Seminar on Four-Dimensional Education

March 21-23, 2018   OR   May 2-4, 2018 (repeats)

REGISTER HERE for March 21-23 seminar

REGISTER HERE for May 2-4 seminar

On March 21-23, and May 2-4, 2018, the Center for Curriculum Redesign will offer again its acclaimed seminar “Four-Dimensional Education: Knowledge, Skills, Character, Meta-Learning” at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (room TBA).

This (updated) seminar will focus on new global concepts laid out in CCR’s book, “Four-Dimensional Education: The competencies learners need to succeed” which is based on synthesizing research, practice, policy, and insights from life/social needs to the employability to redesign the education. To date, the CCR framework has been translated in 14 languages, and is being used to stimulate transformative  actions in schools and jurisdictions around the world.

The last major changes to curriculum took place in the late 1800’s as a response to the sudden growth in societal and human capital needs. However, the 21st century bears little resemblance to the 19th century, so curricula need to be deeply redesigned. Education must curate its curricula and focus on what is most important in an age of algorithms (search, Artificial Intelligence, etc.), to educate a “whole child for a whole world”.

You will learn about emergent and future needs, and new imperatives to teach and develop the four dimensions of a 21st century education: Knowledge (modernized), Skills, Character and Meta-Learning.

The Seminar is designed to be an intense, hands-on workshop and therefore space is limited.

IDEAL FOR:

  • Directors of Curriculum and Learning, and their staff
  • Department heads and key teachers
  • High-level Administrators and their change management staff
OBJECTIVES:

  • Understand the complex future facing humanity and students caused by technological and human factors; rethink educational practices for a sustainable humanity and a new economy, in light of robotics/artificial intelligence, gene editing, etc.
  • Re-prioritize knowledge, skills, character and meta-learning in the curriculum, with a focus on *transfer and expertise*.
  • Delve deeper into specific knowledge facets that need to be rethought in schools: STEM, Humanities, Arts; essential content and core concepts; interdisciplinarity; major themes (global literacy, systems thinking etc.)
  • Rethink new approaches at the system and classroom levels for modern knowledge (entrepreneurship, wellness, robotics, etc.), themes (digital literacy, global literacy, information literacy, etc.), and interdisciplinarity; skills (creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration), character (aka SEL: Mindfulness, Curiosity, Courage, Resilience, Ethics, Leadership) and Meta-Learning (Growth mindset and Metacognition)
  • Develop an action plan for your school to make education more relevant, and your offering more impactful, attractive and competitive.

FORMAT

Active participation is expected throughout this seminar. Ample time will be devoted to group activities particularly on Days 2-3, for a judicious blend between didactic and constructivist approaches.

SCHEDULE

Wednesday March 21 or May 2:

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm:  Registration, lunch, and introductions.

1:00 pm – 4:45 pm (breaks included):

The WHY of 4DEdu:

    • The World We Live In
    • Impact of Technology
    • Innovation in an age of A.I./Robotics
    • The role, goals, and challenges of K-12 Education
    • Overview of the Four-Dimensional Education framework
    • Zika example: matrixing Knowledge with Skills, Character, Meta-Learning

Thursday March 22 or May 3: (after breakfast; coffee/tea/cookies available, including during breaks)

8:30 am – 4:45 pm (breaks and lunch included):

The WHAT of 4DEdu – hands-on guided and shared work (bring your examples to analyze and discuss)

  • Transfer as a deliberate goal – why and how.
  • Modernizing traditional Knowledge and disciplines: What are essential content + core concepts?
  • Infusing the other 3 dimensions – when and how, appropriately?
  • Making connections in the curriculum – deliberately, comprehensively, systematically, demonstrably.

Friday March 23 or May 4: (after breakfast; coffee/tea/cookies available, including during breaks)

8:30 am – 2:00 pm (breaks and lunch included):

The HOW of 4DEdu:  guided and shared group work

  • Change management processes: your strategy for your school
  • Implementations so far, and next steps

ABOUT THE SEMINAR*

This Center for Curriculum Redesign seminar will be led by Charles Fadel and Maya Bialik (see bios on team page). The program is designed to help individuals and school teams rethink and learn how to redesign curricula for the modern age.  Cost of the seminar is $895pp. There is a 10% discount for teams of 5 participants or more – please enter code: 5PLS10PCTOFF

REGISTER HERE for March 21-23

REGISTER HERE for May 2-4

All sessions will take place at the Gutman Library 13 Appian Way in Cambridge MA, at the Harvard* Graduate School of Education. Lunches and refreshments, as well as course materials including a copy of “Four-Dimensional Education”, are provided.

* this seminar is not associated with Harvard University’s offerings.