As part of THINK Learning Studio’s ongoing work to help educators foster creative learning mindsets in all learners — and themselves, too — we are excited to announce the launch of the TLS Foresight Lab.
Why?
Simply put, while we know that preparing learners for the ‘future’ guides every educator’s practice…
…but rarely are educators provided relevant ‘futures thinking’ and ‘forecasting’ resources and experiences to help them do this.
And even more rarely are they supported in joyful and purposeful ways that help them feel positive about the future world emerging around them.
So we thought we’d explore ways to do just that.
Joyfully.
Experientially.
Creatively.
And in the spirit of helping others see the world around them differently, expand their multi-disciplinary imaginations, and — possibly — design the future we all deserve, our initial Foresight Lab partnerships and initiatives will focus on three areas:
- school leadership experiences: a custom-built, one or two-year-long program designed to support International career-related programs with school leadership.
- design challenges: strategic ‘discover-and-design’ challenges for students and educators (experienced as single events or as an entire series) with our entrepreneurial partners.
- advanced training: advanced professional development for educators and professionals interested in expanding their ‘Foresight’ practices with our ‘Foresight in Leadership’, ‘Foresight in Sustainability’, and ‘Deep-Dive’ courses.
To clarify:
We are not interested in predicting the future.
Instead, we believe that — along with Project-Based Learning, Place-Based Learning, Design Thinking, service learning, outdoor education, entrepreneurship and maker initiatives, and similar teaching methods — Futures Thinking and Forecasting methods creatively broaden all of our abilities to engage the world around us.
This is true for our learners.
This is also true for all of us as educators.
That’s why we’re launching the Foresight Lab.
And seeing where it leads us next…
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Examples of (3) TLS Foresight Lab Experiences Coming Soon:
In Dubai on January 25, our TLS Foresight Lab team and oour partner ATÖLYE will lead the experimental “School on Mars” experience to explore challenges and opportunities to shape a regenerative world via education by designing a school on Mars beyond the constraints of today.
Session Description”
to ideate and reflect together about how to enable learners in grades K–12 to be responsible and compassionate global citizens who are committed to creating a more sustainable and equitable world.
We invite you to bring your provocative questions and an open mind and share your view on the transformative power of education with the education community!
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One of our TLS teammates will facilitate “Foresight Thinking and Future Scenario Design for Human Beings” at the annual Educon conference (Feb 3-5) at Chris Lehmann’s globally renowned Science Leadership Academy in urban Philadelphia (US).
Session Description:
In this interactive conversation, we will explore and test a series of ‘foresight thinking’ strategies developed by leading organizations including The Institute for The Future, The Smithsonian Institute, TeachTheFuture.org, and the d.school’s K-12 Lab. Our session will use these recognized foresight strategies used by these professional futurists — who understand the mindsets of both youth and educators — to guide research and clients.
Most importantly, it will help us consider ways we might adopt foresight practices and tools to empower our students both for their immediate future and the many scenarios that may define the world they step into next.
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Another TLS teammate will also lead our 2-day “Foresight Foundation” immersive course in Lisbon, Portugal (June 22-23).
Course Description:
Over two days, [participants] will learn about the latest developments in foresight methodology and practice to use foresight to inform your decision-making and better prepare for the future.
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Stay tuned for more TLS Foresight experiences to come.
Or
Reach out to our TLS Foresight Team to share your vision for how you think Futures Thinking and Foresight methods and experiences might benefit you, your team, and your learning community.
Article by
Seb Olsen
Web Designer & Podcast Producer
Seb Olsen, a forward-thinking tech enthusiast from York, UK, now resides in Amsterdam, Netherlands after graduating from THINK Global School in 2022. During his two-year journey exploring different cultures, he achieved various milestones such as app development, SCUBA diving mastery, marketing campaigns, and AI research.
