Aaditya Tangri, CEO of Kalebr Americas and founder of STEAMathalon, explains why he believes there is now no question that in the future student learning will supersede the classical curriculum and learning formula that we know today.
Students will become partners to their education, partaking in real-world and digital experiences that allow collaboration, communication, and teamwork for all students beyond classroom walls. Therefore, we need to facilitate these experiences using the ‘native’ tools of modern learners, equipping the youth and preparing them for their future workplaces, which ultimately should be reflected in the classroom.
It’s not just that this generation is tech-savvy – technology is omnipresent in today’s world, which also dramatically alters the trajectory of commerce and growth
Mark McCrindle, a futurist, demographer, and TEDx speaker, is spearheading the campaign to coin any person born after 2010 a part of ‘Generation Alpha’. This generation consists of the so-called ‘digital natives’ who have grown up with information technology and social media, and to whom devices feel a natural extension of themselves. By contrast, their parents and grandparents, even if they have access to the same technology, will never have the same relationship with it. These massive technological changes, among others, make this generation perhaps one of the most transformative.
It’s not just that this generation is tech-savvy – technology is omnipresent in today’s world, which also dramatically alters the trajectory of commerce and growth. With technology playing such an immense role in nearly every industry, the next generation is learning the right skills, such as problem-solving, multi-tasking, collaboration, and relying on their creativity and imagination for their future career opportunities. At the same time, technology is making educational opportunities more available than ever before.
So while some institutions are still navigating uncharted territory to find a way to include social media in the curriculum, a select few in Dubai are paving the way for others and working towards future-proofing their children. These leaders are innovative, ready to challenge old notions and transform teaching, as well as learning. They aim to equip their students with the knowledge, skills and qualifications required for their future. In doing so, they are also maximising learning opportunities offered by digital technology and flexible learning spaces.
What Schools Are Doing
Dubai British School, JESS Arabian Ranches, Nord Anglia International School, and The Oxenford School are a few such examples of institutions creating ‘tomorrow’s classroom’, by championing the development of their young learners with the support of Kalebr, whose products promote 21st-century skills, well-being, sustainability, making, coding, innovation, and social media for students of all ages.
By having introduced Kalebr’s STEAMathalon to their learning programs, these schools are tapping into the equitable access of several high-quality, scalable and engaging learning tools, support and resources for teachers and students, all the while in-building technology for both educators and learners to share their world-changing insights and innovations with global networks through social media.
STEAMathalon provides a framework for promoting global collaboration, creative thinking, tolerance, and well-being through a real-world challenge in a competitive play-based innovation league. The initiative promotes an inclusive environment, mimicking future workplace settings, where learners tackle global challenges.
Aaditya Tangri is the co-founder and CEO of Kalebr Americas and founder of STEAMathalon.