Even though I've been reading "The World Is Flat," have read "A Whole New Mind", and am familiar with some of the overwhelming statistics about population numbers, my initial reaction to "Did You Know" was still, "We are in big trouble" I feel like running away, but there's nowhere to run. I am scared because we are facing a tsunami of change that we are not prepared for. We don't know how to deal with this changing world because we have never experienced anything like it before, and it is coming at us with unbelievable speed.
Even though I feel a sense of powerlessness, I feel we owe it to our kids to somehow find solutions to the problem of educating them for this new world. Since we don't know the kinds of jobs that will still be available and valuable in the future, we will need to be flexible and educate our students to be flexible learners. Teaching them problem-solving and critical-thinking skills is essential, both to their survival and the survival of our democracy. Because our kids will not be able to compete with all the professions, such as engineers, that can be outsourced and that will be oversupplied by other countries, we must also stress what America has always excelled at--innovation. That's why I think that Pink's "A Whole New Mind" is so right. We must educate our students' right brains more and encourage their creativity: it's the only hope they have, as far as I can see.
It irked me, too, that our government, with all its resources, is out budgeted by some companies for research and innovation. Instead of pushing a rigid NCLB that is obsessed with testing (but still underfunded) why don't they put the kind of money this crisis calls for into research and innovation in education?
The video also highlights the astonishing growth in the amount of information available and in computing power. That, along with the fact that kids are avid users of hi-technology, means we have to meet them where they are. We have to incorporate appropriate technology into the classrooms if we want to keep their attentions.
3 comments:
Norbert,
You are right. We are in trouble. In fact, I think we are in a lot of trouble. The workforce will likely look very different in five, ten, or fifteen years. Will our students be ready for all the changes that will take place? Will they know how to be boundary crossers, inventors, and metaphor makers? Will they be able to see the big picture? If any educator answers “no” to any of these questions then we should all be very scarred. However, your answer to how we should be preparing our students is definitely the best answer. We need to prepare them to be flexible thinkers. In fact, Thomas Friedman stated, "The first, and most important, ability you can develop in a flat world is the ability to 'learn how to learn' (Friedman, p. 302). Being flexible and knowing how to learn are, in essence, very similar skills, and both are keys to success.
Also, I am glad that you are calling this a crisis. With most things, people are so "short-sighted" that they only call something a crisis when it is almost over. At least, you have the wherewithal to realize how serious this situation is now before things get really bad. In other words, this crisis can still be fixed; however, we need to act now.
Unfortunately, many people have seen Karl Fisch’s “Did You Know?” video on YouTube.com, and very little has been done so far to prepare students for the shift that will surely happen. Thus, if we say anything now then people will most likely be reluctant to listen. The solution to the problem you are presenting requires changes to be made. Unfortunately, many educators are set in their ways and do not want to change. Thus, I doubt anything we do will make a difference beyond our own classrooms. Do you agree that people will turn a blind eye on this situation until the situation is very serious even if we speak out about the problem?
Also, I do agree that this situation poses a threat to our students and to our democracy. For our students to be able to succeed, they need to be able to think. For our democracy to survive, we need great thinkers. Without such thinkers, the innovation that helps maintain our prosperity is sure to end. Even though I, too, feel powerless, something needs to be done. However, the question is what can we do that will make a difference outside of our own classrooms?
Sincerely,
Marc
I think that this shift is very overwhelming, and to look at the big picture, one can get intimidated. So, what I'm going to do -- start small. I will start challenging my students thinking, make them write, and make them interact with one another. Where else can you begin other than your own classroom?
I definitely agree with most of what you wrote. We do not have a clue of how the world will look in ten years, but we have to prepare our children for life in that world. Therefore, I think it is imperative that we incorporate the 21st Century skills in our lesson plans daily in order to prepare students for their future endeavors.
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