The Educational Evolutionaries (2035-2045)

World Creators: Cenet Inal, Anabel Ranga and Yi

History and Politics

Between 2035 and 2045, society and politics undergo significant transformations. The rise of remote work, propelled by technological advancements and the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, lead to a re-evaluation of urban living. This shift brings about a trend towards de-urbanization, as people seek more sustainable and less crowded environments. This transition impacts Toronto's multicultural dynamic, leading to a more dispersed, yet digitally connected community. Environmental sustainability becomes a core focus, with green technologies integrated into everyday life and education, fostering a generation more conscious of ecological issues. The role of physical spaces in education also evolves, with schools becoming more community-centred, offering spaces for social interaction and hands-on learning in a world where digital connections dominate.

Move towards de-urbanization

In response to these societal shifts, the Canadian government implements a series of groundbreaking policies aimed at managing the transition effectively. Recognizing the challenges and opportunities of a de-urbanizing population, the government invests heavily in digital infrastructure to support remote work and education across the country. This includes enhancing internet connectivity in rural and remote areas, thus ensuring equitable access to digital resources. To address the increased cost of living and homelessness, policies focusing on affordable housing and social welfare programs are expanded, with a special emphasis on sustainable development and green living spaces. The government also plays a pivotal role in integrating environmental sustainability into the national curriculum, preparing future generations for the challenges of climate change. Furthermore, recognizing the importance of mental health in a society leaning towards individualism, substantial resources are allocated towards expanding mental health services and community support networks.

The shadow of COVID-19 looms large over this period, shaping societal norms and political landscapes. The pandemic's aftermath accentuates societal disparities and propels a shift towards individualism, exacerbating the divide between communities within Toronto's multicultural mosaic. The crisis also impacts the evolution of educational systems and technological integration, addressing both the challenges and opportunities these changes present. The pandemic also serves as a stark reminder of the interconnectedness of global communities and the collective action required to tackle global challenges. The swift spread of the virus across borders demonstrated the need for international co-operation in health and environmental policies, influencing a shift towards more collaborative approaches to addressing climate change, disease prevention, and disaster responses in the subsequent years.

As remote work becomes the norm, the concept of a workspace undergoes a radical transformation. Homes are redesigned to accommodate professional needs, leading to innovations in residential architecture. Companies, in turn, reduce their physical footprints, leading to a reconsideration of commercial real estate and urban planning. Cities adapt by repurposing their infrastructure, turning empty office buildings into residential units, community centres, or green spaces, further promoting environmental sustainability.

Increase of remote work

In this transformative era, the importance of mental health and community support networks becomes increasingly prominent. As society grapples with the challenges of de-urbanization and the move towards a more individualistic culture, there emerges a growing awareness of the psychological impacts of such shifts. Initiatives aimed at bolstering mental health services and creating robust support systems become crucial. The political landscape also shifts in response to these societal changes. Governments adopt more decentralised models to manage the dispersed population effectively. Policy-making becomes more participatory, with digital platforms enabling citizens to have a direct say in their governance. This leads to a reimagining of democracy, where digital engagement tools become as fundamental to the political process as traditional voting booths.

Internationally, the spread of technology and the push for sustainability foster greater cooperation among nations. Climate change and environmental preservation become central themes in diplomatic relations, leading to the formation of global coalitions focused on green technology, renewable energy, and ecological restoration projects.

In conclusion, the period between 2035 and 2045 marks a pivot towards a more sustainable, technologically integrated, and individually tailored society. These changes offer a vision of a future where humanity adapts, innovates, and thrives in harmony with the planet and each other.

Education

Elementary Education

The COVID-19 pandemic accentuated a lot of the existing problems in society especially in the field of education. Post-pandemic teachers, parents and administrators saw many negative effects of online learning in the elementary levels of education. A variety of problems arose including, but not limited to issues with socialization and development of social skills, students not reaching curriculum expectations and lacking the basic literacy and mathematics skills. As a result, during the years 2035 - 2045 though technology makes a presence in different ways in the elementary division, students have not switched to a hybrid or online format of learning. Along with the negative repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, society as a whole realized the significance that elementary education has in providing students with foundational knowledge required to advance in their education. Hence, though formal schooling is still present in the elementary division, it looks different.

Throughout the years of 2035 – 2045, various Indigenous pedagogies are adopted into the education system to target various issues that arose in the years prior. One of the most significant issues that arose amongst students was the desire to learn. Though this issue has always been present in the education system, it was amplified after the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a substantial lack of motivation amongst students to learn, especially in the elementary division. At first, this issue was attempted to be solved by creating engaging lessons and incorporating technology into the class, however, the year 2024 revealed that a deeper solution was required as these pedagogical changes were deemed ineffective. With the introduction of various technologies such as ChatGPT and other generative AI, as well as the level of accessibility of basic knowledge through the internet, students no longer saw a value in what they were learning and as a result were not motivated to learn. Consequently, throughout the years of 2035 - 2045, elementary education adopts Indigenous pedagogies that emphasize teaching the relevancy in what students are learning. These pedagogies improve the motivation of students as they start to see the value of their education.

Online Games to be used for rote learning

The years 2023 and 2024 saw the return of rote style learning, but in the format of online games. For instance, education games such as mPower and Knowledgehook were introduced into the elementary schooling system as a way to keep students engaged in literacy and mathematical content. The core of those games contained rote learning because in order to obtain the correct answer, students were required to have some sort of knowledge of facts. These types of games continue to be prevalent in the years 2035 - 2045, as school boards realized (in the years 2023 and 2024) the benefits of repetition of content and memorization for retaining knowledge. That being said, unlike the past where the curriculum favoured solely rote learning or solely inquiry learning, in the years 2035 – 2045 there is a realization that both are required to provide a quality education. The rote learning which is done through students' use of technology, through means such as games, provides students with the basic literacy and mathematics skills, while the teacher in the classroom serves as a facilitator for inquiry-based learning tasks. For instance, a junior grade literacy-based inquiry task might look like having students exploring their family tree/history by engaging with family members and recording their stories either through digital and assistive technologies or recording them on paper. This means that teachers have gradually moved away from primarily assessing based on knowledge to assessing students ability to critically think and analyze.

Another aspect of education that has been influenced by Indigenous pedagogies is the move away from learning in a checkbox format to learning being seen in a more holistic way. Content being taught in the classroom is now interwoven and concepts are revisited several times throughout the year as opposed to being taught and then simply forgotten about. This will occur in the more inquiry-based tasks completed in the classroom. For instance, in mathematics this might look like providing students with numeracy problems and tasks that have more than one way of obtaining the correct answer.

Secondary Education

Although the older generations may still recognize the elementary education system, the same cannot be entirely said about secondary education. Secondary education between the years 2035 - 2045 in Toronto has become much more technologically advanced and personalized.

Following the return to in-person learning after the COVID-19 pandemic, educators noticed an extreme lack of motivation amongst secondary students. At the same time, students were often heard voicing their frustration in having to learn concepts and subjects which they felt were not relevant to their future goals and endeavours. After years of trying to resolve these issues with teaching strategies such as culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy, the shift was finally made to a stronger focus on personalized education.

Students are still required to take English (4 credits) and French (1 credit). As well, with technology being an integral part of life and society, students are also required to take a mandatory technology basics course (1 credit). However, aside from these mandatory courses, students are able to choose their courses from Grade 9 all the way through Grade 12, according to their desired path. Students still have the option of choosing to follow the old structure and system of courses if they are unsure of which career path they would like to pursue, however, in order to maximize students' motivation and interest in what they are learning, the choice is completely up to them. Therefore, it can be said that the role of schooling has shifted from a more generalized education to a personalized education.

E-learning hubs located within each school

In terms of the structure, formal schooling institutions have persisted. However, due to the success of online education during the pandemic years (2020 - 2022) and technological advancements, the secondary education system now consists of many more e-learning and blended courses. While in the past there was a teacher physically present teaching each and every course, that is no longer the case. Courses which the government deemed to be content heavy, such as English and history, have been completely transformed into e-learning courses. With this, students have the choice of attending their class from home or coming to school and attending their course(s) in one of the designated e-learning hubs (please see image to right). Contrarily, courses which the government deemed to be hands-on are taught by teachers on-site. These courses include: STEM subjects, physical education, art and other technical subjects. Regardless of the course format, all courses include elements of virtual reality, augmented reality and simulations in order to create a more immersive learning experience that is both interactive and engaging. With the cutting edge technology, students are able to learn complex concepts like never before!

In addition to this, not only has technology impacted the structure of schooling, but has also impacted assessments in secondary education. Back in 2022, when ChatGPT first began gaining popularity, educators across Toronto were puzzled as to how to assess student learning, as countless students were using artificial intelligence to complete many of their assignments. To this end, the Ontario curriculum changed the assessment and evaluation system by drastically reducing the importance and weight of the knowledge/understanding category and instead focusing more so on thinking/inquiry, application and of course, communication. The thought behind this was that with technology being so advanced and readily available, students no longer need to be able to regurgitate basic facts as they can find this information with a few clicks. Instead, the focus is now on being able to critically think, applying knowledge in real world scenarios and effectively communicating one's thoughts and ideas.

With regards to the Ontario curriculum, not only has assessment changed, but another major shift has been seen in Indigenous education. In the early 2020’s, there was more of a focus on the incorporation of Indigenous pedagogies and educators were taking the beginning steps to learn about how to respectfully and effectively incorporate and engage with these pedagogies. Although it took time to learn and establish relationships, Indigenous pedagogies are now part of every course and continue to expand. Not only has this significantly increased equity, inclusion and decolonization, but has also aided in increasing student motivation and interest as they are excited to learn about not only Western pedagogies, but Indigenous pedagogies as well.

Finally, education cannot be discussed without acknowledging how schools are aiding in the climate crisis. Whereas years ago, single use plastics could be seen used all throughout schools, that is no longer the case. Single use plastics are completely banned in schools and now only items which are biodegradable, compostable, plant-based and/or compressed fibers can be used.

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