Micheal Fullan's Stratosphere

Book Review: Michael Fullan's Stratosphere

In Stratosphere, Michael Fullan outlines his solution for the current inertia in schools: “The solution consists of the integration of advances in pedagogy (especially built on how we learn), in technology (especially around engagement), and in change knowledge (especially around making change easier).”  

Pointing to studies that suggest alarming levels of both student and teacher dissatisfaction and disengagement with learning in schools, Fullan argues that current approaches such as “tell and test” are to blame for this general malaise.  He further states that only through the proper integration of pedagogy and technology will schools become effective institutions for learning in the 21^st century.  New developments in learning he states must be “irresistibly engaging, elegantly efficient and easy to use, technologically ubiquitous 24/7, and steeped in real-life problem solving.”

In his chapter on technology, Fullan begins by acknowledging technology’s “dark side” – phenomena like cyberbullying, sexting, and gaming addiction.   He suggests, though, that the undisciplined use of technology by young people is due, in part, to the fact that “the digital world of students is largely outside of schools”.  Although his message with respect to technology is for school districts and teachers to “get in there”, experiment,  and allow the gadgets to come to school,  he also warns against simply loading up on technology in schools, which he calls a “wrong driver”.  Instead, he argues for a proper integration of technology, involving a focus on pedagogy with teachers becoming comfortable “with not being the tech expert in the room” and practicing good classroom management skills.

Along with this increased focus on technology, Fullan calls for a new pedagogy that is centred on meaningful projects that focus on real-life problem solving and include the following elements:

-       Teamwork

-       Risk taking and experimentation

-       Frequent and purposeful feedback

-       Personalization

More than anything else, the new pedagogy calls for a focus on the subjective experiences of students, allowing students, as Sir Kenneth Robinson says, to “be creative in one’s area of interest”.

Fullan concludes Stratosphere on an optimistic note, predicting that an explosion of innovations that integrate technology and the new pedagogy are just around the corner.  Let's hope he's right!