MBR_ISSUE 40_Lowres

EDUCATION
Malta Business Review
“Our global society faces dangers of inequity
inside and outside our schools. If we are to
realize the peaceful and prosperous vision of the
future we desire, a focus on equity through and
within our educational systems must be one of
our main driving forces.”
— Michael Soskil
By C. M. Rubin
student is a new independent and constantly
changing variable in an ever-changing context.
MBR: You talk about “flipping the system”
that is changing education from the ground
up. How do we do it?
Jelmer Evers: It will take professionalism
and also activism by teachers to help build
those new systems. We need to embrace a
new paradigm: the networked teacher. We
need to build our classrooms, schools and
educational systems based on the principles
of collaboration and trust. We need to be
aware as teachers how global forces influence
our classrooms. Students need to be invested
in what they learn.
MBR: You talk about the learner profile
(Teach ME) as a practical guide to allow
teachers to introduce a holistic approach to
learning. What are some of the key drivers?
Armand Doucet: Teachers need to evolve
from simply delivering traditional knowledge
towards designing lessons that develop
literacies, competencies and character.
Society needs to be as concerned with the
education of our teachers as we are with
the education of our students. As educators,
our responsibility is not solely to create the
next workforce; it is to help raise the next
generation of citizens
“As the world continues to become more
globalized and interconnected, the ability to
understand diverse perspectives and work
with those that have divergent worldviews
will become increasingly important.” — Koen
Timmers
MBR: True personalization involves more
than content being chosen for students by
algorithms. A few thoughts on how tech and
traditional learning will co-exist?
Armand Doucet: Without great pedagogy,
technology integration is worthless. Passion
is what engages and empowers students.
Schools have timetables; learning does not.
Koen Timmers: Technology is a pedagogical
catalyst. It can make good classroom practices
great, and it can make bad classroom practices
even worse.
MBR: What’s the key take away you want
other teachers to have from your book?
Koen Timmers: Education is a human right.
Everyone, everywhere has a need and the
right to quality Education. As the world
continues to become more globalized and
interconnected, the ability to understand
diverse perspectives and work with those
that have divergent worldviews will become
increasingly important.
Armand Doucet Jelmer Evers: Education
should be at the core of any proposed
solutions, and teachers must play an integral
part in shaping them. Teaching is not an exact
science, because, quite simply, humans are
involved. Rather than passively wait for history
to take its course, or to succumb before the
inevitable shifts that come ahead, we want
to inspire educators and the society in full
to make active decisions and take whatever
roads we need so as to guarantee that every
child in the world has the opportunity to
thrive. As we enter a new age of Renaissance
in education, it is key that in each educational
jurisdiction, we align our vision to what is truly
happening in the classroom. MBR
Creditline: David Wine;
Top Row L to R: Elisa Guerra Cruz,
Armand Doucet, Michael Soskil, Koen
Timmers Bottom Row L to R: Jelmer
Evers, Nadia Lopez, C.M. Rubin
EDITOR’S
Note
Armand Doucet is an award-winning educator,
social entrepreneur and business professional. He
received the Canadian Prime Minister’s Award
for Teaching Excellence in 2015. He is a Global
Teacher Prize finalist. Elisa Guerra was named
“Best Educator in Latin America” in 2015. She is
the Founder of Colegio Valle de Filadelfia which
has 9 campuses in 3 countries. Michael Soskil
was Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year 2017-
2018 and was a Global Teacher Prize finalist.
Jelmer Evers is the author of “Flip the System”
and “Het Alternatief” (The Alternative). He was
nominated for the Global Teacher Prize in 2015
and 2016. Nadia Lopez is the Founding Principal
of Mott Hall Bridges Academy. She is the author
of “Bridge to Brilliance” and a Global Teacher
Prize finalist. Koen Timmers is the founder of
Project Kakuma and an online school, zelfstudie.
com. He is a 2018 Global Teacher Prize finalist.
CMRubinWorld’s award-winning series, The
Global Search for Education, brings together
distinguished thought leaders in education and
innovation from around the world to explore
the key learning issues faced by most nations.
The series has become a highly visible platform
for global discourse on 21st century education,
offering a diverse range of innovative ideas which
are presented by the series founder, C. M. Rubin,
together with the world’s leading thinkers in
education. The Top Global Teacher Bloggers is a
monthly series and an important platform through
which CMRubinWorld has propagated the voices
of the most indispensable people in our learning
institutions—teachers.
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