Modern Learning

This term has been used quite widely to describe educational goals during the past few years. I think the first place I saw the term was in some great resources published by York Region DSB. Usually when people describe their big goals as Modern Learning, they are trying to avoid the use of other terms such as “21^st century learning” (used a lot by the Ontario Ministry of Education, back in the good old days when the ministry was open-minded and forward-thinking. Oh, did I say that out loud?). Michael Fullan has given us another suite of terms such as “New Pedagogies,” “Deeper Learning,” “6 C’s,” and more.

My personal favourite is 21c Learning. It is short and to the point and I don’t mind that we still use it when we are well into the 21^st century.

But my main objection to the term “modern learning,” is that the word “modern” has a pre-existing definition. My knowledge of this was hard-won, and I am loathe to give it up!

When I started university, I did not do well in first year English. This was a big crisis for me, as I love literature, reading and writing and was an English major from Day 1. Mid way through semester 1, I realized that my casual and colloquial definitions of words such as “modern,” “medieval,” and “romantic” were part of the problem. I literally had no idea that in many fields these are technical terms with very defined meanings. I vividly remember going to the library at the University of Windsor. Lacking the Internet and Wikipedia, I took down a volume of an encyclopedia and turned to the section on Literature, and found part of my answer.

For example, the Romantic period of literature refers roughly to writers and their works from 1790-1830, and the Modern, 1910-1945. There are many views on these exact dates, but nevertheless… I learned that the same kinds of terms apply in art and architecture. What a world of understanding opened up to me as a result of half an hour with the encyclopedia!

Three years later, in grad school, I met my friend Robin who had joined us from Scotland. I found out that throughout his high school years, the eras of literature were broken down and taught grade by grade. I was so upset that in Ontario that was (and is) not a part of what we learn.

But having learned first-hand the importance of the terms, I am reluctant to abandon them! So I am all about “21c learning,” thank you very much!