{"id":46178,"date":"2021-11-18T11:46:49","date_gmt":"2021-11-18T10:46:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test.steinmuehle.de\/blog\/2021\/11\/18\/the-future-of-education-after-the-pandemic\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T17:35:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T15:35:19","slug":"the-future-of-education-after-the-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/steinmuehle.de\/en\/blog\/2021\/11\/18\/the-future-of-education-after-the-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"The Future of Education After the Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Boarding School Association (DIV) held its meeting at the Steinm\u00fchle with 135 participants <\/strong><\/p>\n

The Steinm\u00fchle School and Boarding School are linked in more ways than just their shared logo. The two institutions are financially separate but closely linked in their missions. Given this, it was only natural for Steinm\u00fchle School Principal Bj\u00f6rn Gemmer\u2014after a period of membership in \u201cDie Internate Vereinigung\u201d (DIV)\u2014to take over as chair of the association this year. The \u201c2021 Major Staff Conference of the Boarding Schools Association,\u201d attended by representatives from all 16 member schools across Germany, was therefore held this year at Steinm\u00fchlenweg in Marburg. <\/p>\n

Asking questions about our own daily lives, discussing them with speakers, and learning about our colleagues\u2019 perspectives\u2014the annual meetings aren\u2019t just about patting each other on the back. Reflecting on the present, staying true to oneself, and gaining new inspiration\u2014that was the goal of the 135 attendees this time, most of whom were educators. \u201cWe\u2019re not competitors; either everyone is doing well or everyone is doing poorly,\u201d was the sentiment expressed in summarizing past events. This time, the message was clear: All boarding schools are full. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Importance of a Real Mentor<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether on the North Sea coast or in the Alpine foothills, boarding schools have long struggled with image problems. They were seen as a \u201cway out\u201d for families\u2014a place you end up if you\u2019re not a good student or a well-behaved daughter. This image\u2014unknown in England\u2014has largely been overcome in Germany. The conference participants at the Steinm\u00fchle focused on solving other problems and addressing issues arising in the present: digitalization in schools, learning during and after the COVID-19 crisis, the importance of a real-life mentor, and the question of what asynchronous learning can or must look like. <\/p>\n

The three-day conference featured presentations by experts and a panel discussion that, naturally, could not avoid addressing the interrelated topic of teacher education. Speaking as a local representative was Prof. Dr. J\u00fcrgen Handke, the \u201cguru of digitalization\u201d from Marburg, who, among other things, expressed the fear that after the pandemic, teaching would \u201cfall back into the old rut\u201d in which people had \u201cmade do with emergency solutions\u201d: \u201cWe have neglected asynchronous knowledge transfer\u201d; the way content is delivered must change, because simply providing assignments digitally is not enough in schools. <\/p>\n

Prof. Dr. Martin Korte of the Technical University of Hannover focuses his research on the cellular basis of learning and memory. According to him, effective learning requires a school environment as well as a real mentor\u2014even if, in the future, that mentor might find himself in the role of an advisor or learning coach. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Questioning Teacher Education<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another participant in the expert discussion was University Vice President Prof. Dr. Evelyn Korn, who is responsible for teacher education at Philipps University of Marburg. In her view, there is no single \u201cright\u201d way to conduct digital instruction, and so it is not part of teacher training to \u201chand out recipes\u201d for it. Korn acknowledged that there is a difference between students\u2019 physical presence and their digital presence: \u201cFor the first time, students knew more than their instructors. It undoubtedly changes the learning process.\u201d <\/p>\n

Prof. Dr. Klaus Zierer of the University of Augsburg, a full professor of school pedagogy, emphasized yet another approach. He called for a reevaluation of teacher training: \u201cWe need to address this differently; a lot is going wrong here.\u201d Unlike in some other countries, he noted, the public perception of the teaching profession in Germany is not favorable, which in turn is one of the causes of a glaring shortage of teachers. \u201cWe need to find a way to inspire students to pursue a career in teaching again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shortly after the event, Bj\u00f6rn Gemmer, the conference director and organizer, received feedback on how the individual participants had personally benefited from attending the DIV conference in Marburg:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Having just arrived home, I would like to once again express my sincere thanks for the invitation to the lecture. I thoroughly enjoyed it\u2014it\u2019s rare to experience so much educational ethos all in one place. Great!” <\/em>(Prof. Dr. Klaus Zierer, Full Professor of School Pedagogy, University of Augsburg)<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“I would like to express my gratitude for the excellent organization of my presentation and the panel discussion featuring myself and the other speakers. In my view, it was a truly successful event, and listening to Mr. Zierer was an experience in itself! I am deeply impressed by what the Boarding School Association has put together here!” <\/em>(Prof. Dr. Martin Korte, Technical University of Braunschweig)<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“On behalf of my wife as well, thank you once again for the opportunity to be part of your wonderful conference and to enjoy the various additional amenities. I am glad that my ideas and initiatives have fallen on such fertile ground, and you can be sure that I will hold up the high schools and boarding schools that were present at the DIV conference as exemplary and mention them in the future. A first workshop has already been scheduled at Louisenlund (with Dr. R\u00f6sner), where I would like to prepare students, teachers, and parent representatives for digital teaching through several hands-on workshops. I can well imagine that other schools and boarding schools would also like to take advantage of this offer, and I am open to establishing such contacts. In any case, we should stay in touch to continue strengthening the pioneering path your schools and boarding schools are taking.” (Prof. Dr. Juergen Handke, University of Marburg & 3M Solutions, RoboPraX \u2013 Robotikum)<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Now that we\u2019ve returned safely to the Ammersee, I\u2019d like to take a moment to once again express my heartfelt thanks for the excellent planning and execution of the conference. Our staff were absolutely thrilled and have already shared this with the rest of the faculty during our Monday meeting today. That\u2019s exactly how it should be. An outstanding start for future events. I can well understand what it takes to organize such an event at the beginning of the school year. So, hats off to you! By the way, I\u2019ll soon be meeting with colleagues from Neubeuern and Stein for one of our tried-and-true (Bavarian) exchange meetings. If desired, I\u2019d be happy to beat the DIV drum once again there.\u201d (R\u00fcdiger H\u00e4usler, Foundation Director, Landheim Ammersee)<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Thank you so much for this absolutely wonderful conference, your fabulous organization, the fascinating topics, the delicious food, and especially for your comforting words right at the start: I took that literally and actually took a little \u2018vacation\u2019\u2014I was able to unwind, even found time to explore the wonderful old town a bit, light a candle for my grandpa at St. Elizabeth\u2019s Church, and just pause for a moment amid the constant hustle and bustle\u2014which I actually really enjoy! The gathering and conference were so important\u2014and how wonderful that we were finally able to see each other again and exchange ideas. And thank you for making Marburg a permanent fixture on my mental map from now on: a great city, but above all, a fantastic, innovative, and incredibly well-equipped school\u2014thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for your energy and time, for your perseverance and resilience in complicated times: that was exactly what was needed, and I\u2019m very much looking forward to our continued collaboration and all the upcoming events and activities.\u201d (Katja Maike Braun, Principal, Executive Board of the Ecole d\u2019Humanit\u00e9)<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“After a tiring but incredibly varied, informative, and superbly organized weekend, I would like to express my sincere thanks\u2014also on behalf of my colleagues\u2014for the warm welcome we received at the Steinm\u00fchle Boarding School. The impressions we gained of the DIV, its member boarding schools, and especially Steinm\u00fchle Boarding School were so consistently positive and rewarding that we know it is definitely worth further strengthening our collaboration, and the three of us, as ambassadors in Ro\u00dfleben, will always be happy to share the spirit of the DIV. We look forward to the invitations to the working groups and hope you\u2019ll find some time to relax after what were surely exciting days for you as well.\u201d (Yvonne Sonnenfeld, Ro\u00dfleben Foundation Administration)<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“I really enjoyed the weekend at Steinm\u00fchle! Delicious food, interesting presentations, a great atmosphere, nice people, and excellent organization\u2014thank you so much to you and your team!!!” (Maik L\u00fcdemann, Business Director at Marienau School)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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