Challenges to Education Leaders Every country must prepare students.

Challenges to Education Leaders Every country must prepare students to become active and 

productive citizens; however, different countries face different challenges in achieving this goal. And some countries face a range of challenges within their own borders. In less-developed countries, such as India, there are not enough schools or teachers to deliver education to all children. This challenge mirrors those faced in rural areas of the United States or Europe, where vast distances prevent the best teachers from being everywhere at once. In emerging countries, such as Brazil and Russia, challenges of accountability, cost, and quality instruction are daunting. While they have the schools, they are lacking in these areas. Developed nations, such as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, have largely addressed the issues of performance metrics, capabilities, and workforce provision, but they are not doing these well enough, and they are still not effectively able to prepare students with skills required to succeed in 21st century careers—which may change many times over a lifetime. Regardless of the geographic location, Cisco can help with a range of global solutions that meet the most pressing imperatives of educational leaders worldwide. 

Education Systems to Education 3.0 

Closing the global education gap requires us to think about education in a new way. We call this Education 3.0. It takes a holistic approach, learning from the failure of piece-meal approaches in the past. 21st skills cannot be implemented alone, but only in lockstep with new pedagogy and assessment. 

This—the core of Education 3.0—is supported by new systems that take an integrated approach to technology, governance, and leadership. In the classroom, Education 3.0 means a rich, collaborative learning experience focused around authentic, project-based learning. Students and teachers should have access to materials, formative assessments and each other "anytime and anywhere," and be able to draw in experts from around their system or around the world at the touch of a button. Today, Cisco is working with some of the world's most innovative school systems to make Education 3.0 a reality, bringing advanced student learning and teacher professional development together with the efficiency benefits of a next-generation network.

Education with a Purpose 

Cisco understands the purpose and the mission of education and uses innovative technology to connect communities and people, thereby helping people improve their lives. We call this the Human Network. When technology meets humanity on the human network, the way we work changes and the way we live changes. This impact, this cross-communication, enhances cultural sensitivity and helps us better understand differences in views, perceptions, and potentially solutions. This is the Human Network Effect. A company that helped build the Internet, Cisco has delivered networks and networked services that help businesses, governments, educational and healthcare institutions, and individuals connect with information and each other in new and innovative ways. The Human Network links the world's regions, transforming communities, businesses, and lives everywhere. Cisco is creating the Human Network. Today, Cisco touches approximately 67 percent of the world's population, or 4.6 billion people. Our public-private partnerships have made significant, positive strides in education, socioeconomic development, and crisis relief. We offer experience, technology, people, and reach to help public sector leaders use the power of the network to address the very real challenges faced by educators today