38. What's Next in Education? -- And What's Europe Like? Two Vastly Different Questions, Addressed by Dr. Alan Knobloch

You might have noticed that we like to ask big, juicy questions that our guests can sink their teeth into. We intend to provide you with as much information and rich detail as possible, which guides us in designing our questions. In this interview with Dr. Alan Knobloch, we went super big! We asked Alan for his insights on the future of education. 

Alan was ready for this question because he participated with other school leaders through the Academy for International School Heads (AISH) to compile a list of articles about the future of education. You can find a link to those resources in our Resource Library; the link is also listed in our show notes. 

Alan not only worked to answer our guiding question about the future of education but also expanded it to include what he sees as the purpose of education going forward. Talk about a big thinker! 

Alan spoke to many plans and initiatives that are a part of schools preparing for the future. Here are a few: 

• Look to learn, unlearn, and relearn
• Continue to find ways to engage in deeper learning
• Continue efforts to grow student skills around critical thinking and problem-solving
• Grow student grit and resilience connecting to the big picture focus on self-care and wellness
• Work to think differently about schedules and how time is used
• Find ways to bring in more outdoor education and internship opportunities
• Design and develop academies of learning within schools
• Look at staffing, curriculum, and facilities to support doing school differently 
• Provide outreach to parents for input on and understanding of new programs

You might think your head will explode after listening to the first part of this episode with so much cutting-edge thinking. But we were not done with Alan! We asked him a second guiding question since he is the head of a school in Europe. So buckle up for the second half of the interview in which we ask, “What is it like teaching and living in Europe?”

Dr. Alan Knobloch is in his second year as the Head of School at the International School of Hamburg after serving eight years as Director of the International School of Dakar in Senegal. With over 30 years of international experience, he has been a teacher and an administrator in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the United States.

Our two very different guiding questions were, “Based on your research, what does the future of education look like?” and “What is it like teaching and living in Europe?” 

This episode was recorded on October 9, 2023.

Contact Information: LinkedIn 

Resources Mentioned in the Episode: 

AISH -

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Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.