As a part of the C21 mission to expand its national network we are pleased to announce our newest board member Naomi Johnson, Calgary Board of Education’s Chief Superintendent of Schools.

We would like to thank Warren Jestin, Senior Vice-President & Chief Economist at Scotiabank, for generously sponsoring and supporting C21 Canada.

NoamiJohnsonSmaller WarrenJestin

From left to right: Naomi Johnson, Calgary Board of Education’s Chief Superintendent of Schools
Warren Jestin, Senior Vice-President & Chief Economist at Scotiabank

 

By John Kershaw, President of C21 Canada and the former Deputy Minister of Education for New Brunswick.

There is an intriguing scene in the movie ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ where the lead agent on the hunt for Osama Bin Laden decries the lack of action  by writing the number of days passing by on her manager’s office window. As we enter the 2013-2014 school year that specific scene reminds me of the pace of Canada’s efforts to offer Canadian learners a modern education experience relevant to their 21st century requirements.

Well, take note. On October 8, 2013 the OECD will be writing on Canada’s window. On that date the OECD will release the results of their international survey on “adult competencies.” The Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies will provide an unprecedented glimpse into whether the participating countries and their respective learning systems are equipping their citizens with the competencies and skills they need for success in the 21st Century.

Allow me to offer two insights into what this inaugural international survey may mean for Canada.

First, it is safe to predict that the OECD findings will focus on literacy, but Canadians should not be surprised if the OECD’s definition of literacy differs greatly from the historical “ability to read”. In the knowledge era “literacy” means the ability to access, filter, digest, critically analyze, and create new knowledge from the information gleaned. The ability to be creative, innovative, collaborative and a critical thinker will likely also be referenced in this context. Furthermore, the OECD will include the capacity to use technology in this process.  C21 Canada is an education and business partnership advocating for Canada to modernize its learning systems to in part address this new literacy reality, and we are pleased to be witnessing pockets of  progress. However, the PIAAC results are anticipated to underscore the need for Canada to act more urgently on this front.

Second, the PIAAC findings will land in the midst of the growing debate on skills in this country. C21 Canada welcomes the focus on skills development because in today’s innovation driven world  highly skilled people are the new economic and social drivers.
As the “skills gap” gains public and political attention, virtually every economic and education organization is shifting their focus on the issue. The PIAAC findings will offer comprehensive data to augment the national discourse on this important topic.  What Canada needs however is a “coordinated” effort. We need federal and provincial agencies responsible for education and skills development to take the reins and coordinate Canada’s response. Most importantly, we need to look beyond the current “gap debate” and identify strategies and solutions for positioning Canadians and Canada for success in the future.

Perhaps most importantly we must understand that what happens in public education ultimately translates into “adult competencies” and “adult competencies” translates into “Canada’s human capital” and “Canada’s human capital” means our nation’s ability to fuel economic and social progress. Canada’s future success therefore is hugely dependent on connecting the dots and modernizing our public learning systems to the realities of the knowledge and digital age.

This fall, the Minister of Education for Alberta takes over the reins of the Council of Ministers of Education Canada (CMEC). Alberta is arguably Canada’s foremost leader in transforming its education system to a 21st Century model of learning, and we hope the Honourable Jeff Johnson will infuse CMEC with the same spirit of leadership on this front. For example, infusing 21st century learning principles into CMEC’s Learn Canada 2020 strategy would be a significant show of national leadership.

As the OECD “writes on Canada’s window”, C21 Canada for one will be writing on Minister Johnson’s window and offering him support as he guides CMEC’s efforts toward modernizing Canada’s education systems and designing a pan-Canadian skills agenda for the 21st Century.

MohawkCollege “Your Shifting Minds document was extremely helpful to us as we developed Mohawk College’s Institutional Learning Outcomes. “A Mohawk College graduate will be an effective communicator; a productive collaborator; a critical thinker capable of problem solving; a responsible global citizen; and, possess the skills to become a lifelong learner.”  We would like to support the ongoing work of Canadians for 21st Century Learning & Innovation – tell us how.

                                                                            -Valerie Parke, Academic Plan Project Manager, Mohawk College

 

Skills-Gap-picBy John Kershaw, President of C21 Canada and the former Deputy Minister of Education for New Brunswick.

Canada has one of the best public education systems in the world. Why, then, do we have a skills gap issue in this country?  And what is the relevance for WGSI‘s upcoming Equinox Summit: Learning 2030?

In its most recent budget, Canada’s federal government targeted the skills gap. It is also a growing concern for organizations such as the Canadian Chambers of Commerce and the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.

Canadians’ ability to address the issue will determine our place in the global marketplace and our role in resolving some of the social and environmental challenges facing our planet.

Despite its growing public profile, few fully understand the nature and scope of the issue.

As Learning 2030 gets ready to convene a global group of young learners and future leaders, here are some thoughts to provoke their thinking.

Read more here.

 

Chris Whittaker is presented the Shifting Minds Award by John Kershaw

Chris Whittaker is presented the Shifting Minds Award by John Kershaw 

On June 11, 2013 C21 Canada presented Chris Whittaker of Dawson College with a Shifting Minds National Award for distinctive achievement in the field of 21st Century learning and innovation. C21 Canada’s Shifting Minds awards are presented to recognize the work of individuals and organizations in advancing 21st century models of learning in Canada consistent with C21 Canada’s vision and framework document, Shifting Minds (see wwww.c21canada.org).   In presenting the award, C21 Canada’s President John Kershaw highlighted Chris Whittaker’s accomplishments in advancing 21st century models of learning and teaching in the field of physics, through the pursuit of creative and student-centred pedagogies and the design of innovative learning environments. The award was presented at the SALTISE conference at Dawson College, in front of a number of Chris Whittaker’s colleagues and peers.

Chris has been a physics teacher at Dawson College for over 15 years. According to his colleagues, what makes Chris special are 4 distinctive qualities:

  • His ongoing efforts to improve his students’ learning.
  • His continuing commitment to improving his teaching practice.
  • His commitment to advance the field of physics education through research and innovation.
  • His mentoring activities related to his colleagues.

The focus of Chris’s teaching is the creation of appropriate learning activities and environments.  He designs activities to engage students from both a conceptual and problem solving perspective. He develops learning activities that keep the individual student in mind while leveraging the benefits of collaborative engagement of peers. He leaves room for his students to have fun and see the beauty in learning physics. His students say that by sharing his many personal experiences he makes his teaching meaningful to them while also making him more approachable.

Perhaps the most important testimonials come from Chris’s students:

  • Chris cares that you do well as an individual. That you do well and succeed for yourself. He wants you to improve. It’s… the best feeling [for a student].
  •  Chris cares whether I pass or fail … He wants us to succeed as students. He doesn’t do all these examples in different ways and use all this technology… just for fun… I mean it is fun, but he does it so we can learn better, learn more and that’s great!
  • I think Chris reinforces critical thinking. With the way he does problems and all the examples he shows. I think he wants you to actually think and figure out what is going on which is why I think we do a lot of the examples without actual numbers.
  •  Chris just goes home and [seems to] spend his time trying to improve stuff that we didn’t understand. … That makes you want to learn.

Chris has played a major leadership role in designing two Active Learning Classrooms that integrate technology with teaching and learning.  A major consequence of his work has been to support his colleagues’ in engaging the Active learning Classroom model. In the process of doing so, Chris has been instrumental in creating a vibrant and growing community of practice among teachers who teach in these student centred and technology rich learning environments.

Chris’ reputation of being an exceptional teacher and innovator has spread beyond Quebec. Last summer he was asked to present his Active Learning Classroom initiative to students at the University of British Columbia. This fall he was recruited to prepare a series of workshops for the Engineering Faculty at McGill University who are promoting the use of active learning among their faculty members.

Chris Whittaker is clearly an innovator, a leader and a collaborator, three traits that have earned him recognition by others, and ones that C21 Canada also wished to acknowledge. C21 Canada is honoured to recognize a true leader and innovator in the field of education.