SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Goal Diggers
Welcome to the Future of Learning
The Shift in Learning Paradigms
The question of ‘what will we learn?’ has become somewhat redundant in the age of artificial intelligence. With AI continually outpacing itself, the focus should shift from competition to collaboration with these technologies, while also fostering the same sense of collective progress among ourselves.
Collaboration vs Competition
It’s essential to communicate and work alongside AI rather than view it as a rival. It won’t be AI that takes your job but someone who knows how to use it.
Knowledge Application
The emphasis should be on applying knowledge, not just consuming it. Passive consumption doesn’t prepare us for real-world challenges.
Curriculum Evolution
Education is transitioning from a content-based curriculum (focused on what we learn) to a concept-based one (focused on how we apply that knowledge).
Active Engagement
We need to move from a state where only a fraction of our knowledge is actively utilised (often cited as only 10-30%) to a model where we fully engage with our potential.
Higher Order Thinking
This shift encourages conceptual thinking, allowing us to transcend basic knowledge and apply it in meaningful ways and in a variety of circumstances.
Awareness and Activation
The goal is to cultivate awareness of our existing knowledge and actively engage with it to enhance our understanding and application in real-life situations.
In essence, the future of learning is about activating our latent knowledge and using it to navigate complexities in collaboration with AI. However, this is not a course about Artificial Intelligence, it is a programme that develops a range of skills, traits and mindsets that will help you have the adaptability to face the (unknown) future with confidence.
How are we going to do this together in London?
Let’s start off by saying that this is a very different experience. You are not going to be spoonfed facts and expected to regurgitate them. In fact, we don’t deal in equality with everyone facing the same tasks and challenges. Instead, we focus on equity to ensure each person gets what they need.
No Classrooms
For us, learning isn’t about sitting at a desk. It’s about immersing ourselves in the world, and there’s no better classroom than the vibrant, dynamic backdrop of a city like London. Project ❌ students don’t just “learn about” global skills—they experience them first hand.
No Coursebooks
What we do is tailored and personalised and no two experiences are identical. While we work within a framework, the days are created organically and collaboratively. How can we already tell you what you need to learn when we haven’t even met you yet?
Take a look below at an example from the programme. It’s day 3 when we visit Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery and nearby Leicester Square, Chinatown and Covent Garden.
Why is Art our theme for today? Art is ambiguous for many and yet it provides a great context for what’s to come – ambiguity and the unknown and unpredictable so the way we approach art will create one of many blueprints on how to tackle the unknown future via our clusters.
Example Day
Day 3: The Eye of the Beholder Day
Morning: Breakfast at the hotel and Trafalgar Square
- Starter Task (taking photos throughout the day)
- Knowledge Cluster: Students use creativity to narrate a story visually, drawing on the theme of artistic interpretation.
- Global Cluster: Skills like creative thinking, reflection, and self-management (choosing meaningful subjects to photograph) come into play.
- Reflection Prompt (defining art)
- Emotion Cluster: Exploring personal emotions and values tied to what “art” means to them.
- Social Cluster: Discussing and sharing personal perspectives on art invites collaborative learning and social engagement.
- Personal Cluster: Encouraging self-expression and authenticity
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Midday: National Gallery Exploration
- Critiquing Masterpieces
- Knowledge Cluster: Applying analytical thinking and comparing visual elements like colour, texture, and composition.
- Emotion Cluster: Connecting emotionally with the artwork and evaluating its impact on their feelings.
- Global Cluster: Using critical thinking, communication, and research skills to evaluate and interpret the art.
- Social Cluster: Collaborative discussions on anonymous artworks encourage empathy and respectful debate.
- Personal: Reflecting on values and biases in the critique process.
Lunch: Leicester Square/Chinatown
Early Afternoon: Covent Garden and Personal Project
- Task (identify three masterpieces)
- Knowledge Cluster: Synthesizing prior learning about art styles, techniques, and cultural significance.
- Global Cluster: Developing and applying self-created evaluation criteria, fostering independence and adaptability.
- Emotion Cluster: Deepening self-awareness and connecting personal interpretations with cultural insights.
- Personal: Expressing individuality and creative independence.
Late Afternoon: Covent Garden and Art Auction and Reflection
- Gallery Showcase
- Social Cluster: Presenting and justifying their choices fosters public speaking and collaborative evaluation.
- Global Cluster: Synthesizing group feedback and revising perspectives based on peer insights.
- Emotion Cluster: Sharing personal connections with their photos and art choices builds confidence in self-expression.
- Personal: Building confidence and showcasing individuality.
- Auction and Bias Reflection
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- Social Cluster: Group critique fosters collective learning and social engagement.
- Knowledge Cluster: Exploring themes of bias, historical context, and subjective value in art.
Cliffhanger for Day 4:
- Teaser Reading (Annie Leibovitz’s Silent Professor)
- Knowledge Cluster: Encourages curiosity about non-verbal teaching and observational learning.
- Global Cluster: Promotes reflection on independent thinking and the power of silence.
Dinner: At your chosen restaurant for tonight’s meal
Evening: Back at the hotel and a chance to relax, reflect and enjoy the time together
Take a look at the different skills ‘clusters’ and plan what you want to focus on today. The idea is to create a balance throughout your stay. Be bold and move out of your comfort zone – work on skills that you want to develop and not the ones where you already feel more capable. Add variety to the days so you practise a range of skills.
At the end of each day, perhaps after dinner, take some time to log your efforts showing what skills you have been working on. Also, reflect on your progress and consider what went well, what you might do differently next time and any other thoughts you might have. This is personal to you, this is your learning playlist.
KNOWLEDGE
This cluster includes many topics with examples including ambiguity, sensationalism, hypothesis and biases.
EMOTION
Lots to explore in this fascinating section including intuition, the ‘reptile brain’, manifesting, self love and empathy.
SOCIAL
Relational intelligence is the overarching theme here which includes networking, mirroring, consent and even insults.
GLOBAL
By global, we mean transferable and the skills that are useful in any context such as communication, critical thinking and creativity.
PERSONAL
Here we consider the fact that you are a human being not a human doing which includes risk taking, courage and self-reflection.
Why Goal Diggers?
All of us have dreams, aspirations and goals but to achieve them requires hard work. To reach your goals requires effort, you are going to dig deep and discover things you perhaps didn’t know about yourself and learn new capabilities. It might get messy at times but the time and energy you invest will reap ample rewards. Are you ready to get started begin because the future starts here?