040 of children who have those similar needs. 00:05:35.420 --> 00:05:38.550 There are lots of other programs that do similar things for teachers like 00:05:38.570 --> 00:05:45.610 Toddle, AI that provides personalized learning for students and provides 00:05:45.610 --> 00:05:47.089 teachers with tools for learning. 00:05:47.090 --> 00:05:52.240 they need not just to provide targeted learning experiences for children's 00:05:52.240 --> 00:05:56.700 specific learning needs, but also to help them get their admin done 00:05:57.080 --> 00:06:00.910 in a faster and more productive manner will be very welcome. 00:06:01.180 --> 00:06:04.500 And my guess is that AI is here to stay. 00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:10.870 Number three is a shift towards non traditional models of schooling. 00:06:11.570 --> 00:06:15.170 You no longer just have a choice of sending your kid to either a 00:06:15.170 --> 00:06:17.090 public school or a private school. 00:06:18.670 --> 00:06:23.090 We have non traditional schools like the Montessori and Waldorf and green 00:06:23.090 --> 00:06:26.370 schools, and you have homeschooling, and you have micro schooling. 00:06:27.180 --> 00:06:31.330 Micro schooling is actually a really interesting model where up to 10 kids 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:35.870 learn together in a way that is so much more innovative, it's personal, 00:06:35.940 --> 00:06:40.380 it's flexible, with a goal of nurturing a love of learning in children. 00:06:41.050 --> 00:06:46.730 These types of models also focus on shorter bite sized lessons which improve 00:06:46.750 --> 00:06:52.000 comprehension and understanding and help kids better retain information. 00:06:52.610 --> 00:06:56.520 They move at a slower pace without the constant pressure 00:06:56.750 --> 00:06:58.160 of that heavy curriculum. 00:06:58.970 --> 00:07:03.080 These alternative models of education are growing at a rapid rate. 00:07:03.170 --> 00:07:07.770 In Australia alone, homeschooling is the fastest growing education 00:07:07.770 --> 00:07:09.440 demographic in the country. 00:07:10.150 --> 00:07:14.320 In the US, the latest figures show that there are 3. 00:07:14.320 --> 00:07:16.500 7 million homeschooled children. 00:07:17.250 --> 00:07:20.190 I think it's safe to say that this is an upward trend. 00:07:21.200 --> 00:07:25.800 The whole one model for all is no longer viable. 00:07:26.360 --> 00:07:29.400 Teachers have to plan for individualized learning. 00:07:29.760 --> 00:07:33.980 This is one of those areas that makes teaching so demanding. 00:07:34.490 --> 00:07:38.860 Can you imagine planning for 25 different learning experiences in a class? 00:07:39.460 --> 00:07:43.220 It's not sustainable and it's no wonder that there's burnout. 00:07:43.970 --> 00:07:49.920 This is why non traditional pedagogies like project and inquiry based learning 00:07:49.960 --> 00:07:54.409 are so great because they allow students to learn what they're interested in, 00:07:55.090 --> 00:07:57.790 to an extent and at their own pace. 00:07:58.390 --> 00:08:03.520 I created a resource that breaks down in simple steps how teachers 00:08:03.520 --> 00:08:08.600 can integrate curiosity inspired lessons into their existing lessons. 00:08:08.970 --> 00:08:10.340 If you go to resources. 00:08:11.020 --> 00:08:11.180 bloomingcurious. 00:08:12.020 --> 00:08:15.080 com forward slash inquiry underscore one on one. 00:08:15.150 --> 00:08:18.000 I'll leave a link for you in the show notes to get your free guide there. 00:08:19.430 --> 00:08:25.130 If traditional schools want to hold on to student numbers, then they will have to 00:08:25.130 --> 00:08:30.660 seriously rethink not just what they're teaching in terms of content, but also 00:08:30.660 --> 00:08:32.770 how they are delivering that content. 00:08:33.180 --> 00:08:37.960 Schools that are brave enough to move towards more flexible models that perhaps 00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:42.990 align with real world experiences in terms of partnering with businesses in the local 00:08:42.990 --> 00:08:47.350 community and providing opportunities for students to learn outdoors. 00:08:48.115 --> 00:08:53.155 And really value play, which is one of the reasons really why homeschooling 00:08:53.155 --> 00:08:58.565 is on the rise, is because parents want greater flexibility and they want their 00:08:58.565 --> 00:09:00.725 children to play outdoors in nature. 00:09:01.265 --> 00:09:04.885 And we also need things like future learning with things like coding. 00:09:06.505 --> 00:09:10.215 Number four is retaining teachers and preventing burnout. 00:09:10.905 --> 00:09:15.655 Teachers are leaving education at unprecedented rates for a variety 00:09:15.655 --> 00:09:21.095 of reasons and the trend is between 25 and 35 percent of teachers are 00:09:21.115 --> 00:09:26.195 leaving over five years and typically roughly half of new teachers 00:09:26.355 --> 00:09:28.205 leave within the first five years. 00:09:29.045 --> 00:09:32.675 In order to retain teachers, schools will need to do more. 00:09:33.275 --> 00:09:37.265 And the answer really lies in schools doing more to provide 00:09:37.265 --> 00:09:42.615 teachers with the support they need and to feel empowered and valued. 00:09:43.375 --> 00:09:46.245 Schools can do this in three different ways. 00:09:47.095 --> 00:09:52.475 Firstly, by not overburdening teachers with workloads that do not add to 00:09:52.525 --> 00:09:54.605 any student learning and achievement. 00:09:55.185 --> 00:09:59.615 Paper trail to keep track on teachers really isn't making the best use of their 00:09:59.615 --> 00:10:04.815 professional expertise and it simply adds to the already massive workload. 00:10:05.215 --> 00:10:09.595 So perhaps investing in those AI models that can help teachers reduce their 00:10:09.745 --> 00:10:11.985 workload, that might be the answer. 00:10:12.965 --> 00:10:18.545 Secondly, giving teachers autonomy to use the strategies that they 00:10:18.545 --> 00:10:21.095 know is best for student engagement. 00:10:21.595 --> 00:10:24.245 This is one of the reasons I started Blooming Curious and 00:10:24.245 --> 00:10:27.385 resources for teachers around curiosity inspired learning. 00:10:27.855 --> 00:10:32.395 Lucky for me, I had a principal that recognized the impact that my teaching 00:10:32.395 --> 00:10:36.795 was making and because I saw how effective it was, I really wanted more 00:10:36.795 --> 00:10:38.745 teachers and students to experience that. 00:10:39.095 --> 00:10:43.580 So I created this guide to help educators integrate this methodology 00:10:43.660 --> 00:10:45.160 into their existing lessons. 00:10:45.780 --> 00:10:46.830 Just go to resources. 00:10:46.830 --> 00:10:47.760 bloomingcurious. 00:10:47.780 --> 00:10:52.050 com forward slash inquiry underscore one on one to download your free 00:10:52.060 --> 00:10:54.890 guide and I'll leave the link for you in the show notes so you don't 00:10:54.890 --> 00:10:56.350 have to worry about remembering it. 00:10:57.840 --> 00:11:01.080 Thirdly is providing teachers and educational assistants with the 00:11:01.080 --> 00:11:03.690 resources, the training and the support. 00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:08.280 That mean that teachers will feel more empowered and more valued. 00:11:08.640 --> 00:11:12.830 Investing in professional development for teachers and educational assistants 00:11:13.140 --> 00:11:17.670 is something that I spoke about in episode 46 as a result of that report 00:11:17.690 --> 00:11:23.010 that came out by Lego Education, where they found that the more engaged teachers 00:11:23.010 --> 00:11:25.260 were the more engaged students were. 00:11:25.590 --> 00:11:30.630 So it makes sense for schools to prioritize teacher engagement, support 00:11:30.750 --> 00:11:35.940 and professional development if they want engaged students and want to 00:11:35.940 --> 00:11:38.280 retain teachers in the profession. 00:11:39.290 --> 00:11:44.280 And number five is to focus on social and emotional learning. 00:11:44.340 --> 00:11:46.490 This is our fifth trend. 00:11:47.190 --> 00:11:51.560 As we all know, learning isn't any more just about academic results. 00:11:51.570 --> 00:11:54.090 Learning is about nurturing the whole child. 00:11:54.450 --> 00:11:59.000 Social emotional learning focuses on developing emotional intelligence 00:11:59.030 --> 00:12:01.640 and empathy and interpersonal skills. 00:12:02.310 --> 00:12:06.460 This type of learning is now part of schools' health curriculum. 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:09.610 Just another thing that teachers have to do. 00:12:10.340 --> 00:12:14.800 Teaching children how to resolve conflict, how to manage their emotions, being 00:12:14.830 --> 00:12:19.040 able to collaborate with others and take care of their own mental well being. 00:12:19.730 --> 00:12:24.875 The strange thing is that the more exposure and time children have on 00:12:24.985 --> 00:12:29.405 electronic devices, the more the need for social and emotional support. 00:12:30.015 --> 00:12:34.715 Going forward, this is something both parents and schools are going 00:12:34.715 --> 00:12:37.705 to have to take a long, hard look at. 00:12:38.215 --> 00:12:41.715 If we are going to continue with one on one iPad programs 00:12:41.715 --> 00:12:46.335 and an increased reliance on technology to complete lessons. 00:12:46.735 --> 00:12:51.065 Then let's face it, children aren't just using technology for learning. 00:12:51.135 --> 00:12:54.035 And this is of course, which leads to many other problems. 00:12:54.545 --> 00:12:58.155 Parents also have the job of policing time spent on devices. 00:12:58.175 --> 00:13:00.205 And let's be honest, how many do? 00:13:00.795 --> 00:13:01.935 I'll give you an example. 00:13:02.495 --> 00:13:06.975 A colleague of mine recently asked her class of 24 students, how 00:13:07.005 --> 00:13:12.960 many of their parents actually limited their time on devices. 00:13:13.710 --> 00:13:17.570 How many out of 24 do you think put their hands up? 00:13:18.410 --> 00:13:19.160 I'll let you know. 00:13:19.160 --> 00:13:20.050 Four. 00:13:20.050 --> 00:13:29.300 A whole four parents out of 24 families put limits on their children's iPad use. 00:13:29.790 --> 00:13:33.650 And then we wonder why our children have increased mental health issues, 00:13:33.950 --> 00:13:36.720 behavioral issues and problems with sleep. 00:13:37.815 --> 00:13:43.875 OK, so that's my curated version of the five education trends for the future. 00:13:43.875 --> 00:13:44.825 What do you think of them? 00:13:45.075 --> 00:13:45.585 Let me know. 00:13:46.185 --> 00:13:48.935 You can drop me a line at contact at bloomingcurious. 00:13:48.985 --> 00:13:52.595 com Listen, before I go, I want to ask that if you're a teacher in a 00:13:52.595 --> 00:13:56.375 non traditional setting or perhaps you're an expert in a particular 00:13:56.375 --> 00:14:00.475 field of education, I would love to chat to you on the podcast. 00:14:01.315 --> 00:14:06.045 If this is you, then also email me at contact at bloomingcurious. 00:14:06.085 --> 00:14:10.015 com and let's see if we can organize a chat on the podcast. 00:14:10.785 --> 00:14:13.695 Thanks so much for tuning in and spending this time with me. 00:14:13.745 --> 00:14:16.365 If you've got value here today, then please leave a review. 00:14:16.845 --> 00:14:20.715 And also don't forget to go to the show notes and download your free guide, how 00:14:20.715 --> 00:14:26.475 to integrate curiosity inspired learning into existing lessons with inquiry 101. 00:14:26.845 --> 00:14:27.965 Thanks again for being here. 00:14:27.995 --> 00:14:29.245 I'll see you again next week. 00:14:29.245 --> 00:14:30.415 Same time, same place. 00:14:30.455 --> 00:14:33.555 And until then, stay blooming curious.