Presentation to ATA Calgary Teachers Convention, 2011

1. Getting Used to Chαnge
Preparing Yourself for Transformative
Change in Alberta’s Education System
Stephen Murgatroyd, PhD FBPsS FRSA
Chief Scout, The Innovation Expedition

2. Growing Up in My “World”
1950 - 1973
Born. Bradford, Yorkshire 1950 Oct 31
Educated: St Patrick’s, St Clare’s and St. Francis Primary and St Bede’s
Grammar
University: University College, Cardiff
(now Cardiff University)
Married: 1970
Children: James (1976) and Glyn (1978)
Grandchildren: Lily (2010)

3. Revolved Around …
(1953 – 1969)
Home School

4. Spent My Real Leisure Time at..

5. Vacation

6. My Education

7. Elementary
(1953- 1961)

8. St Bede’s Grammar School
(1961 – 1969)

9. University College, Cardiff
1969-1973

10. The Social Contract
1969 - 1973
• “Get a good degree you will have a job for life..”
Father
• “Don’t worry about looking for work, people will
come looking for you…” Careers Guidance Officer
• “Don’t get ambitious, stay where you are and all
will be well – its when you get ambitious that
things start to go wrong..” Professor
• “Don’t get ideas above your station…” Virtually
everyone

11. The Schools I Went To..
• Were conceived in the 1870’s and required in the 1940’s
• Designed around industrial production models
– Batched learning – students by age batches
– Streamed by ability – grammar, secondary modern and technical
– Separated by gender
– Taught in groups of 30 (ideal batch size)
• Had one dominant form of pedagogy + sports – great deal of teacher
flexibility in what they taught
• Focused on a broad range of subjects –
English, history, math, geography, French, Latin, Chemistry, Physics and
Biology, Drawing and Music
• Public examinations at 11 (streaming), 15 (in or out) and 18 (if you were
still there)
• Required specialization decision at aged 15 (science versus arts)
• Did not use technology (until 1967)
• Were resistant to change

12. Technology

13. The Technologies in My Life
1955-1969

14. Exciting New Technologies
1969 - 1973

15. Quick History of Technology
• Colour television in UK 1967
• Hand pocket calculators 1972
• First handheld cell phone 1973
• Apple 1 launched 1976 and
the Apple II in 1977
• Microsoft established 1981
• Osborne portable in a suitcase
1982
• Dell begins operating 1984
• Internet widely available 1994
• iPod launches 2001
• iPad launches 2010

16. Imagine a Child Starting School
Today
Born: 2005
Education: That Nice Elementary
University: Sometimes and Eventually Completed University
Married: Probably a Few Times if at All
Career: Varied with 18-22 Job Changes

18. instant access

19. highly customized experiences

20. producers
+
consumers
prosumers

21. some of their classroom
SOME of their classroom
experiences feel like..…

22. The Impact of the Great Reset
An Age of Significant Disruption
(just ask Hosni Mubarak)

23. The Six Big Disruptions
• Economic Disruption
– Decline of the US as an economic superpower and the emergence of
the BRIC’s economies
– The great recession and the jobless recovery
– Mergers and Acquisitions
– Low productivity in Canada Falling competiveness
– Decline of traditional industry and emergence of new..
• Political Disruption
– Terrorism
– Power relationships – China, India, US and EU versus Others (e.g.
Copenhagen COP15)
– Federal – Provincial Relations (e.g. health care)
– Cause driven movements – anti HST, Tea Party (US) – new democracy

24. • Social Disruption
– Decline of democracy as a form of governance
– Globalization and social networks
• Demographic Disruptions
– Low level of birth replacement for many northern
countries
– High level of birth for aboriginal peoples, India, Asia
– Challenges for literacy and numeracy
– Global war for talent

25. • Environmental Disruption
– Climate change
– Water as a challenge – Eau Canada
– Energy and stewardship
– Natural resource economies and environmental concerns
• The Disruption of Personal Identity
– Blurring the line between connection and
connectivity – marriage, family, community
– Shifting identities in the workplace – the
multigenerational workplace

26. Some Implications
We are preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist in
industries that are just emerging in economies that are
changing amidst a global war for talent

28. Students need to focus on problem
solving
using “wicked problems”
to harness
knowledge

29. relevant and authentic

30. design
Enable:
Trust
challenges
Risk-Taking
Creativity
Founded on
sound knowledge of
core subjects

31. embrace digital tools
embrace digital tools

32. harness
the power of design

33. customized learning experience

34. NOT Provincial Achievement Tests

35. The Implications

36. more project based work,
less instruction

37. more personalized
learning..

38. more PEER TO PEER learning –
less instruction

39. more OUTCOME based learning – less
focus on process & time…

40. more work /community based learning credits
and less school based classroom work

41. More
Course
CREDITS
from non
school
providers

42. More Options for the Teacher to Design &
Create Learning Opportunities

43. More ROUTES to High School Diplomas

44. Six Suggestions for New Learning
• More project based work, less instruction
• More personalized & peer learning, less
instruction
• More outcome based learning, less focus on
process (especially time in class)
• More work based learning credits and credit from
third parties
• More routes to High School Diplomas
• Teach less – learn more.. And more opportunities
for teachers to “own” their curriculum..