We all know the future of education has changed since COVID-19 but what that future looks like for students and teachers is as clear as mud. Educators know that at the core of this change in education is a collaboration with peers and between teachers, incorporating meaningful critical thinking exercises for students to learn from. The future also requires creativity to be inserted into teacher’s lessons, students to use creativity to show mastery of those lessons, and all stakeholders to communicate effectively using 21st-century tools like personalized approach and audio and video. 

David Preston, an English teacher at Righetti High School and Santa Maria High School in Southern California, has developed a framework to address some of the biggest gaps on the path to the future of education. His goal is to integrate emerging technologies with timeless best practices in order to support the learners, families, educators, communities, and organizations who are inventing the next stage of education. 

David is the author of Academy of One: The Power and Promise of Open-Source Learning. He is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles where he received a B.A. in Communication Studies and a master’s degree in Teacher Education. He also has a doctorate in Education Policy from the UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information studies. David began his educational career at UCLA and taught there for 11 years. After being challenged by a high school principal who said that research doesn’t always equate to teaching practice David took him up on his offer and went back to the classroom in 2003.

In this episode, we talk with David about open-source learning and why education is more than books and tests. We also discuss why it’s essential to teach students to use creativity in the classroom and to use tools like the internet to collaborate and communicate effectively with their peers. Finally, we cover training and professional developments he offers teachers and schools to incorporate the Academy of One into their curriculums. 

—William Jeffery is curating Flipboard EDU Podcast

“Coach Jeffery” is an award-winning digital learning educator and assistant principal at Columbia High School in Texas. His tech pedagogy continues to drive him to curate educational content on Flipboard that highlights teaching strategies, edtech, and ways to improve student success. He started co-hosting the “Flipboard EDU Podcast” as yet another way to share resources with his peers.