Introduction:

In an era where underfunding of education appears to be a calculated strategy by conservative factions to maintain control over resources and marginalized communities, the battle for democratizing education gains immense significance. The conservative right’s strategic underfunding of education has been perceived as a tactic to maintain control over resources and marginalized communities.

North America’s school districts are implicated, benefitting financially while equity remains elusive. However, the tide is turning as some communities consider harnessing Web3 tools to invest in families and empower students.

This post explores how the emergence of Web3 technology holds the potential to shift the power dynamics in education, putting students and families at the forefront of their learning journey, promoting democracy, equity, and individuality, while challenging the status quo.

The Role of Web3 in Education:

Web3 presents a new frontier for education, where students can transcend the limitations of standardized learning and engage as co-creators of knowledge. Unlike the oppressive one-size-fits-all approach that unified technology solutions enforce, Web3 emphasizes individuality, creativity, and collaboration.

By harnessing decentralized networks, students become empowered to shape their learning environments and take ownership of their intellectual pursuits. This transformation holds profound implications for education systems that have long stifled students’ potential.

Addressing Equity and Ownership:

Equity in education has been a long-standing concern, particularly for marginalized communities. Web3 offers a glimmer of hope by providing a platform for individuals to reclaim their creative agency and amplify their voices.

Through blockchain technology, students can establish ownership over their work, ensuring that their contributions are acknowledged and valued. This resonates with the principles of anti-oppressive education, as students develop the competencies needed to thrive in an interconnected and diverse world.

Democracy, Equity, and Education:

At the core of the battle lies the connection between educational reform and the preservation of democracy. By underfunding public education, the conservative right undermines the development of informed citizens and thus democracy itself.

Conversely, saving public education becomes a means to promote democracy by empowering students to voice their opinions and shape society. Identity politics also play a crucial role, enabling youth to connect with their identities and collaborate effectively. Web3, with its emphasis on individual creativity and community building, offers a platform to blend capitalism and democracy while respecting individual ownership.

Decentralization and Resistance:

The centralized nature of education systems in North America has perpetuated a lack of accountability and innovation. However, the promise of Web3 lies in its ability to decentralize authority and empower teachers and students alike.

The current bureaucratic structures that perpetuate oppression could be dismantled, paving the way for a new era of education. Teachers, as advocates for student empowerment, can lead the charge in embracing these transformative shifts.

Taking Control Through Web3:

Web3 introduces a paradigm shift where students become artists and creators, owning their work and contributing to a decentralized community. This revolution poses a threat to oppressive governments and education systems that thrive on centralized control.

However, to realize this potential, a collective effort is required. School districts, families, and communities must invest in the development of student creativity and critical thinking, using blockchain technology to ensure attribution and reputation within online learning communities.

Challenges and Considerations:

The path to a Web3-enabled education system is not without challenges. Concerns over meritocracy and potential exclusions must be acknowledged. The question of how families and communities will adapt to the transparency of students’ achievements on the blockchain arises.

Moreover, transitioning to a Web3-centric education system is also challenging. Parents’ and families’ buy-in is crucial, as their children’s work would be openly visible on the blockchain. The system’s ability to cater to marginalized and vulnerable students must be addressed to prevent a deeper divide. Yet, the potential benefits of fostering a generation of creative and critical thinkers who own their work and contribute positively to society are undeniable.

Conclusion:

As our society grapples with the fallout of the pandemic and global economic uncertainty, the promise of Web3 becomes more relevant than ever. The decentralized nature of Web3 has the potential to empower students, families, and communities by restoring their agency over their creative selves and fostering a renewed sense of pride in their work. Amid the rise of educational unified technology solutions, the shift towards decentralized Web3 education presents a path forward that champions democracy, equity, and individuality.

The emergence of Web3 technology heralds a paradigm shift in education, one that empowers students to transcend the constraints of standardized learning and become architects of their own educational narratives. This movement aligns with the principles of democracy by promoting individuality, creativity, and collaboration, while challenging the oppressive norms that have plagued education systems for generations.

As educators and communities grapple with the potential of Web3, the critical question emerges: Will they choose to embrace this revolutionary opportunity to reshape education for the betterment of all, or will they remain complicit in the perpetuation of a status quo that stifles the growth and potential of future generations? The answer lies in the hands of those who believe in the transformative power of education and are willing to fight for its democratization through Web3.

Rich Baxter,

August 2023

Innovation in Education is a blog dedicated to innovating education. All work posted on this website is free to use under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International(CC BY-NC 4.0). All opinions and views expressed here are of the Principal.

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Introduction: Reimagining Education for a Web 3.0 World The rapid advancement of technology, particularly the rise of artificial intelligence and blockchain, has left educators and policymakers grappling with the question of how to prepare the next generation for a future that is increasingly defined by automation and decentralized systems. In this context, the role of arts education in fostering creativity, critical thinking, and ownership becomes a pivotal factor. This essay delves into the intersection of arts education and Web 3.0 technologies, highlighting the potential for arts education to empower students to become independent creators and active participants in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

The Importance of Arts Education in a Democratic Society Arts education, often overlooked in favor of STEM subjects, plays a crucial role in nurturing creativity and critical analysis. The democratic ideals of North America are best served when citizens are equipped with the tools to engage actively, articulate their ideas, and think critically. Democracy thrives when individuals possess the ability to take an active role in shaping their government and society, and this hinges on fostering strong voices through education.

The Divergent Paths of Western and Chinese Education Systems While China’s education system prioritizes discipline and productivity, the Western education systems, including North America, have lost sight of their core purpose – to develop active, creative, and critically aware citizens. The Chinese model may lack creativity, but it demonstrates the importance of clear goals and discipline. In contrast, the West needs to reintegrate creativity, critical analysis, and the scientific process into its educational framework to compete effectively and complement other systems like China’s.

Nurturing Competencies for a Web 3.0 World As the world transitions to Web 3.0, where decentralized networks and blockchain technology play a central role, certain competencies become paramount. Collaboration, critical thinking, digital literacy, and the ability to navigate and contribute to online communities are crucial for thriving in this new landscape. Arts education, with its emphasis on creative problem-solving and critical analysis, aligns seamlessly with these emerging needs.

The Shift Towards Student-Centered Learning and Ownership Web 3.0 empowers students to become owners of their work and intellectual property. Arts education, when centered around student creativity and critical analysis, fosters a sense of ownership over their creations. By utilizing blockchain technology, students can secure and assure attribution, increasing their reputation within the digital community and contributing to a new form of economy based on creativity and intellectual property.

Challenges and Considerations in Implementing Web 3.0 Education However, embracing this new paradigm is not without its challenges. Concerns over equity, privacy, and student agency must be addressed. Educators need to navigate the balance between fostering creativity and critical analysis while ensuring students’ well-being and ensuring that technology is a tool that enhances, rather than replaces, the learning process.

Conclusion: Empowering Students for a Web 3.0 Future As Web 3.0 technologies reshape society, arts education emerges as a crucial ally in preparing students for this evolving world. By nurturing creativity, critical thinking, and ownership, arts education equips students with competencies that align with the demands of a decentralized and technologically advanced future. Education systems must shift their focus from imparting knowledge to empowering students to create, critically analyze, and engage actively in shaping their digital world. The transition towards this model represents not only a revolution in education but also a transformation of societies towards more democratic, creative, and inclusive futures.

Rich B. August 2023

#PublicEducation #Web3 #Edchat #Equity #ArtsEd #DecenEdu #Ed3 #Lern2ern #Web3.0

The below essay was produced from my notes.* I proof read the essay to make sure that the ideas contained are still mine and thus, this essay is mine but AI assisted. 

I voice typed my notes into a Google Doc and copied and pasted them into ChatGPT, and used this prompt: 

organize the following text into a coherent 7 paragraph essay with a clear thesis and engaging conclusion

Here is what I got:

“Title: The Role of Arts Education in Empowering Students for a Web 3.0 Future

Introduction: Reimagining Education for a Web 3.0 World The rapid advancement of technology, particularly the rise of artificial intelligence and blockchain, has left educators and policymakers grappling with the question of how to prepare the next generation for a future that is increasingly defined by automation and decentralized systems. In this context, the role of arts education in fostering creativity, critical thinking, and ownership becomes a pivotal factor. This essay delves into the intersection of arts education and Web 3.0 technologies, highlighting the potential for arts education to empower students to become independent creators and active participants in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

The Importance of Arts Education in a Democratic Society Arts education, often overlooked in favor of STEM subjects, plays a crucial role in nurturing creativity and critical analysis. The democratic ideals of North America are best served when citizens are equipped with the tools to engage actively, articulate their ideas, and think critically. Democracy thrives when individuals possess the ability to take an active role in shaping their government and society, and this hinges on fostering strong voices through education.

The Divergent Paths of Western and Chinese Education Systems While China’s education system prioritizes discipline and productivity, the Western education systems, including North America, have lost sight of their core purpose – to develop active, creative, and critically aware citizens. The Chinese model may lack creativity, but it demonstrates the importance of clear goals and discipline. In contrast, the West needs to reintegrate creativity, critical analysis, and the scientific process into its educational framework to compete effectively and complement other systems like China’s.

Nurturing Competencies for a Web 3.0 World As the world transitions to Web 3.0, where decentralized networks and blockchain technology play a central role, certain competencies become paramount. Collaboration, critical thinking, digital literacy, and the ability to navigate and contribute to online communities are crucial for thriving in this new landscape. Arts education, with its emphasis on creative problem-solving and critical analysis, aligns seamlessly with these emerging needs.

The Shift Towards Student-Centered Learning and Ownership Web 3.0 empowers students to become owners of their work and intellectual property. Arts education, when centered around student creativity and critical analysis, fosters a sense of ownership over their creations. By utilizing blockchain technology, students can secure and assure attribution, increasing their reputation within the digital community and contributing to a new form of economy based on creativity and intellectual property.

Challenges and Considerations in Implementing Web 3.0 Education However, embracing this new paradigm is not without its challenges. Concerns over equity, privacy, and student agency must be addressed. Educators need to navigate the balance between fostering creativity and critical analysis while ensuring students’ well-being and ensuring that technology is a tool that enhances, rather than replaces, the learning process.

Conclusion: Empowering Students for a Web 3.0 Future As Web 3.0 technologies reshape society, arts education emerges as a crucial ally in preparing students for this evolving world. By nurturing creativity, critical thinking, and ownership, arts education equips students with competencies that align with the demands of a decentralized and technologically advanced future. Education systems must shift their focus from imparting knowledge to empowering students to create, critically analyze, and engage actively in shaping their digital world. The transition towards this model represents not only a revolution in education but also a transformation of societies towards more democratic, creative, and inclusive futures.”

I think my writing practice has changed forever…thanks so much for reading.

Rich B. August 2023

#PublicEducation #Web3 #Edchat #Equity #ArtsEd #DecenEdu #Ed3 #Lern2ern #Web3.0

*This is the only outside text used in my google doc; Democracy is the idea that the citizens of a country should take an active role in the government of their country and manage it directly or through elected representatives.

We have completed the second year, or Phase 2, of our Lern2ern initiative. Phase 1 was completed last year with my Grade 6 class in response to a chaotic return from COVID restrictions to face-to-face learning. It worked well and this school year some Grade 7s volunteered to take on the project again, so here is a brief summary. 

I started an after-school club that met on Mondays and we decided to run the second phase with two Grade 8 classes, two Grade 7s and my 7/8 split as our target group. Out of 135 students, 18 from two classes fully completed the online ledger, and earned lunches from Shereen’s Bakery delivered by Shereen and daughter Zana on June 13. As usual, lunch was delicious!

We have learned a few things this time around:

1. We need to market and get more students aware of the initiative.
2. We have begun the decentralisation of the project (via separate classroom ledgers). 
3. If we run it again next year we will purchase approx CAD $750* worth of crypto to NFT tokens earned – Shereen’s is down to accepting these tokens, but we will need to figure out how to do this on a blockchain.

Context

The Lern2ern initiative is a response to the violence in our schools. Lern2ern is not a social credit program. Students have to not only perform the competencies that will give them points, but they have to look after their analog ledger, and then they have to import their scores in the digital classroom ledger.  

Building Community Around Utility

Two classes participated asynchronously over two months and in different sections of our large school building. Although five classes were invited, we could have advertised and marketed the program better to have had more participants. As it stands, the 18 students from two separate classes in school were more than enough to establish proof of concept – in other words, we know this program can scale with the right support. 

The utility of our Lern2ern comes from knowing that the competencies necessary for learning to happen in the classroom are practised intentionally. This was established in Phase 1. We know the competencies that are practised and we know their values are explicitly laid out in the scoring card. By giving the kids the opportunity to meta-cognize a little bit on their competency achievement by inputting their own scores, they can learn the habits that are necessary for learning to occur in the classroom, and get rewarded.

The scoring card is what adds utility to the tokens and to the potential NFTs (Phase 3). The community invests in knowing that the conditions for learning are present. The scoring card lends itself to smart contracts because the point denominations are small. It’s translatable to other classes. It’s proof of concept.

Progress to Phase 3

Phase 1 proved that a group of young people can come back from a pandemic and provide a solution to a chaotic situation. In Phase 1 we came up with the scoring card, the “analog blockchain” was put up on the whiteboard,  and we went together as a group to Shereen’s Bakery in June 2022 for lunch with the kids who were finally seen after almost two years of lockdowns.

Phase 2, which we just completed, has proven that we can move the analog ledger to digital spreadsheets and share them with other classes in the school. We have shown that at least 18 students from two separate classes at different parts in the same building could participate, thanks again to student leadership, and that we could accomplish the Lern2ern under a similar timeline as Phase 1. 

Phase 3 is our most ambitious phase yet and could possibly happen next school year. We could use our remaining funds to purchase cryptocurrency in order to NFT the tokens, distribute them electronically to the students who complete 10,000 points in the online ledger, and determine a way for the students to receive the NFT through their own digital wallets, with the supervision of their parents and school community. We could also determine how Shereen’s will receive those tokens digitally as payment, and make it easy for other local businesses to participate. 

We could start a DAO on Discord (very similar to the way Ed3DAO is run!).  We need student volunteers to run it with adult supervision in order to scale to local schools, including local high schools. We could use an AI to monitor ledger inputs and supervise the Discord channel. 

Web2 is a Sinking Ship

I quit Twitter, Facebook and Instagram a few months ago, and I will never go back. They are a societal blight and we need to migrate our youth off these platforms on to Web3, where their time, attention and work will be recompensed, and where with our guidance they can develop their reputations and portfolios to participate more fully as creative and critical global citizens.

Students can and should own the intellectual property that they create in school, and ownership of property is important because it refocuses attention from the teacher to the class, and from the school district towards the community as a support network with consideration in their child’s intellectual work.

The  scoring card allowed two separate classes in two different parts of a very large building to complete the online ledgers in a way that was decentralised because the students did it on their own time with only the instructions given by their fellow classmates as a guide. Of course there were some disagreements but this is normal  and did not largely interfere in the process.

A decentralised autonomous organisation, or DAO, as a model for an anti- oppressive  classroom, moves the locus of power away from the teacher to the students and to the community. While strictly not a decentralised autonomous organisation, with Phase 2 of our Lern2ern we have managed to establish a proof of concept that demonstrates that particular elements of the classroom can be decentralised, thus giving more power to the students and community.

Likely the most important way to decentralise and to establish an anti-oppressive classroom is to view students as creators and not workers. When youth begin to practise processes that help them to become creative and critical producers of content that they own in Web3, and when they begin to learn how to advocate for themselves and how to practise the competencies for their own sake as artists and as creative human beings, classrooms become not only anti-oppressive, but innovative and artistic incubators that are calm and joyful.

In this respect arts education isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Youth must learn to become creative and critical consumers and producers, and Web3 not only incentivizes work but gives youth a real stake in the work that they create in and out of school. We must migrate students away from Web2 – it’s a sinking ship –  and help them build a world that’s more prosperous and sustainable.

Conclusion

Economically I think the pandemic has hit many harder than we really want to acknowledge. Many of our youth are hopeless and acting out this hopelessness violently. I don’t know if Web3 has all the answers for these youngsters,  but what it does offer is the potential for young people and their families to take back some control as creative and critical global citizens. Thus, Web3 is potentially r[e]volutionary, enlightening, and worth fighting for. 

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*I would like to again thank my school community for their bravery, including the administration and office staff at John McCrae Public School, the owners of Shereen’s Bakery, and Ian Jacskon at Nadurra Wood Corporation for their generous funding. I want to thank the Ed3DAO community. Most importantly I want to thank my students and their families for their support. 

Rich Baxter, Grade 7 Teacher, John McCrae Public School, June 2023.

tags

#web3 #web3educators #skoolverse #artseducation #ed3 #metaverse #edtech #equity #ed3dao #dao #crypto #innovation #publicschool #publiceducation #communitybuilding #tokens #blockchain #ed3 #lern2ern #NFT #nonfungibleteacher

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*Addendum – Source: ChatGPT

Some potential drawbacks of Web3 for middle and high school students to consider:

1. Complexity  
2. Lack of Regulations 
3. Security Risks 
4. Financial Implications 
5. Ethical Concerns  
6. Access and Infrastructure  
7. Distractions and Time Management 

Web3 technology offers several advantages for middle and high school students:

1. Decentralised Learning
2. Digital Ownership and Authenticity
3. Collaboration and Peer-to-Peer Learning 
4. Incentivized Learning:
5. Transparent and Trustworthy Systems 
6. Innovative Learning Experiences
7. Emerging Career Opportunities
8. Financial Literacy

Innovation in Education wins Bronze in the USA & Canada Regional Category at the Reimagine Education Awards and Conference for our program The Bootstrapping Checklist.

Wharton-QS Reimagine Education Awards 2021

Announced: 2021’s educational ‘Oscar’ winners

London 10th December: 2021’s most exciting, effective new approaches to teaching and learning have been announced by QS Quacquarelli Symonds and The Wharton School, after a gruelling competition comprising eight months, 1350 applicants, and five rounds of close expert scrutiny: the Reimagine Education Awards.

Reimagine Education 2021 shed light on the excellence of innovative solutions enhancing learning outcomes and employability for a future billion learners. In addition to the three overall awards, it rewarded innovation in sixteen main award categories (including AI, VR/AR, e-learning, educational apps and more), six disciplines (arts & humanities, business education, engineering & IT, life sciences, natural sciences and social sciences) and regional awards. Winners hail from 27 countries.

The Reimagine Education Awards are open to edtech companies, universities, schools, and educational non-profits worldwide. Contested by applicants from eighty-four nations, they seek to offer global higher education a platform through which outstanding pedagogical innovation can be identified and rewarded. 

Nunzio Quacquarelli, CEO, QS and co-founder of Reimagine Education, said: “At the end of the second disruptive year for global higher education, it has been a pleasure and a privilege to offer a platform to the projects, pedagogies, and solutions that represent the future of educational provision. With over 300 independent judges participating in the evaluation process, plus a distinguished 20 persons Grand Jury, our winners have received the unequivocal backing of expert educationalists across the world. They should take exceptional pride in their achievement.” 

Thank you to the Reimagine Steering Committee and QS Quacquarelli Symonds, my family and friends, and my dedicated #bootstrappers – #NeverStopInnovating

Rich Baxter, BEd, LLM, BFA

Principal, Innovation in Education

The full list of winners can be found here: https://content.qs.com/re21/Reimagine_Education_Winner_List_20211215.pdf

The nature and purpose of global education is changing dramatically and purposeful online communities that offer proper attribution for work completed are revolutionizing the way people exchange ideas, communicate, and learn. 

Advances in blockchain technology offer an alternative economy based in attribution – the more a student participates in an online learning community and the more their attribution can be secured and assured via encryption and blockchain technology, the more their reputation will increase in the community, the more leverage they will have within that community and also outside of our broader capitalist economy, and thus the more incentive they will have to participate. 

The decentralisation of education and learning is happening by mobilizing learning where students participate, to help solve some of the world’s deepest problems and facilitate commerce and income generation, with mentoring from teachers, professionals, academia and community members.

In its second phase after successful implementation in classroom settings, both in person and fully online, TBC 2.0 is scaling as an open student project commons, where students and mentors will have access to the commons to share projects, support their online portfolios and digital credentials, and gain actionable feedback in a peer-to-peer learning environment with collaboration and feedback as central deliverables. 

In the 2020-21 school year, grade 7 online student participants received digital badges from HighTechU and mentoring from the African Coding Network. The collaboration within our virtual classroom mirrors at the micro-level the way the African Coding Network collaborates at the macro-level (using Github, Google Suite, Discord, and storytelling), thus the techniques, technology and competencies are globally scalable and increasingly accessible.

Physical borders have been transcended. Bricks-and-mortar schools might still need to exist, but they are now parts of emerging local and global learning ecosystems. Online peer-to-peer learning communities are where participants are able to develop their reputations, their skill sets and their competencies, receive actionable feedback for continuous improvement, which inevitably will lead to employability and a global culture of information abundance which will rival and hopefully compliment our aging global capitalist economies.

The key to active student participation is attribution, and attribution is ensured and incentivized in our online learningverse using the concepts of blockchain – in GitHub, student participants’ work is forever attributed to those who do the work, and this increases their reputation and thus learning. In our commons, students borrow from past students’ works, but their brand cards ensure attribution.

TBC 2.0 is a movement and a pedagogy that is anti-oppressive in design, with equity at its centre, that encourages empathy, story telling, data collection and sharing and collaboration between youth with or without the support of a teacher. From a pedagogical standpoint, it’s a paradigm shift of power to the student. So, with or without teachers, TBC 2.0 is a global online learning network – not a competition. It is a place for youth to collaborate and get feedback from their global peer community – to connect and improve their portfolios and gain credentials and learn. 

TBC 2.0 is a proven social-entrepreneurship education program for students grade 6-12 serving the needs of some of our most vulnerable students. The promotion of online peer-to-peer learning gives students access to the collaboration and feedback that they need to grow portfolios, share, learn, and educate themselves. TBC 2.0 is located on GitHub and is meant to scale for students, by students – they write the code and administer the site with mentoring, to gain actionable feedback in a peer-to-peer learning environment with collaboration and feedback as central deliverables. 

The imminent disruption of educational bureaucracies toward decentralized peer-to-peer online learning networks where attribution of student work will be ensured by blockchain, thus compelling competent participation of community members thereby attracting mentoring, investment, HigherEd and employers, in order to address present local/global systemic inequities and propel a global information [r]evolution, has already begun. TBC 2.0 is a step toward this [r]evolution as it puts the power to the students in a decentralized global learning network, unified by a five step workflow.

Special thank you to Andrew MacLean and Warwick Vlantis for your support! (I learned the term “Culture of Abundance” from Warwick).

Rich Baxter

https://bootstrappingchecklist.org/

Rich Baxter is founder, educator and advocate for social innovation, the arts, and entrepreneurial education. The Bootstrapping Checklist was Shortlisted in the Teaching Delivery Category and Showcased in December 2016 and again Shortlisted in the K12 in December 2020 at the Reimagine Education Awards.  We won Bronze for the 2021 USA & Canada Regional Awards.