151 - Michael Fullan Sees Global Momentum for Deep Learning

May 30, 2018

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Today, The Getting Smart team is super excited to bring you a conversation with Michael Fullan. As Tom would say, Michael is Canada’s gift to education. For half a century and with 45 books to his credit, Michael has been the world’s most persistent and persuasive advocate for powerful learning experiences. Michael is encouraged by the global momentum he sees with whole systems adopting deep learning strategies and policies.

If you’ve been on Getting Smart’s blog recently, you know the team has started a project around rethinking the high school credential — so asking Michael about this topic was an incredible opportunity for the team.

Listen to this episode to hear Tom and Michael discuss the potential for better high school credentials and how the assessment system is changing — moving away from standardized tests and towards global competencies. Michael goes into detail, outlining the signs of progress and describing why he thinks the focus should be “life readiness” rather than college and career readiness. He also talks about the many books he has authored and co-authored and explains his ideas and theories from them and how they’ve shown up in education today.

Key Takeaways:

[:16] About today’s episode with Michael Fullan.

[1:00] Tom welcomes Michael to The Getting Smart podcast!

[1:06] About Michael’s upbringing in Toronto, where he went to high school and college, and where he formed his deep interest in education.

[2:26] About Michael’s most recent book — his autobiography, Surreal Change: The Real Life of Transforming Public Education.

[3:44] How Michael’s book, Change Forces: Probing the Depths of Educational Reform, influenced Tom as a Superintendent in the 90s, and Michael’s views on his ideas and theories in the book.

[5:05] How The Challenge of Change and All Systems Go were pivot points for Tom.

[5:51] About Tom and Michael’s connection over Stratosphere.

[6:30] More about some of the fantastic books and topics covered by Michael in previous publications.

[8:48] How Michael thinks about the potential for a better high school credential, how the assessment system is changing (moving away from standardized tests), and the concept of global competencies.

[11:56] About the shift from standardized tests to global competencies.

[16:51] How should educators be certifying and helping students communicate their growth, capabilities, and accomplishments to employers and institutes of higher learning?

[22:27] The importance of “life-readiness” and hands-on skills for students.

[24:09] Is Michael interested in microcredentials or badges as a part of a system of communicating capability?

[25:37] Michael’s views on the world’s current shift to deeper learning.

[27:22] Michael’s prediction for the next 12 months.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Routledge

Corwin

High Tech High

Surreal Change : The Real Life of Transforming Public Education , by Michael Fullan