< Previousthat maximises their opportunities for entrepreneurial, exponential and innovative thinking, with hands on experimentation. Today, even the most forward thinking school labs, I’d argue, aren’t anywhere close enough to preparing students for careers in an increasingly complex, dynamic, and fast paced future - especially when set against the backdrop of increasingly rapid technological and societal change. For example, while I personally track over 600 powerful emerging technologies today, which you can explore in more depth in my complimentary Exponential Technology Codex The Next 50 Years Codex, on average only 9, yes, that’s right, a measly 9, exponential technologies, such as 3D Printing, Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, Blockchain, Robotics, and Virtual Reality are even discussed in schools - let alone taught in depth, so it’s by no means a stretch to say that this mismatch alone will leave society with an enormous skills gap in the years and decades to come. Furthermore, when you consider the fact, for example, that both AI’s and robots are already able to self- code, self-design, self-evolve, and self-replicate, albeit in a limited fashion for now at least, then over time that skills gap will get significantly wider, and at a much faster rate than we’ve ever seen before. This rate of change is also the prime reason why we no longer have a choice but to include more experimental and theoretical teaching within schools. X-Labs are designed from the outset to combine the best of creative, inter- disciplinary exponential experimentation with a vibrant atmosphere, and Notes: “Of the hundreds of exponential technologies emerging today even the most forward looking schools are only discussing nine of them - let alone teaching students about them in any depth. We are already setting ourselves up to fail in the future.” 170311institute.comthe entrepreneurship of world class corporate accelerators where students are free to explore and experiment with new ideas and concepts, as well as succeed and fail, with impunity, but without the pressure associated with companies fierce focus on business returns. As we head into the Exponential Era, that will be dominated by increasingly democratised, intelligent, and powerful exponential technologies, and where students will face unprecedented personal and professional challenges throughout their adult careers having these types of workshop spaces will be increasingly crucial. However, just as the scale of the challenge we all face is great so too is the need for cooperation, which is why X-Labs have to break free from today’s status quo, and forge new partnerships and encourage new thinking - all things that are pivotal to making them successful. Notes: CREATE WITHOUT BOUNDARIES. THINK WITHOUT BOUNDARIES.BUILD YOUR OWN SCHOOL X-LAB X-Labs need to be collaborative, entrepreneurial, multi-disciplined, open, and promote exponential and theoretical thinking, and experimentation. With all this in mind, therefore, there are a host of new elements we need to incorporate that, when combined, will help change your schools culture of learning, your outlook on the future, and your students zeal for the future. 03 Design and use spaces that encourage collaboration, creativity, and innovative thinking. INNOVATIVE SPACES 02 X-Labs leaders should set a continuous series of Grand Challenges that encourage creativity, exponential thinking and problem solving. GRAND CHALLENGES 01 Create active conversations with lots of different groups to stimulate innovative thinking, and always ask questions. CONVERSATIONS 06 Leaders must actively encourage and promote cross curricular thinking, and create novel theme based curricula that promote innovative thinking. PROBLEM SOLVING 05 Experts who can up skill teachers and students, with a focus on creative and entrepreneurial thinking, and exponential technology are crucial. MENTORS 04 Students should have consistent and regular access to a vibrant community of inspirational and motivational leaders from a variety of backgrounds. LEADERSHIP 09 Continuous and controlled exposure to a wide range of diverse and inspiring partners will help provide students with fresh perspectives and ideas. PARTNERSHIPS 08 The ability to experiment freely without fear of being reprimanded for failure is crucial. RISK CULTURE 07 Digital and physical hubs and resources that help teachers and students stay up to date, let them share ideas, and promote thought leadership, are crucial. RESEARCH HUBS 12 The majority of students best thinking takes place when there is an absence of duress and stress, so leaders must do their best to foster the right cultures. TIME 11 Continuous and controlled exposure to as wide a range of exponential technologies and their benefits as possible is crucial. TECH EXPOSURE NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. 10 Writing science fiction stories is one of the simplest and most effective ways to stir students creativity and imagination, so choose your timelines and get writing. SCI-FI STORYTELLINGNotes: 173311institute.comSTART YOUR TRANSFORMATIONT HROUGHOUT THIS Codex I’ve talked about the reasons why today’s industrial style education systems should change, and need to change. I’ve also highlighted the opportunities that educators and educational establishments have to re- invent themselves in order to help create tomorrow’s future fit entrepreneurs, professionals, and inspirational thought leaders. However, I’m also the first to acknowledge that the future we are all racing into is as confusing as it is fast paced, which undoubtedly then leaves you asking just one question: WHERE ON EARTH DO WE START!? As any good coach, or teacher for that matter, will tell you the first thing you must do is actually START and get off the fence. As for what comes next, well, take your time, but not too long, take baby steps, start simple, and don’t be afraid to ask people for help, after all, we’re all in this together. 1. CULTURE Without the right attitude and culture within your school all the changes you try to implement, and your transformation, will likely fail. Therefore examine your culture and take the right steps to foster the right culture using a top down approach. 2. PREPARE Next pull together a team of four to six enthusiastic and like minded individuals from inside and outside of your school, and include at least one or more senior stakeholders and sponsors - as your program gets off the ground you will need both sponsorship and air cover to help defend you and your team against the organisation’s natural immune system which might try to kill it. 3. EXPLORE Get out of your comfort zone and explore the future and deep future for yourselves using whatever connections and resources you have available to you, and pull together a point of view. 4. START SIMPLE 175311institute.comTOP TIP: Why not start by creating your own robotic vertical farm, AI image classifier, or running a science fiction writing competition set in the year 2050? Start with baby steps. Learn to crawl before you can walk. As a team filter and then prioritise your findings from the first step, categorising those findings by impact, where impact is how you decide to define it. The next step(s) that you take should be low risk and low cost because at this point in time it’s unlikely you have any funding or access to any significant or meaningful resources. One of the simplest places you can start is by introducing and encouraging some of the concepts mentioned in this Codex, for example, the soft skills, into your everyday curriculum and teachings. After this, the next step should be to begin opening up more of your faculty and student’s thinking by introducing them to the future and future thinking - something that can be done by creating appropriately tailored content, holding special assemblies or town halls, kick starting some projects, as well as using a variety of other techniques. 5. PARTNERSHIPS The next step involves improving your faculty and student’s access to future thinking individuals and organisations by forging new collaborative partnerships. These partnerships could include other academic establishments, entrepreneurs, industry experts, innovation communities, and other inspirational entities, with the purpose of these partnerships being to provide you all with easy and frictionless access to new experiences, new mentors, and new thinking. 6. REMOVE THE TRAINING WHEELS Now, after a gentle start, correct the things that don’t work, think bigger, hunt out more resources, be bold, start your own X-Lab, and scale. And remember, if you need help there are plenty of people, not just myself, who are ready, willing and able to help. You are not alone. Notes: 176311institute.comNotes: 177311institute.comUPGRADING THE HUMAN LEARNING ALGORITHMNext >