This TED talk by Charles Leadbeater is great.  He bring into the conversation third world examples of education.  Some of the great points and innovations that I think he hits on include:

1) Project based learning which has to be productive.

2) The inclusion of creativity and using games to teach.

3) Using the Chinese restaurant model - it spreads, looks different depending on where you are, but is recognizable for what it is.

Enjoy!

I get the chills when I watch this video because:

1) It easily explain how the Fibbonacci sequence plays out in this popular Tool song.
2) It is a great example of how a student project can create inspire not only the student, but also others. (There are 1.5 million views of this video on Youtube)
3) I like how the words encourage pushing out into the unknown and exploration, something we want to inspire in our students.

Looking to teach more about sustainability, renewable energy, or another cool hip topic that you just don't feel you know enough about?  Well first, don't forget, you don't have to know everything.  That's the great thing about allowing students to go out and find the information about what interests them.

But if you are hoping to at least make an introduction to new topics in the classroom, check out your favorite non-profit to see if they provide free curriculum, games or lesson plans.  So many have begun to develop these services, it would be a shame not to take advantage of it.  Who better to hear about issues from than the experts?

For ease here are a few examples:

Oxfam Cool Planet for Teachers

Northeast Sustainable Energy Association

When designing curriculum and lessons I try to remind myself that we are teaching the leaders of tomorrow.  They will hold jobs that probably do not yet exist.  They will live in a world that we can not even begin to imagine, and yet, that is our task.  Prepare the students for something about which we know little to nothing.  There is certainly not a proficiency exam for this, unlike those that you must take to obtain a license in your chosen specialty.

What a daunting task.

The speed of life seems to be increasing.  Innovations come faster.  Engineering students first year knowledge is invalid by their third year.  So while we can certainly go forward by imagining what might be in the future, it seems that it might make more sense to make sure that we raise adaptable students, who are creative and can assess and meet any challenge they might face with systems thinking and an eye to sustainability.

Still a little daunting to think about, but I believe that is a much more manageable challenge and one which we can begin to incorporate into class tomorrow.