My 7 essential survival skills for the 21st Century would look fairly similar to Wagner’s ideas. I would want to add an additional skill that I feel students today lack which is very necessary for survival in college as well as in the real world
Critical Thinking – student need to think outside of the test. Rote memory is nice if you are playing jeopardy, but let’s be honest, how many of us can recall that much information before we jump on our phones to look up an answer. Being able to use that information that google recalled for us and apply it. That is what students today need to know what to do. To critically think about information already available and to figure out how to make that information or idea better, or come up with an idea that will change the way everyone on the planet thinks. I mean, how do you think the spork was created? And the world was flat, right?
Collaboration and Communication (Combined) – student will need to be able to work together in order to be successful in the world. Students will need to be able to use information gathered by colleagues, apply that information, and communicate results. What good is it if a student can figure out an answer to a worldwide problem, but is not able to communicate or share that answer with the world?
Adaptability – I see this as a problem with a lot of students. If something does not go their way, they shut down and don’t try. If everyone just gave up when something did not go their way, then nothing in the world would ever get done.
Initiative – Students will have to find their own desire to start working on issues of the world. I feel that if we do not develop student’s desire to work, or try new ideas, then we will never develop as a nation.
Analyzing Information – Being able to see trends and patterns. Being able to use information provided to them to think of new ideas. All very important skills that a student will need in school as well as in the future.
Imagination – Blame television and video games for student’s lack of imagination. If students cannot imagine new ideas, or imagine how to adapt products to make them better (spork), then we will be at a standstill as a nation. Progress will cease.
I feel Wagner is missing one important skill that students seem to be missing today: Patience. Students today need instant gratification or they will shut down. Students will come across a time in their life that they will have to wait to get an answer or solve a problem. They will have to know how to deal with that lull and need to know that they can’t give up whenever there is a time where they don’t get an instant answer.
I can incorporate many of these skills in my classroom through multi-day long group projects. That will teach the students collaboration and communication. It will teach them patience. And if I make the project an inquiry based project that will help to hit many other skills listed by Wagner. Instead of feeding the students the information, they will become responsible to finding out their own answers.
Critical Thinking – student need to think outside of the test. Rote memory is nice if you are playing jeopardy, but let’s be honest, how many of us can recall that much information before we jump on our phones to look up an answer. Being able to use that information that google recalled for us and apply it. That is what students today need to know what to do. To critically think about information already available and to figure out how to make that information or idea better, or come up with an idea that will change the way everyone on the planet thinks. I mean, how do you think the spork was created? And the world was flat, right?
Collaboration and Communication (Combined) – student will need to be able to work together in order to be successful in the world. Students will need to be able to use information gathered by colleagues, apply that information, and communicate results. What good is it if a student can figure out an answer to a worldwide problem, but is not able to communicate or share that answer with the world?
Adaptability – I see this as a problem with a lot of students. If something does not go their way, they shut down and don’t try. If everyone just gave up when something did not go their way, then nothing in the world would ever get done.
Initiative – Students will have to find their own desire to start working on issues of the world. I feel that if we do not develop student’s desire to work, or try new ideas, then we will never develop as a nation.
Analyzing Information – Being able to see trends and patterns. Being able to use information provided to them to think of new ideas. All very important skills that a student will need in school as well as in the future.
Imagination – Blame television and video games for student’s lack of imagination. If students cannot imagine new ideas, or imagine how to adapt products to make them better (spork), then we will be at a standstill as a nation. Progress will cease.
I feel Wagner is missing one important skill that students seem to be missing today: Patience. Students today need instant gratification or they will shut down. Students will come across a time in their life that they will have to wait to get an answer or solve a problem. They will have to know how to deal with that lull and need to know that they can’t give up whenever there is a time where they don’t get an instant answer.
I can incorporate many of these skills in my classroom through multi-day long group projects. That will teach the students collaboration and communication. It will teach them patience. And if I make the project an inquiry based project that will help to hit many other skills listed by Wagner. Instead of feeding the students the information, they will become responsible to finding out their own answers.