Old-School: The Skills That Made Us & How They’re Changing

How to unlock children’s creativity (in Malawi)

Creativity is a top skill demanded by today’s employers, but how do we teach it – particularly in areas where schools are poorly resourced? In this episode of Old-School, Global Teacher Prize Ambassador Jane Chipaka from Malawi talks about her creative-writing programmes which have encouraged children and young people from communities with low literacy rates to put their hopes and dreams to paper.

How communities learn

When local communities rally around education, incredible things can happen. In this episode of Old-School, we speak to EduSpots Founder Cat Davison about how different communities in Ghana are coming together to improve teaching and learning across the country.

How to build a better motorcycle helmet (in Italy)

What can a great inventor teach us about the process of learning? In this episode of Old-School, hear from Automatic Systems teacher Leonardo Durante about how he and his students are using tech to create new solutions to age-old social issues, from safer motorcycle helmets to trash-collecting robots. Join us to hear about Leonardo’s favourite inventions, what students can learn by working with their hands, and the impact of AI-powered bots like ChatGPT in the classroom.

How to build a better future (in the Canadian Artic)

How can young people use skills like creativity, teamwork and leadership to serve communities based in some of the world's most isolated areas? In this episode of Old-School, we talk to Felix Aupalu from Nunavik in Northern Canada about his work to improve the lives of peoples living in the Artic.

How to fix a car (in Jamaica)

The car is one of the most fundamental symbols of our modern life, but it’s also one that is changing fast. In this episode of Old-School, we talk to Jamaican teacher Tracy-Ann Hall about what it takes to teach people to fix cars, the joy of mending things with your hands, and how a new generation of technology is changing the way things are done in the garage.

Learning Planet Special! How to kayak (in the Artic)

Kayaking is an international sporting phenomenon, but where does it come from and what’s its place in the culture of the people who created it? In this episode of Old-School, we talk to Global Teacher Prize Winner Maggie MacDonnell about her work with Indigenous Communities in the Artic and how they are reclaiming traditional skills like kayaking. Recorded live at the 2023 Learning Planet Festival.

How to grow food (in the Bronx)

For poor urban communities, access to affordable and nutritious food can be a daily struggle. In this episode of Old-School, hear from award-winning educator Stephen Ritz about his urban farming initiative in the South Bronx in New York City, where he and his students have grown more than 165,000 pounds of vegetables to feed their community.

Do governments really understand EdTech?

EdTech presents new challenges and opportunities for policy makers. However, EdTech innovators and politicians have not often succeeded in establishing a successful dialogue to aid the adoption of EdTech in schools.

Three prominent education influencers and policy experts talk to Andrew Jack, Global Education Editor of The Financial Times, about how politicians need to gain improved and evidence-based understanding of EdTech to move to informed EdTech policy-making and how the EdTech entrepreneurs can help.

#GESF @VarkeyFDN

A World with Universal Quality Education?

The education outlook in countries across Sub-Saharan Africa is absolutely critical to global efforts to deliver access to universal quality education by 2030.

Join this Public Briefing where the panel of experts and elite policy-makers as they reflect on the latest research about the state of education across the region and debate possible solutions to key issues of access, quality and equity.

#GESF @VarkeyFDN

Is teaching ‘21st century skills’ an educational dead-end?

Mark Lehain, Raj Kumar, Nuno Crato, Ms Saadia Zahidi and Dr Halima Begum debate the extent to which trends, technology and innovation will transform what skills we need for the 21st Century classroom and workplace.

#GESF @VarkeyFDN