Marquette University President Michael Lovell spoke at the third annual Shorewood Authentic Learning Showcase, held on Wednesday, May 1, in the Shorewood High School Arena. Hundreds of families, community members, partners, teachers, and students attended this event which featured dozens of K-12 student projects, including table exhibits and stage presentations. View photos from the showcase here.
Lovell took the stage to commend the Shorewood School District for its emphasis on authentic learning and the hands-on opportunities available to students. He shared his thoughts on the future of education and why the traditional classroom model should no longer be the standard.
"When I go and talk about schools who are on the leading edge of education, I always use Shorewood as the example of the school that is doing things right," said Lovell.
"We have to completely change the paradigm of education in our country," he continued.
"We have operated under the traditional classroom lecture model for over 130 years... and think about what's changed in the world in those 130 years... Now, any of us can pull out a device from our pocket and any information that is in the world today, we can pull up...
"A one inch computer processing chip will have more power than the human brain in 2023. In 2045, that processing chip will have more power than all the brains in the world combined.
"As an educator, how do we prepare students for that world? Authentic learning is a key to having students be successful going forward. The knowledge [students] can get anywhere, but how we help them master that knowledge and what they do with it, is what authentic learning is all about."
To view Lovell's entire address, view the video below.
Thank you to our generous sponsors for the Shorewood Authentic Learning Showcase: