Ken Shelton is a veteran educator and speaker on a variety of educational technology, equity and inclusion, multimedia literacy, and instructional design topics. He’ll be leading several sessions at FETC 2020 in Miami.
Shelton examines learning through a lens that cultivates experiential growth. His 3 E’s concept highlights the engineer, explorer, and entrepreneur, looking at the characteristics of individuals who are successful in those industries. The result is a broader, less rigid definition that encapsulates the growth mindset. He adds, “My focal point in education and the support that I do for schools, districts, and organizations is centered around getting away from the compartmentalization and rigidity that has persisted in education.”
In today’s environment, being inflexible means you’ll leave out students who don’t fit into prescribed definitions of learning. As Shelton elaborates, “If you look at educational experiences from a static lens, [it takes] a large group of students and funnels it down to only a select few that have any potential of success.” Through the adoption of a more fluid mindset, Shelton points to greater inclusivity and success. “It breaks down the systemic barriers that exist regarding who is successful and who isn’t.”
Career readiness and workforce development is a focal point in educating today’s students to be future-ready. Shelton looks to the changing economic landscape facing students and recognizes that our education system may not be running parallel to the shifts taking place in society. He points to a gig economy forming, and although businesses are adapting to the changes for survival, education does not have the same pressures and tends to resist change.
To listen to the full Q&A, click here.
