Introduction

"Warm-up: Into the Future" begins with Vanessa Machado De Oliveira recounting an invitation she received in August 2020 to present a paper on the future of education at a German conference. De Oliveira challenged the assumption that education will continue to occur through traditional schools in 2048. Instead, she chose to facilitate a future-thinking exercise developed with the GTDF collective, titled Education 2048. The purpose of this thought experiment is to provoke reflection on the role of education amidst potential societal and ecological collapse, as well as to track common responses to the activity.

Thought Experiment: Part One

In Part One of the Education 2048 thought experiment, participants are prompted to envision themselves on December 10, 2048, during a 3D virtual world conference, tasked with deciding the future of education post-catastrophic events. The exercise's setup involves participants recalling the failures and learnings of the past, and imagining a future in which humanity coexists wiser and healthier. This thought experiment doesn’t dictate an agenda but creates space for collective pondering on the consequences of human choices on society and the environment.

Thought Experiment: Part Two

In the second part of the thought experiment, participants engage with two question sets. The first, "dipping-in" questions, asks participants to reflect on the scenario, considering past events aligning with current problematic tendencies like consumption, inequality, and environmental disregard. The second, "diving deeper" questions, encourages participants to introspect their reactions to the hypothetical situations, acknowledging emotional responses and exploring the potential for transformation in recognizing humanity's flaws and capabilities.

Scenario Context: The Future Imagined

De Oliveira's scenario spans three decades, detailing the devolution of human prosperity and harmony with nature. Starting from school climate strikes and escalating through the COVID-19 pandemic, economic crises, ecological disasters, the collapse of pollinator species, exacerbation of wealth inequality, and a descent into authoritarianism, humanity nears extinction. The scenario explores the rise and fall of global education trends, the hubris of human expansion, and the eventual acknowledgment of human errors necessitating dramatic shifts in the way we coexist with the earth and each other.

Educational Transformation

During the third decade of the scenario, amid social and environmental upheaval, the story highlights humanity's reluctant recognition of its destructive lifestyle. The educational focus shifts from outsourced virtual learning to a radical need for intellectual, emotional, ecological, and political healing. This transformation underscores the urgency to educate children with an understanding of human responsibility that honors all life forms—requiring educators to ponder deeply about how to foster this learning for the well-being of future generations.

Summary and Conclusion

"Warm-up: Into the Future" invites readers to introspect and imagine a future heavily influenced by current human actions. De Oliveira posits her book, "Hospicing Modernity," as both a response to the belated realization of human wrongs and an educational tool, comprised of "spells" for those willing to engage with the idea of modernity's end. Critical for those reconciling with the demise of modernity, but unsettling for its defenders, the book aims to support readers through modernity's hospicing with new vocabulary and exercises, demanding engagement beyond a traditional reading experience.