'Don't limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time' –Rabindranath Tagore

There is an often repeated saying that we have schools from the XIX century, teachers from the XX century and pupils from the XXI century. However, schools are not entirely stuck in the past, and innovation is arriving in different ways and at different speeds. Architecture, teaching methods and new technologies are all having an impact on the skills we develop in our children, and key elements of School 2.0 for the XXI century are already with us.

Skills

In an age of fast changing knowledge and technology, the skills that our children will need are very different to those which our grandparents required. However, it is difficult to predict precisely what the future has in store for us, and schools therefore need to be able to support young people in being able to cope with change. One good example is the subject of entrepreneurship education that has been implemented in many parts of Europe in response to new needs in the labour market and society. As Eurydice's report on the topic states: "There is a growing awareness of the potential of young people to launch and develop their own commercial or social venture thereby becoming innovators in the areas in which they live and work". 

Many schools are also seeking to develop different aspects of students' intelligence – not only academic knowledge and skills, but social and emotional intelligence as well.  Indeed, in an age of increasing numbers of serious behavioural problems among young people such as bullying or eating disorders, it should come as no surprise that emotional skills, empathy and self-awareness are treated with increasing importance in the Finnish education system, long considered to be one of the best education systems in the world. Where Finland leads, others may soon follow. 

Architecture 

"With what do you associate looking at a line of locked rooms along a corridor in which you cannot stand without permission, and a bell to command entering and leaving?" asks the architect Frank Locker in a Colombian journal. Is it by accident that schools have been designed like prisons? In both places, obedience, silence and repetition are imposed behaviours and yet we often seem surprised that students become stressed, disconnected, and in the worst cases evolve into uncritical and apolitical citizens.  

However, the traditional classroom of rows of tables strategically disposed to avoid pupils being able to see the work of others is being substituted in some schools by adaptive, multifunctional spaces where students can sit around tables to work collaboratively in groups – boosting their critical thinking, creativity and communication skills. The Dutch designer Rosan Bosch has specialised in the development of new educational spaces and furniture resulting in major improvements in student motivation. Similar low-cost options  are available for all schools and may soon change the classroom environment radically. So there is hope for pupils still stuck in a row with the teacher at the front.

Teaching methods

Technological innovation is changing everything in our lives, and education won't be an exception. Many countries and schools are already using technologies that modify the way that students learn. For example, programmes such as Skype in the Classroom boost the creation of collaborative global classrooms where students all around the world can work together. The structure of classes is also changing. Why not receive and digest the content of lessons at home and leave classroom time for discussion and exercises? That is what the Flip Lessons model offers. The big advantage is that students take control of their own learning process, and are able to benefit more from the knowledge and expertise of teachers. 

Inevitably, these innovations mean that the teacher's role is also changing. Knowledge no longer moves in one direction – from teacher to pupil. Rather the teacher is becoming more of a coach – guiding students in their individual learning process.  One of the main conclusions of Eurydice's report on the Teaching Profession in Europe is that schools need to hire the best possible professionals and that teaching therefore needs to be an attractive professional career. 

There are other innovative ideas that are becoming increasingly important. Leaving the classroom completely to provide contact with nature, and focusing on real-life tasks such as creating organisations and companies are just two examples. Indeed innovation in education is not hard to find, but we should not forget that many initiatives are at an early stage and their impact cannot yet be fully evaluated. Neither should we forget that innovation is not necessarily always positive. For example, would we be comfortable to see excellent teachers becoming rich celebrities as a result of online lessons, as is happening in South Korea? 

Darwin pointed out that those who survive are not necessarily the strongest or most intelligent, but those that are best able to adapt to a changing environment. We need to make sure that School 2.0 fulfils that mission for our children. There is plenty of scope for ideas on how best to do that. 

Authors: Elena Cordero and David Crosier