This post is part of a series on teaching in 2022:
How did you feel when you first learned that Pluto was being demoted? Pluto is no longer a planet in the solar system, and people are mad about this!
We have an emotional connection to what we learned in school, and what we know to be true. It’s disruptive and disturbing when we find out that we were wrong! Our truths are no longer what we thought they were.
Yet every day science is disproving our truths. We live in an era of exploding knowledge and understanding.
Consider the human genome project. Two billion dollars went into discovering the human genome, and for under $100 today we can have our DNA sequenced. Personalized medicine and nutrition are now the norm.
Using CRISPR technology, we can now edit genes inside cells to treat genetic diseases.
NASA’s recent release of images of outer space have us in awe of the beauty and intricacy of what lies beyond earth.
Longevity genes, the importance of fasting, our brain’s connection to our microbiota, the impact of saunas on heart health – all new learning about how our bodies actually work.
How do we teach in this time of exponential growth in understanding our world? Cycles of curriculum development cannot keep up. Textbooks are outdated before they are published. Old models of what learning needs to look like don’t work today.
How has your professional practice changed in 2022?
Featured image by Sangharsh Lohakare on Unsplash
