Young Learners: Complexity and Resilience in the 21st Century
An in-depth look into learning and human resilience as complex systems, 'Young Learners: Complexity and Resilience in the 21st Century' offers a rich, evidence-based exploration of each theme, connecting them to the intricate web of our rapidly changing world. The book illuminates how these distinct yet connected facets influence the lives and experiences of today's young people, providing readers with a deep insight into the real challenges and opportunities found in the current educational landscape.
In an era marked by unprecedented change and complexity, the field of education faces new challenges and opportunities. 'Young Learners: Complexity and Resilience in the 21st Century' addresses the complex nature of learning and teaching in contemporary times, and the resilience required to navigate these times successfully.
This insightful work is designed to support teachers, parents, and caregivers who need to understand the challenges of 21st-century learning. It provides an evidence-based, comprehensive examination of the true complexity inherent in learning environments and emphasises the critical importance of building resilience in young learners, a key to navigating the uncertainties of today and tomorrow.
A distinctive feature of the book is the inclusion of 'Deal With It', the innovative card game originally developed by the author. This unique and educational activity, based on real-life scenarios from UK schools, offers an engaging approach to encourage the development of resilience, blending playfulness with pedagogical insight.
A dedicated chapter examines the nature of resilience, according to the latest research in neuroscience, and what it means to be resilient. It shows how to cultivate resilience both inside and outside the classroom, and highlights the essential skills young learners need to adapt and thrive in the face of adversity.
More than merely a book, 'Young Learners: Complexity and Resilience in the 21st Century' is an invaluable toolkit for those committed to rethinking education in primary teaching, secondary teaching, and school leadership. It promises to inspire, inform, and empower readers, contributing to the ongoing discourse on complexity and resilience amid the challenge and change of 21st-century education.
Addressing the elephant in the room, this book confronts the obvious reality that teaching and learning are complex, not simple linear processes so often assumed in policies and traditional practices. It examines the multifaceted and intricate nature of teaching and learning, offering new insights into educational dynamics. It reveals that effective education demands an understanding far beyond traditional methods, and advocates for a more nuanced, dynamic, and adaptive approach that reflects the complexity of the real world.
Complemented by a chapter of engaging and informative classroom activities, exercises and handouts, and drawing from cutting-edge research into the fields of collective adaptation, complex systems, and resilience, the author describes in detail how to practically manage complexity in various learning contexts.
About the author
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Scott Sheppard was born in Middle England a surprisingly long time ago. He read modern history, and as an undergraduate, worked on Oxford University's British National Corpus. He studied postgraduate Education and Teaching at the universities of Manchester, Sussex, and University College London, and has taught in the primary, secondary, and further education sectors, and in the world of EFL, both in the UK and abroad. Along the way, he somehow managed to squeeze in time to write a software management system for language schools, has enjoyed a fleeting spell of popularity among five-year-olds as a party magician, and penned a television drama script that patiently awaits its rightful recognition for brilliance. His recent interests in digital technology have taken him to a wide range of organisations, including Ernst & Young, the BBC, and the UK Civil Service. He now works as a writer, educator and technologist, and lives in Sussex by the sea.
Reviews
‘Scott Sheppard has produced an engaging and accessible handbook for schools here that is likely to be of great use in helping young people develop into their best selves, in a post-pandemic world that holds many challenges for them. I strongly recommend it for teachers interested in adopting an evidence-led approach to their professional practice.’
PROFESSOR SANDRA LEATON GRAY,
UCL, Senior Member of Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, author of Digital Children: A Guide for Adults