World Innovation Summit for Education (Wise) will release its new publication, Wise Book ,later this year. This follows the earlier publications of Wise, Learning a Living: Radical Innovation in Education for Work and Innovation in Education: Lessons from Pioneers around the World.
Graham Brown-Martin, former founder of Learning Without Frontiers and Founder of Education Design Labs, will write the new Wise Book which will be illustrated by the creative photography of award winning photographer and film-maker Newsha Tavakolian.
The project has taken Martin to various parts of the world from Silicon Valley to Qatar, Ghana, Lebanon, China, Singapore, Brazil, Jordan, UAE, UK, India and beyond to meet with educators and thought leaders. This has enabled him to establish a unique world view about the ways in which digital technologies are being used to improve learning and opportunity.
The focus of the new Wise Book will be the link between technology and learning. It will also investigate how the connected society is transforming learning. The book will record case studies from a cross section of the thought leaders from around the world.
“We see technology being used to reinforce ancient teaching practices to meet 19th century assessment standards rather than a transformative experience that equips our population with the skills, knowledge and awareness to meet the challenges ahead. Our mission is to get under the skin of the debate around technology in education to understand and report back what is working and what are the obstacles as well as the
triumphs,” said Martin.
Photographer Tavakolian said that the journey through various parts of the world made her understand that education is an essential key to the development of the societies and helped her understand the world in all its rich diversity.
She observed: “Through my photos I have tried to capture the powerful human interactions and feelings. It was important for me not just to show school after school but to capture the essence of individual people and tell a human story. It is a story that goes way beyond the school walls, a story that takes you into how people live, and what they hope for in their lives.”
The book will analyse the rapid spread of digital technologies, increased levels of connectivity, the potential for massive online collaboration and “networked intelligence” which are not only opening new doors to lifelong learning but breaking down generational, geographic and
disciplinary boundaries.
With an emphasis on digital platforms, Martin is taking a new and original approach to the design and creation of this new work which will be presented as a beautifully crafted printed book optionally enhanced using a free digital app compatible with most Android or iOS
connected devices.
