My 7 essential survival skills for the 21st century are very similar to Wagner’s, but there are some important differences in emphasis:
1) Effective oral and written communication skills. Wagner identifies this as his survival skill #5. I would define this as old-fashioned literacy, roughly speaking: writing and speaking concisely, clearly, and accurately. These communication skills go hand-in-hand with the ability to collaborate with others. I believe that literacy is the responsibility of all teachers, not just English teachers, and commit to high standards for good writing and speaking skills in my social studies classes.
2) Critical thinking. I lot of educators talk about critical thinking (including Wagner, who identifies this as his #1 survival skill), but definitions vary a lot. I would define critical thinking as the ability to ask good questions, by breaking down an issue or situation into its component parts, and then developing and applying a framework for analysis. Critical thinking requires not taking things at face value, keeping an open mind, and being unafraid to challenge conventional wisdom. I commit to the development of critical thinking skills through open-ended reflections and document-based questions.
3) Curiosity. To me, this means showing a sense of wonder about the world. It implies using imagination and creativity when thinking about things. Wagner lists “curiosity and imagination” as his survival skill #7, but he does not write much about how schools should nurture those qualities. Curiosity is what makes America a nation of innovators. It’s the hardest character trait to instill (or preserve) in the school setting, because educators are forced to spend a lot of time covering state standards, and that leaves little time for exploration off the beaten path.
4) Accessing and analyzing information. This is Wagner’s survival skill # 6. In my mind, the ability to access and analyze information is similar to reading comprehension skills, but with the added component of effective use of technology. Young people must be able to sort through the glut of information available on the Web and evaluate it quickly for quality, reliability, and bias. They must be able to analyze, synthesize and draw conclusions from that information, and filter out “noise.” I guide students in their Web-based research to help them develop this skill.
5) Cultural competence, including multilingualism. Wagner’s survival skill #3 mentions the importance of being able to collaborate with people representing diverse cultures. However, he does not emphasize multilingualism as an aspect of multicultural understanding. In fact, I have yet to read any articles or books about American education reform that make a serious proposal to end monolingualism as the cultural norm. In American education today, the study of foreign languages and cultures ranks far behind science, math, technology, and English language learning in importance. If anything, foreign language learning seems to be losing ground in the education hierarchy, because schools are starting to restore funding to the arts, and students are choosing to study the arts instead of foreign languages. I would love to see foreign language study as a requirement for all students, starting in kindergarten.
6) Initiative. Wagner calls this survival skill #4, “Initiative and Entrepreneurialism,” but we mean different things. I am thinking of initiative in the school setting, not simply the business setting. Student-centered learning is the way of the future; and with this students have both new opportunities and new responsibilities. They need to take an active role in their own learning; they can’t sit back and waiting for teachers to “deliver” knowledge and skills to them. I especially believe high schools and middle schools should offer more student choice (electives), so that students can design an education that more closely matches their skills and interests.
7) Perseverance. This means the ability to persist in pursuing goals in the face of obstacles. Young people face a world of more economic and political instability; more rapid technological change; and more job insecurity than was the case a couple of decades ago. They need to be flexible in their objectives, and they need to keep up their courage and confidence when forced to change course in their careers. There is no straight path to success. This is similar to Wagner’s survival skill #3, agility and adaptability. I believe that teachers should give students challenging assignments, to help students develop perseverance.
I believe the success of these goals' implementation will be measurable by a rise in high school and college graduation rates. Ultimately, I think that Wagner’s Global Achievement Gap has some strong ideas about the skills and competencies young people need to thrive in the 21st century workplace. That said, it is not , always clear how to reform education to best develop those skills and competencies. Nor is it clear that preparing students to work at the kinds of companies Wagner studied should be a primary goal of K-12 education. Still, he contributes many compelling ideas to the education reform debates.
1) Effective oral and written communication skills. Wagner identifies this as his survival skill #5. I would define this as old-fashioned literacy, roughly speaking: writing and speaking concisely, clearly, and accurately. These communication skills go hand-in-hand with the ability to collaborate with others. I believe that literacy is the responsibility of all teachers, not just English teachers, and commit to high standards for good writing and speaking skills in my social studies classes.
2) Critical thinking. I lot of educators talk about critical thinking (including Wagner, who identifies this as his #1 survival skill), but definitions vary a lot. I would define critical thinking as the ability to ask good questions, by breaking down an issue or situation into its component parts, and then developing and applying a framework for analysis. Critical thinking requires not taking things at face value, keeping an open mind, and being unafraid to challenge conventional wisdom. I commit to the development of critical thinking skills through open-ended reflections and document-based questions.
3) Curiosity. To me, this means showing a sense of wonder about the world. It implies using imagination and creativity when thinking about things. Wagner lists “curiosity and imagination” as his survival skill #7, but he does not write much about how schools should nurture those qualities. Curiosity is what makes America a nation of innovators. It’s the hardest character trait to instill (or preserve) in the school setting, because educators are forced to spend a lot of time covering state standards, and that leaves little time for exploration off the beaten path.
4) Accessing and analyzing information. This is Wagner’s survival skill # 6. In my mind, the ability to access and analyze information is similar to reading comprehension skills, but with the added component of effective use of technology. Young people must be able to sort through the glut of information available on the Web and evaluate it quickly for quality, reliability, and bias. They must be able to analyze, synthesize and draw conclusions from that information, and filter out “noise.” I guide students in their Web-based research to help them develop this skill.
5) Cultural competence, including multilingualism. Wagner’s survival skill #3 mentions the importance of being able to collaborate with people representing diverse cultures. However, he does not emphasize multilingualism as an aspect of multicultural understanding. In fact, I have yet to read any articles or books about American education reform that make a serious proposal to end monolingualism as the cultural norm. In American education today, the study of foreign languages and cultures ranks far behind science, math, technology, and English language learning in importance. If anything, foreign language learning seems to be losing ground in the education hierarchy, because schools are starting to restore funding to the arts, and students are choosing to study the arts instead of foreign languages. I would love to see foreign language study as a requirement for all students, starting in kindergarten.
6) Initiative. Wagner calls this survival skill #4, “Initiative and Entrepreneurialism,” but we mean different things. I am thinking of initiative in the school setting, not simply the business setting. Student-centered learning is the way of the future; and with this students have both new opportunities and new responsibilities. They need to take an active role in their own learning; they can’t sit back and waiting for teachers to “deliver” knowledge and skills to them. I especially believe high schools and middle schools should offer more student choice (electives), so that students can design an education that more closely matches their skills and interests.
7) Perseverance. This means the ability to persist in pursuing goals in the face of obstacles. Young people face a world of more economic and political instability; more rapid technological change; and more job insecurity than was the case a couple of decades ago. They need to be flexible in their objectives, and they need to keep up their courage and confidence when forced to change course in their careers. There is no straight path to success. This is similar to Wagner’s survival skill #3, agility and adaptability. I believe that teachers should give students challenging assignments, to help students develop perseverance.
I believe the success of these goals' implementation will be measurable by a rise in high school and college graduation rates. Ultimately, I think that Wagner’s Global Achievement Gap has some strong ideas about the skills and competencies young people need to thrive in the 21st century workplace. That said, it is not , always clear how to reform education to best develop those skills and competencies. Nor is it clear that preparing students to work at the kinds of companies Wagner studied should be a primary goal of K-12 education. Still, he contributes many compelling ideas to the education reform debates.