What do you think?
Rate this book
EXPLORING THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION: A JOURNEY THROUGH EUROPE'S EDUCATION INNOVATIONS
I consider myself an explorer. Not a Columbus-style conqueror but a curious voyager that investigates, enquires and immerses herself in the world of education technology. When I first set out, I had no idea what I would find. I tend to be sceptical when I hear school leaders and entrepreneurs tell me how their solution will change the world. I always try to see beyond the elevator pitch. I am drawn to experiencing solutions in action, in the hands of learners themselves and asking them about their opinion.
Since 2015, I have travelled to 15 countries and interviewed more than 500 EdTech thought leaders, be they teachers, entrepreneurs, school leaders, researchers or ministers, from around the globe.
I love to see innovators in action and to meet the minds behind the tools that hundreds, thousands, millions of learners use. This stimulates and motivates me. I feel so lucky to have seen so many innovations around the globe. It would make no sense to me to keep everything I see and hear for myself. This is why I wrote this book: to share what I saw and what impressed me in various different European countries.
Just before I set off around Europe, I was introduced to Sairica, a British-born anthropologist and writer, based in Spain. A fellow explorer, and mother to a daughter in K-12 education, she fell in love with the project and became my writing partner, helping me to structure my passion and findings into a book.
Everything I learned along the way came from hundreds of people who took the time to introduce me to their world, and I cannot thank them enough for this. This journey has no end. I’m travelling through education systems and schools but the more I’m on the road, the more I realise the extent to which education is shaped by local context. Education is sculpted by culture, history and politics, but it is grounded in local insights, and people.
Teachers, students, parents, school leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers, civil servants, politicians, with this book, I wanted to give them all a voice and tell their stories.
I was originally going to call it ‘EdTech Trends and Best Practices around Europe’, but the more I travelled the world of EdTech, the more I realised it was more ‘Ed’ than ‘Tech’. In my opinion, technology is just a tool; it shouldn’t be an end, but a means to improve and serve education.
In some of the stories you’ll read, you won’t even find technology mentioned. An innovation process has to go through many stages before tech comes into the picture. And it often isn’t even necessary to reach a certain pedagogical goal.
As I also learned, EdTech is not necessarily about the newest technologies, or a luxury for major metropolises where broadband connections reign supreme. In developing countries and rural areas, the simple use of a basic mobile phone as a learning tool (through SMS or calls) can prove highly effective.
Technology also needs to be taught, which is why I will also talk about Technology Education (TechEd). It is vital to help learners acquire digital literacy and understand how to navigate safely on the internet, verify sources, and use creative commons licenses, for example. TechEd is also about learning how to code and become an active producer, not a passive consumer of technology.
I’ll say no more; I’ll let you dive in and discover these incredible people and their brave initiatives to shape a better education for everyone in the 21st century.
Since 2015, I have travelled to 15 countries and interviewed more than 500 EdTech thought leaders, be they teachers, entrepreneurs, school leaders, researchers or ministers, from around the globe.
I love to see innovators in action and to meet the minds behind the tools that hundreds, thousands, millions of learners use. This stimulates and motivates me. I feel so lucky to have seen so many innovations around the globe. It would make no sense to me to keep everything I see and hear for myself. This is why I wrote this book: to share what I saw and what impressed me in various different European countries.
Just before I set off around Europe, I was introduced to Sairica, a British-born anthropologist and writer, based in Spain. A fellow explorer, and mother to a daughter in K-12 education, she fell in love with the project and became my writing partner, helping me to structure my passion and findings into a book.
Everything I learned along the way came from hundreds of people who took the time to introduce me to their world, and I cannot thank them enough for this. This journey has no end. I’m travelling through education systems and schools but the more I’m on the road, the more I realise the extent to which education is shaped by local context. Education is sculpted by culture, history and politics, but it is grounded in local insights, and people.
Teachers, students, parents, school leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers, civil servants, politicians, with this book, I wanted to give them all a voice and tell their stories.
I was originally going to call it ‘EdTech Trends and Best Practices around Europe’, but the more I travelled the world of EdTech, the more I realised it was more ‘Ed’ than ‘Tech’. In my opinion, technology is just a tool; it shouldn’t be an end, but a means to improve and serve education.
In some of the stories you’ll read, you won’t even find technology mentioned. An innovation process has to go through many stages before tech comes into the picture. And it often isn’t even necessary to reach a certain pedagogical goal.
As I also learned, EdTech is not necessarily about the newest technologies, or a luxury for major metropolises where broadband connections reign supreme. In developing countries and rural areas, the simple use of a basic mobile phone as a learning tool (through SMS or calls) can prove highly effective.
Technology also needs to be taught, which is why I will also talk about Technology Education (TechEd). It is vital to help learners acquire digital literacy and understand how to navigate safely on the internet, verify sources, and use creative commons licenses, for example. TechEd is also about learning how to code and become an active producer, not a passive consumer of technology.
I’ll say no more; I’ll let you dive in and discover these incredible people and their brave initiatives to shape a better education for everyone in the 21st century.
184 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 11, 2018
5 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 21, 2024
I read this book after participating in the book author’s lecture. Many things she told us during it, but I enjoyed reading more. Svenia seemed so passionate about her work, schools, innovations itself. I am very glad that I had opportunity to meet her and read a book about Europe education innovations.
I can't agree more on a conclusion that all education initiatives started with one or two entuziastic and change-driven individuals who dreamed big. I see that everywhere I go. I am glad that I meet more and more people who want to find new solutions to an old problems. Who inspire people, make a change and work with passion. There were many of stories of that kind of people in this book. Thanks to the author - more people get to hear them.
I can't agree more on a conclusion that all education initiatives started with one or two entuziastic and change-driven individuals who dreamed big. I see that everywhere I go. I am glad that I meet more and more people who want to find new solutions to an old problems. Who inspire people, make a change and work with passion. There were many of stories of that kind of people in this book. Thanks to the author - more people get to hear them.
Displaying 1 of 1 review