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Pushing the Limits: How Schools Can Prepare Our Children Today for the Challenges of Tomorrow
How do we preparechildren for a future we can't even imagine?
Across Canada, a debate swirls around what our children will need to know in the face of huge technological, economic, social and political change. The question has become an ideological battleground, and there is a hunger for a deeper understanding of what we should be doing to prepare children now for the challenges of the future. This timely, important book is an answer to that call.
In Pushing the Limits, Kelly Gallagher-Mackay and Nancy Steinhauer draw on their experiences as educational leaders to reveal that the schools of the future exist in the here and now. They introduce us to extraordinary Canadian public schools, deeply rooted in their communities, that are fostering innovators, nimble problem-solvers and engaged citizens, boosting math comprehension, cultivating creativity and using technology to broaden the parameters of learning. And they explore why the role of schools is expanding to nurture students' social-emotional skills and growth mindsets, and how vital this broader definition of education is to children's long-term health, happiness and success. This book provides a vision of what schooling can and should look like in our rapidly shifting world and explores how we--parents and teachers--can realize this vision together.
Across Canada, a debate swirls around what our children will need to know in the face of huge technological, economic, social and political change. The question has become an ideological battleground, and there is a hunger for a deeper understanding of what we should be doing to prepare children now for the challenges of the future. This timely, important book is an answer to that call.
In Pushing the Limits, Kelly Gallagher-Mackay and Nancy Steinhauer draw on their experiences as educational leaders to reveal that the schools of the future exist in the here and now. They introduce us to extraordinary Canadian public schools, deeply rooted in their communities, that are fostering innovators, nimble problem-solvers and engaged citizens, boosting math comprehension, cultivating creativity and using technology to broaden the parameters of learning. And they explore why the role of schools is expanding to nurture students' social-emotional skills and growth mindsets, and how vital this broader definition of education is to children's long-term health, happiness and success. This book provides a vision of what schooling can and should look like in our rapidly shifting world and explores how we--parents and teachers--can realize this vision together.
- GenresEducationNonfiction
272 pages, Hardcover
Published August 29, 2017
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56 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 24, 2020
Public schools in Canada are generally pretty good. They're not perfect of course, but Canada tends to perform well on most international measures of education, like the PISA assessments.
This book looks at ways that Canadian public schools could become even better. In general, the authors argue for higher expectations for all students, balancing the basics with creative and critical thinking, and encouraging schools to become community hubs. They support these arguments by examining schools and school boards across the country and describing successes. They also show that technology is not a magic bullet, and that even though integrated communities lead to big successes, getting everyone engaged can be a significant challenge.
It's nice to read about these things in a particularly Canadian context. For example, many schools in low income neighborhoods of Toronto with high numbers of newcomers have instituted medical, dental and vision clinics that serve whole families right in schools. The mechanics of this would be a lot different outside of Canada. In addition, the authors explore the work of the Mi'kmaw schools in Nova Scotia, and their work to increase outcomes by doing things like indigenizing their math curriculum.
One frustrating thing about many of these projects, and that the authors mostly acknowledge, is that many of these projects depend on motivated teachers, administrators, or occasionally, parents. Though they describe the success of instituting social and emotional learning into all Vancouver schools, innovative programs or practices are often driven the by skills, knowledge and passion of individuals. And though I agree that it would be ideal to stop streaming children and hold them to the same high expectations, this requires many extra supports, and funding these kinds of endeavours will always be a challenge.
Despite that, this is still an interesting and worthwhile read if you're interested in education policy and practice and Canada. There's a lot here to be excited about, and many practical lessons to take away.
This book looks at ways that Canadian public schools could become even better. In general, the authors argue for higher expectations for all students, balancing the basics with creative and critical thinking, and encouraging schools to become community hubs. They support these arguments by examining schools and school boards across the country and describing successes. They also show that technology is not a magic bullet, and that even though integrated communities lead to big successes, getting everyone engaged can be a significant challenge.
It's nice to read about these things in a particularly Canadian context. For example, many schools in low income neighborhoods of Toronto with high numbers of newcomers have instituted medical, dental and vision clinics that serve whole families right in schools. The mechanics of this would be a lot different outside of Canada. In addition, the authors explore the work of the Mi'kmaw schools in Nova Scotia, and their work to increase outcomes by doing things like indigenizing their math curriculum.
One frustrating thing about many of these projects, and that the authors mostly acknowledge, is that many of these projects depend on motivated teachers, administrators, or occasionally, parents. Though they describe the success of instituting social and emotional learning into all Vancouver schools, innovative programs or practices are often driven the by skills, knowledge and passion of individuals. And though I agree that it would be ideal to stop streaming children and hold them to the same high expectations, this requires many extra supports, and funding these kinds of endeavours will always be a challenge.
Despite that, this is still an interesting and worthwhile read if you're interested in education policy and practice and Canada. There's a lot here to be excited about, and many practical lessons to take away.
August 22, 2017
A groundbreaking set of vignettes to show what's possible in classrooms, schools, communities, and school districts when educators are empowered to innovate. The authors' respectful stance towards their subjects is especially significant. I found the chapter on aboriginal schools to be especially interesting. This is a must-read for anyone interested in K-12 education that is community-based and child-centered.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews