Activity #1: Exploring Our Future Outlooks

Competition Details Think about the future of learning. What might school be like in 2027? Write a story about one possible future of learning. Submit it to the competition. Have your work published and the chance to win an iPad or VISA gift card

How do you see the future? How do you see the future? Some of us think the future will be great, other people are fearful of it, and others don’t think about it all that much. Before we look at the future of learning, we should understand how we already think about the future.

Exploring Our Future Outlooks I determine my own future and can meaningfully influence the futures of others The future is undetermined and entirely unpredictable The future is already determined My own future and the futures of others are out of my control Scroll through the statements, asking students to first place themselves along the horizontal axis based on how strongly they agree with either of the statements (they can be somewhere in the middle), and then move vertically based on how strongly they agree with the second two statements. They should place their sticky notes in the place that best represents the combination of these two views.

What’s Your Future Outlook? Ask students to review where their sticky note is and decide whether that description is an accurate depiction of how they view the future. Ask them to complete the reflection questions on handout #1.

Activity #2: What’s Changing in Learning?

“What’s Changing in Learning?” Debrief What caught your attention? What seems like a positive change? What seems like a negative change? What seems likely to lead to the biggest change in how young people learn? What are you left wondering after reading the selection? Of the five trends, which one is most interesting to you? Debrief “What’s Changing in Learning? Part 1” (handout #2)

Futures Wheel Review how a Futures Wheel works by showing the video or modeling with this example or another and reviewing the instructions on handout #3. Make sure groups have selected a change as their starting point.

As you work, remember: Consider positive, negative, and neutral changes in culture and society, technology, the environment, the economy, and politics that might affect education and learning. Don’t worry about whether you think it will actually happen! Write down as many possibilities as you can think of. Try writing in headlines! Imagine the change has occurred. How would the news report it? Reminder as students work. If desired, stop midway through and collect some insights to inspire thinking among the group.

What might happen? What are the top 3 most interesting possible effects emerging from your original change? Ask students to write their responses on handout #3

Activity #3: Telling Stories from the Future

Scenarios People who think about the future for a living use scenarios – or stories about possible futures – to better understand what might be ahead. Scenario = based in what’s possible + creativity Details make scenarios more useful and interesting, so generating creative ideas is important. Review what a scenario is and that they will be writing one about the future of learning. If helpful, review the scenarios “For Inspiration” on the competition website.

Idea Generation EVERYDAY OBJECTS: phone, dog, car, window, toothbrush MOODS: joyful, depressed, angry, silly, afraid PLACES: backyard, The White House, Brazil, kitchen, car wash EVENTS: an election, a hurricane, a birth, a party. Show these examples. Set timer for 1 minute per category before they rotate. 15 to 20 items per category is ideal.

Inputs for Your Scenario Change in Learning (from “What’s Changing in Learning?” Part 2) Possible Effect of that Change (from “What’s Changing in Learning?” Part 2) Everyday Object Mood Place Event Give students time to select one or more elements to write in each category on handout #4. Make sure they have their previous handout (Handout #3, “What’s Changing in Learning?” Part 2) as a reminder of the change and effects they previously selected.

Reminders: Your scenario… …is the main part of your submission to KnowledgeWorks’ Imagine FutureEd competition. …should be about the future of learning, education, or school and can explore any aspect of that topic. Some possible points of focus include: — How might people learn in the future? — Where and why might they learn? …should be set in the year 2027. …should be approximately 500 words and from any point of view. Reminders about writing the scenario

Scenario Structure It’s 2027, and (briefly describe this future world, including the mood you chose). Back in 2017, (describe the change that is happening). Then, (describe the effect of that change on learning and education). Now, (detail what’s happening in the world and in education, including objects, places, and events you selected). Review optional scenario structure. Explain how this allows them to describe the future, connect it the current change, detail what happens as a result of the change, and explain what that world is like in detail.

Activity #4: Reflecting on the Future

Reflection What aspects of this future most excite you? What from this future would you like to see come about? What aspects of this future concern you? How might different groups of people be negatively affected by it? Considering what aspects of your scenario excite you and worry you, what should we (either as individuals or as a society) be thinking about or doing today to help shape the future? What new questions do you have now that you have written your scenario? Reflect on the process of creating your scenario. What did you learn? Do you think spending time thinking about the future is useful? Why or why not? Review reflection questions from handout #5

Extension Activity: Creating Artifacts from the Future

Choosing Your Artifact Make a list of all possible objects or details from your scenario that you might illustrate as an artifact from the future. For example, it could be an everyday object from that world, a communication device, a tool for learning, or a place. Imagine now that the items you listed have been brought back from the future. Which option from your list would most intrigue or surprise someone today? That should be the artifact from the future that you illustrate. Review reflection questions from handout #5.

Developing Your Artifact What is your artifact called? What does it do? Who uses it or interacts with it? When and where is it used or located? What benefits does it create for learners or other people in your future world? What drawbacks does it have? How does it interact with other aspects of your future scenario? Review questions on Handout #6. Remind students these questions are not part of their submission but will help them develop their artifact more fully.

Reminders: Your artifact… …illustrates something important about the future world and would surprise or intrigue someone in the present. …should relate to the scenario you wrote. …can be submitted as an optional entry in the KnowledgeWorks’ Imagine FutureEd competition. Reminders about writing the scenario

Reflecting on Your Artifact Describe how the artifact from the future connects with your scenario. What new ideas or insights came up for you as a result of creating your artifact? Review questions on Handout #6. Remind students these questions are not part of their submission but will help them develop their artifact more fully.

Submitting Your Entries

Entry Checklist Are your entries in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .jpg, .png., .gif, .mp4 format or can they be accessed via a link that will be accessible by judges? Are your entries less than 100MB each? Review entry checklist. Also remind students that the work needs to be entirely their own and not have any copyrighted material included in it. If youth are not submitting their own work, use the instructions on page 13 of the facilitator guide to help you submit.

Submitting Your Entries Go to the Submit page on the Imagine FutureEd web site. Select “youth participant” to submit your work. Enter personal information according to the instructions. Include an email address at which you can be reached through June 30, 2017. Follow instructions based on your classification and entry type (upload, form field, or link). Be sure to accept the rules (also available on the Competition Rules page). Entries cannot be judged without acceptance of these terms. If youth are not submitting their own work, follow instructions on page 13 of the facilitator guide.