Ian Jukes

This presentation is about a proven method for assessing the effectiveness of schools, school districts, and entire educational systems. It identifies the foundational pillars, elements, and associated indicators that support modern teaching, learning, and assessment. These attributes, based on years of educational research, experience, and observation, provide a means for local, regional, or national level organizations to identify, review, and assess more than 200 performance indicators. This baseline data is critical in the development of a continuous process that allows leadership to make informed decisions for implementing and sustaining effective modern learning practices.

This workshop is designed to help teachers, educational leaders, and decision-makers wade through the complexities of aligning technology to support educational outcomes, while at the same time ensuring state/provincial/national standards are achieved, and learners are effectively prepared with the essential skills and knowledge they will need to operate in the new realities of the modern world. This workshop will introduce Nowosad’s Taxonomy, a visual model that identifies the key elements related to students and teachers achieving higher levels of cognitive performance. Participants will come away with new perspectives, and a clear understanding as to how technology can be effectively used to impact instructional practice and student learning.

Today’s schools are continually driven by the tyranny of the urgent. As a result, school leaders constantly find themselves in reactive mode, unable to look beyond the curricular standards of the present to the future learning needs of all their students. This has occurred in large part due to the increasing emphasis on accountability and high stakes testing. As a result, we tend to focus on short term goals - we focus on the now. We focus on getting our students ready for the next topic, the next test, the next term, the next level of education. We use the test data from the previous year to drive our instructional decisions and learning strategies for the coming year. We look at the data in order figure out how we can get our students ready to perform better on this year’s tests. Year after year, grade after grade, curriculum revision after curriculum revision, we find ourselves in a never-ending loop where we check last year’s test scores, adjust what we teach, how we teach it, determine which areas need more emphasis in order to prepare them for this year’s test...then we start again. But education is also about long-term goals - it is about the attributes of modern learning that all our students will need in order to be ready to succeed after they leave our schools. This workshop is about the necessary shift from being an educational manager to being an educational leader and about rethinking traditional assumptions about leadership, technology, infrastructure, human resources, professional development, and communication in support of teaching, learning, and assessment for the modern world.

Why do educational leaders assume that teachers understand how to walk into a 21st-century classroom and engage 21st-century students through the use of digital technologies? This is a false and dangerous assumption that has lead to the ineffectiveness of modern teacher training. For example, the majority of post-secondary teacher preparation programs lack the vision, resources, and expertise to provide innovative pre-service teacher training that adequately prepares new teachers to use an electronic presentation board as a collaborative instructional tool, to interact with student mobile wireless devices using cloud-based collaborative tools, or integrate social media tools as a means to engage and motivate students in their learning, to name but a few.

Far too often, technology initiatives in schools focus entirely on technological issues. But more often than not, there is a larger and far more important issue that is completely ignored. That issue is training teachers to harness the power of technology to engage students and meet learning goals. As a result, teachers are left to fend for themselves when it comes to instructional design and technology implementation issues. The effective use of technology is often dependent on the skill set and motivation of individual teachers. Consequently, the technology is ignored or underutilized in the vast majority of classrooms. This presentation examines 20 critical factors that influence successful technological integration, and highlights the importance of a balanced approach between ET and IT.

In a traditional classroom, instruction and inquiry flow almost entirely in one direction - from the teacher to the student. Students are rewarded for having the right answer, not for asking good questions. A recent study indicated that the average pre-school child asks 100 questions per day. By the intermediate level, the number of questions asked approaches zero. Why is there such a drastic decrease in the frequency of important behavior that seems to come naturally to most children when they’re very young? This powerful presentation outlines a simple 5 stage process that can be introduced to students in a single session which teaches them how to consistently ask higher order questions.

The traditional four-year college experience is as British as “Bob’s your uncle.” So is the belief that higher education provides a one-way ticket to a better life. But with student debt out of control and unemployment of college graduates at historic levels, people are beginning to question that value. In this provocative session, the presenter argues that the higher education system as we know it is broken. The great credential race has fostered an environment where even middle-tier institutions can charge elite university-level tuition while concealing staggeringly low graduation rates, and churning out graduates with few of the skills needed for a rapidly evolving economy. The presentation not only turns a critical eye on the current state of higher education but also predicts how technology and innovative thinking will transform it for the better. Mobile devices, social networks, games-based and virtual learning environments, hybrid classes, adaptive learning software, the unbundling of traditional degree credits, and the Uberfication of education will expand access to high-quality education regardless of budget or location, and tailor lesson plans to individual needs. One thing is certain—the Class of 2022 will have a radically different college experience than their parents. Attendees will be provided with access to an extensive digital library of resources aligned to the Beyond the Digital Revolution presentation.

Teachers today face a formidable challenge. With the world rapidly changing outside the school system, teachers must deal with the expectation that they are equipping their students with the skills that they will need to thrive in a future driven by technological change. This is a world that is increasing exponentially. At the same time, they must also deal with an unprecedented level of accountability for the academic performance of their students. How can educators handle both of these challenges simultaneously? How do you prepare students for success in life in the 21st century while at the same time getting them prepared for the tests they have to write? With all the pressure to get students to meet standards set by the Ministry of Education, it seems almost impossible to devote much time and effort to anything else. This presentation introduces participants to a new approach to teaching that will empower teachers to address both these instructional challenges. It outlines the eight essential skills needed for success in the future and then demonstrate a new instructional strategy that will enable teachers to teach these skills to students while getting them ready for the tests they must write. ‘

Just-in-time teaching and learning (JITTL) is a blended instructional model that provides real-world contexts to classroom learning experiences as a way to motivate and prime students. This model moves away from teacher-centered instruction to a model of discovery learning. The model provides real-world, personally relevant, highly motivating challenges to students as the primary vehicle for introducing curriculum content together with the essential 21st Century learning processes. The beauty of JiTTL is that it does not require a wholesale shift in a teacher's existing instructional paradigm. comfort levels increase, teachers can progressively make the transition from traditional direct instruction, passive learning, and content-based assessment. The tasks require students independently and collaboratively to examine their present knowledge, add to it, and then apply this newly constructed knowledge to solve real-world problems. Participants will learn a simple, step-by-step process for introducing the JITTL model into their classrooms together with simple digital tools that will enhance the process.

The only way to adequately introduce the nine essential skills all students will need for the modern world is to shift from the traditional memorization approach to process-based teaching, This presentation outlines a new instructional strategy that engages modern digital students and promotes teaching that is relevant to the world students will experience in the future. This method enables teachers to prepare students for traditional tests that demonstrate that they have learned the content in the curriculum, but also allows them to go further to master the process skills that will be essential for long-term success in the future.

There is a longstanding mindset for how teachers teach. The challenge is that this approach was developed for a world that increasingly does not exist. The future will have very different challenges and learner requirements and necessitate very different learning tools. To help our students prepare themselves for the future that awaits them once they leave school, educators must keep one eye on the present; and the other on where the world is headed. How do we equip students with a new and fundamentally different set of skills needed to thrive in the new global economy, while simultaneously ensuring that they continue to be successful on the tests required to demonstrate that they have learned the content in the curriculum? This presentation outlines a new approach to teaching, learning, and assessment that introduces nine essential skills all students will need for success in the modern world. Participants will be provided with access to an extensive digital library of resources aligned to the An Introduction to Modern Learning presentation.

There is no shortage of apps, resources and devices for teachers and students of all ages to choose from. The key is how to effectively use these tools to cultivate critical thinking and problem-solving skills, increase teacher and student productivity, spark innovation and creativity, encourage positive collaboration, and develop the essential communication skills needed by students, teachers and parents alike. Based on the book Reinventing Learning for the Always-on Generation, this presentation identifies a series of pressure-tested free and inexpensive digital tools to utilize for powerful learning experiences in modern classroom environments. Participants will come away with a clear understanding of tools that are the new basics for teaching, learning and assessment in the digital world.

Just-in-time Teaching and Learning (JITTL) is a blended instructional model that provides real-world contexts to classroom learning experiences as a way to engage and motivate students. This presentation shows teachers how to seamlessly shift the focus from a teacher-centred instructional model to one of discovery learning. JITTL provides real-world, personally relevant, highly motivating challenges to students as the primary vehicle for introducing curriculum content.

Teachers will learn strategies that will enable them to simultaneously teach both the content as well as the essential 21st-century skills. The model challenges students to independently and collaboratively examine their present knowledge, add to it, and then apply the newly constructed knowledge to solve real-world problems. The beauty of JiTTL is that it doesn’t require a wholesale shift in a teacher's existing instructional paradigm. This model enables teachers to empower learners, and as comfort levels increase, teachers can progressively make the transition away from traditional instruction, passive learning, and content-based assessment. Participants will learn a simple and flexible step-by-step process for introducing the JITTL model, together with practical tools to enhance the process; and will be provided with access to an extensive digital library of resources aligned to the An Introduction To the Just-In-Time Teaching and Learning presentation.

The rapid emergence of online digital technology has bombarded people living in the modern world with a myriad of multimedia experiences. These experiences have had a profound effect on how people process information. No one has been more affected than the younger generations who have grown up in the new digital landscape. This presentation examines how hyperinformation experiences have rewired the brain of the always-on generation; and what this means for teaching, learning, and assessment strategies in the modern world.

There’s absolutely no point in starting to talk about specific instructional strategies for the classroom without first addressing the gorilla in the room - that being the invisible force of mindset that shapes our daily practices. The current educational mindset has been with us for so long that many educators just accept it without thinking. If we don’t first address these mindset issues, then all that will happen is that educators will take new ideas and try to graft them on to traditional ways of thinking about daily practices related to teaching, learning, and assessment. Based on the forthcoming book, A Brief History of the Future of Education, this presentation demonstrates how to start with the end in mind, the power of thinking in future tense, and effective planning by building backward from the future to the present. It outlines a wide range of practical and explicit strategies and resources that blend the best of what we currently do in the classroom with new approaches to address the changing realities of the modern world and modern students.

Today, leaders are under relentless pressure. There are a 1000 management issues that scream for their attention every day. There are increased demands for student performance and teacher accountability, while at is same time principals are expected to do this with less funding. On top of all of this, principals are expected to be instructional leaders in their schools. Based in the forthcoming books A Brief History of the Future of Education and LeaderShift Happens, this presentation offers a lifeline to overtaxed principals struggling with the issues of how to be effective instructional leaders with their staffs. It outlines specific strategies and identifies essential resources that can be used for leading teachers into meaningful instructional change.

Today’s world is constantly on the move. The rate of change is so profound that you can’t trust your eyes to show you reality because they’re really showing you history. This presentation challenges your assumptions about the world we live in and the future we’re heading for by carefully examining the significance of several global exponential trends. Windows on Tomorrow forces us to consider how these trends affect and will continue to affect our personal and professional lives, our children, our learning institutions, the nature of teaching and learning, and even our definition of intelligence.

In today’s digital world, we are witnessing the evolution of an incredibly turbulent new age. It’s the Age of Disrupted Learning—an age where every part of society is experiencing a complete upheaval due to the chronic and pervasive nature of disruptive change. In order to thrive, our schools, like our businesses, communities, and families, must continually adapt to these changing conditions. This presentation examines the changing nature of our world; identifies the critical 21st-century skills not being addressed by our current educational system; and specifically identifies how we can effectively engage learners so that they can perform exceptionally well on exams while simultaneously learning the critical new basics needed to excel in both school and life beyond school.

There’s no point in talking about changing specific instructional strategies without first addressing the elephant in the room — that being the invisible force of mindset that unconsciously shapes daily practice. If we don’t first tackle this issue, all that will happen is that educators will continue to take new ideas and attempt to graft them on to traditional approaches to teaching, learning, and assessment. This presentation demonstrates how to plan effectively by living life like a scrum-half, starting with the end in mind, and thinking in the future tense. It identifies a range of practical, proven strategies and resources that blend the best of what we currently do in the classroom with new approaches that address the changing realities of the modern world and modern students. Attendees will be provided with access to an extensive digital library of resources aligned to the Getting It Right In a Connected World presentation.

If you were to ask any group made up of individuals from both inside and outside the current school system to define what the biggest problem facing education today, you’d likely get a broad range of answers and some very strong opinions. Their answers would probably vary from inexplicably vague notions like “not enough technology” or “kids don’t listen anymore,” to more informed insights that tackle crucial issues like a need for developing critical thinking, problem-solving mindsets, and other modern learning skills in our future thinkers and leaders.

This workshop outlines the importance of learning how to “think in the future tense.” It is the notion of viewing our educational policies and practices as a split screen where one eye is focused on the present short-term goals, while the other is focused on the long-term aspects of the future that this interactive workshop will focus on. Come ready to roll up your sleeves and be prepared to take a hard look at the current state of education, and to share your perspectives on where we need to go and how we need to get there. In this session, you’re going to discover precisely what it means to think in the future tense, how this technique applies to education, and why it is so important that our current educational paradigms make way for this kind of mindset. Let’s take a look at the future and see how we can prepare ourselves and our students for the world of tomorrow today and changing the way we think by Looking Back and Looking Forward. Attendees will be provided with access to an extensive digital library of resources aligned to the Looking Back, Looking Forward presentation.

The rapid emergence of online digital technology has bombarded people living in the modern world with a myriad of multimedia experiences. These experiences have had a profound effect on how people process information. No one has been more affected than the younger generations who have grown up in the new digital landscape. This presentation examines how hyperinformation experiences have rewired the brain of the always-on generation; and what this means for teaching, learning, and assessment strategies in the modern world. Attendees will be provided with access to an extensive digital library of resources aligned to the Understanding the Always-on Generation presentation.

Based on the award-winning book of the same name, this session looks at the modern world, examines the new entry skills students will need to be successful in digitally infused working environments and provides a comprehensive profile of 10 core learning attributes of digital learners. What are the new thinking skills our students will require, and how must we shift instruction to ensure we are equipping them with these skills? New Connections provides a practical look at how we can teach effectively in a time when emergent technologies cascade onto the new digital landscape. Participants will be provided with access to an extensive digital library of resources aligned to the core learning attributes outlined the Reinventing Learning presentation.

Because of digital bombardment and the emergence of the new digital landscape, today’s youth process information, interact and communicate in fundamentally different ways than any previous generation before them. Meanwhile, many of us, having grown up in a relatively low-tech, stable, and predictable world, are struggling with the speed of change, technological innovation, and the freedom to access the overwhelming sea of information online — all defining characteristics of the digital world of both today and the swiftly approaching future. Based on the book Reinventing Learning for the Always-on Generation, Strategies That Work this presentation provides a comprehensive profile of ten core learning attributes of digital learners, and the core teaching, learning, and assessment strategies that can be used to appeal to their digital lifestyle and learning preferences. You’ll gain a clear understanding of various research-based strategies to optimize learning for the digital generation in the new digital landscape. Participants will be provided with access to an extensive digital library of resources aligned to the Reinventing Learning presentation.

What does collaboration in education really mean? And how do we develop collaboration skills in our students while still addressing the mandates of the curriculum? Collaboration in its simplest and most understandable form is getting individuals, who may or may not have similar interests, to work together in an organized endeavor to a satisfying and appropriate group end. This comprehensive, hands-on workshop outlines the steps in the collaborative problem-solving process; identifies the collaborative skills to be developed; identifies the Do’s & Don’ts for student grouping; explains strategies for fostering collaborative discussion; identifies more than 50 specific strategies and 200 different activities; recommends learning tips; provides a range of resources and downloads; outlines a wide variety of collaborative and whole group activities for developing productive group work; and provides a range of collaboration rubrics and self-assessment tools. Participants will also be provided with access to an extensive digital library of resources specifically aligned to the Simple and Effective Strategies for Building Strong Collaborative Learning Environments workshop.

We live in a society that has been profoundly affected by InfoWhelm and HyperInformation—a world of instantaneous access to a wealth of digital resources. As a result, almost overnight, learning has become something that can happen anytime, anywhere. But in a time of fake news, misinformation, and mythinformation, we face a significant challenge. How do we separate good from bad, interpret right from wrong, and distinguish complete, accurate, and usable information from a sea of irrelevance and digital inundation? An understanding of the skills to help us effectively find and apply the abundance of information at our fingertips is essential to life and necessary for success both inside and outside the classroom.

This workshop examines the critical skills that help students extract essential knowledge, verify authenticity, and perceive meaning and significance. Using a simple 5A’s process, (Ask, Access, Analyze & Authenticate, Apply, Assess)  participants will be able to help their students learn to identify, locate, collect, authenticate and use information to solve real world tasks and challenges. Participants will be provided with access to an extensive digital library of resources specifically aligned to the Introduction to the Strategies That Work in the Age of Fake News, Misinformation, and Mythinformation workshop.

Amongst the younger generations, visual communication is increasingly challenging the supremacy of traditional reading and writing. While reading and writing will always have a place, in an increasingly visual world, visual communication and design must be an every day part of the curriculum — not just for senior students - but for students at every grade level and in every subject area. Modern digital media has fundamentally changed the essential skills we all need to be informed consumers and producers of media in the world today.

Students and teachers alike must be able to communicate as effectively in multimedia formats as we, the older generations, were taught to communicate with text and speech when we were growing up. The 3 R’s are still very important, but in the modern world, traditional literacy is no longer enough. We all need to understand how differently modern readers read digital text from the way we read traditional paper-based text. Students and teachers alike need to understand modern information communication skills such as the principles of graphic design; how typography shapes thinking; the effective use of colour; the principles of photo composition; sound production techniques; and the fundamentals of video production; not to mention how we use all of these skills to effectively communicate to different audiences. The bottom line is that in the new digital landscape, traditional literacy — traditional reading and writing — is no longer enough. This workshop focuses on the new basics of modern communication needed by all of us — not replacing traditional reading and writing...at least not yet — but rather augmenting traditional communications skills. Participants will be provided with access to an extensive digital library of resources specifically aligned to the Communications In the Digital Age workshop.

Students and workers in the modern world are living in an environment that increasingly requires the ability to collaborate both virtually and in person. New digital technologies social networking, and InfoWhelm have broken down long-standing barriers of communication in our society. This has created a global economy. Our neighborhoods and suburbs are no longer just outside our back doors—they’re all over the planet, and education and business are looking ahead to the strong partnerships and team environments that will define their future, and connect them to the modern world. Effective global citizens can work and interact with partners in both real and virtual settings. The Building Global Connections Through Collaboration and Communication presentation provides a comprehensive overview of the skills that the architects of our digital age will need to successfully forge partnerships and interact and prosper in both real and digital environments using the 5E’s—Establish, Envision, Engineer, Execute, and Examine. Participants will be provided with access to an extensive digital library of resources specifically aligned to the Building Global Connections Through Collaboration and Communication workshop.