New thinking

On their dynamic learning website several pioneers in "new education" tell us that "21st century learning and educating requires big and wonderful shifts from the 'fit the norm', mental approach of 20th century education." They aim to transform learning and make lifelong learning an exhilarating activity.

As an educational consultant with Discovery Toys, I am continuously interested in developments in brain research and how the mind starts getting wired at birth and makes millions of connections by age 2. I am also awed by how much of an impact playing with good, basic toys can have on that process. We believe that play is a child's work...children play to learn, to grow and to experience the world around them.

Play is, after all, one of the purest methods of learning in children because through it they get to explore, experiment, build self-esteem, develop muscle control and more. It stands to reason that with information expanding as rapidly as it is, that just being able to memorize lots of facts will no longer be effective. Our children will have to be able to synthesize the glut of information that will be at their fingertips, which will require different skills than what have traditionally been taught in our schools.