It is change, continuing change, inevitable change that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be.—Isaac Asimov
As countries seek to adapt their education systems to the needs of contemporary society, expectations for schools and school leaders are changing. At the same time, the requirement to improve overall student performance while serving more diverse student populations is putting schools under pressure to use more research- and evidence-based practices.
The challenge that faces us is to educate today's learners for tomorrow's world. Innovation does not belong to a single country or region. In fact, it accrues to countries in proportion to the quality and rigor of their educational systems and schools. The future of every nation will be shaped by new ideas and creativity. These are the engines of future success and prosperity.
The transition to a new paradigm is changing education forever. To envision this transformation, educators must shift their thinking from the 20th century traditional classroom to 21st century learning environments and learning spaces. Research describes 21st century learners as collaborative networkers and communicators; adaptive and creative; savvy about information, media, and technology; partial to instant gratification; reliant on media in its various forms; and unknowing of career opportunities that lie ahead. These characteristics require teachers to be responsive to learners in many different roles by using technology and sound teaching practices. Technology in the hands of an effective educator improves learning and teaching practices significantly, whereas technology in the hands of an ineffective educator merely reinforces poor pedagogy. According to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, we have an opportunity to reexamine our assumptions about learning and teaching, and to adopt a more comprehensive approach to helping children learn.
Historically, education has been primarily concerned with the task of teaching content, whereas today we are focused on providing authentic learning experiences that will give learners a more relevant set of competencies. With the Internet-based platform, we can develop and assist learners in new ways. We can empower both educators and students to become lifelong learners, and we can give parents and other caregivers access to their child's learning process and assessments (Treadwell, 2008). The Future Schools @ Singapore program aims to achieve this vision by devoting a lot of attention to the nature of its existing curriculum and pedagogy, finding ways to inject creativity into the classroom, and developing new educational technologies.
More than ever before, school leaders are expected to support, guide, and assist learners in creating meaning within an increasingly sophisticated information and knowledge environment. Successful schooling means that each learner is helped to see new meaning and to become more accomplished; successful instruction translates content into tools and experiences that can achieve this result. Learning principles, supportive structures, policies, and practices are needed to help teachers and principals ensure that learning and teaching yield understanding and the desired habits of mind.