I agree with Kristina. Sometimes there is a disconnect with Educators and many don't realize how important it can be for our students if our lessons are not taking into consideration the changes in our world and how it will relate to them now and in the future. Business leaders are forced to be aware of trends and look ahead to the market, but it is not always the expectation in education.
Language will be critical in an international focus. What are we doing to address creating bilingual capabilities with our native English speaking students?
The concept of intellectual capital is something that we really need to fully understand as we think about the world of work in the future. Networking is essential today but will be even more important in the future.
Daniel Pink says its not enough to have knowledge and skills (much of our education is left brain learning). We need that AND right brain thinking...design ability, story telling, seeing the whole picture...
We need to provide students opportunities to be engaged in instructional activities that encourage discussion, networking, problem solving....Social capital is essential to their future success.
I wonder when we will see the shift at the high school? Today I think it will be those kids who are in early elementary school now who when they reach high school we will see the trends Gary is speaking about.
21st Century Implications - fortuitous for Avon Grove High School to be involved with Classrooms for the Future Grant at this time and have some of the resources to explore and develop 21st Century Skills in the Classroom!
Charleen....I don't think we do need to train folks for careers. We don't know what they are going to be. If I had been trained to program in Cobol, would I be any less competent as a web developer? And I learned all of that on my own.
One of the things I want to address with educators this year is why cooperation isn't collaboration. Think about it -- really different from the "cooperative" projects we assign compared to how I get work done every day by collaborating with people in my office, on the Net or anyone who's left me stuff I can find in Google.
Our kids are already doing "continuous improvement." Think of any kid you know who isn't trying to learn something -- how to dive, how to beat some game, how to get in touch with friend, how to put on makeup. Continuous improvement and self-directed learning!
Understanding the world from the perspective of the millennial generation is something we really need to take time to dicuss as an educational community.
Margie -- Here's what Wikipedia said about Faith Popcorn.
Faith Popcorn , born in 1948 as Faith Plotkin, is a futurist and founder of the boutique consultancy, BrainReserve. Fortune (magazine) called her the "Nostradamus of marketing."
Pat - the Business department at AGHS is all women and one man. Terrizzi is a brave guy! The Business Ladies were talking yesterday. Terrizzi wasn't with us at the time. When he enters the conversation, the group becomes the Business Persons.
Margie -- I know that answer!!! Get out of their way. Guide them with what we know. Learn from them and with them. Stop focusing on teaching and start focusing on learning!
Pat - Love the concept "Get out of the kids way!" You are so right about this....we do need to focus on the learning and let it be about this instead of the teaching and us.
Pat -- saw an interesting article on Marc Prensky's site yesterday with a sample paper from a student. Basically, the kid said I found this on Wikipedia and this on Ency Brit and this by Googling, so I think this is true and here's why I think it's important. (check out www.marcprensky.com)
If you want to really think about what the world would be like read Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge. Read the first 100-200 pages if you don't like science fiction, but the stuff about school and learning is really neat!
A downloadable client program called the Second Life Viewer enables its users, called "Residents", to interact with each other through motional avatars, providing an advanced level of a social network service combined with general aspects of a metaverse. Residents can explore, meet other Residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, create and trade items (virtual property) and services from one another.
I think the big question is how do we do the job of helping children attain the established standards but at the same time push children to even higher levels than the standards address.
I believe we need to look at standards the way we look at vitamins -- minimum daily requirements! The standards development and the lessons built around them limit the imagination of educators (just a little editorializing there ;-)
Yea, but even Gardner doesn't believe all the stuff that people have been teaching in the name of Gardner! His point was simply that we all have different "intelligences" in different measure. Good book to extend on that is Daniel Pink, A Whole New Mind. (I assigned it to the administrators last year.)
118 comments:
Interesting how much of our inservices now focus on change. Really makes you think about pulling out last year's lesson plans!
I always am interested in teachers who get scared of this rather than embracing. That's a classroom I wouldn't want my kid in.
What is our status quo? how can we move away from this in a meaningful way?
I am not sure enough educators realize the trends that are taking place in the world and how it effects education.
Having Gary hear is great and showing Karl Fisches video is wonderful ways to lean more!
Economic growth is certainly a big question for Avon Grove with the rapid growth and change of the district over the past 10 years and continuing.
We all need to realize that the world is not the same as when we were educated.
We are going to have to work a lot longer than our parents.... early retirement is not a trend!
We have seen 62% growth in the last 10 years.
One of the new 21st century skills is economic literacy (global and individual). Hope the kids learn so my Social Security doesn't run out.
As one of those "old" ones we must continue to embrace change. Always looking forward!
I agree with Kristina. Sometimes there is a disconnect with Educators and many don't realize how important it can be for our students if our lessons are not taking into consideration the changes in our world and how it will relate to them now and in the future. Business leaders are forced to be aware of trends and look ahead to the market, but it is not always the expectation in education.
Jane...not only have you grown but the whole profile of the district is vastly different.
We have seen 62% growth in the last ten years.
are we preparing for the cultural changes that will go with our population changes?
I heard the other day that something like 10% of the counties across the US now have a majority of the population belonging to a minority.
I love that term "cleft community" I hope the Google Jockey is looking for that.
We went from 3% Latino/Hispanic pop. to 12% in 10 years.
Pat - yes, AG's look has changed and we think that is a good thing. We find strength in our diversity.
Language will be critical in an international focus. What are we doing to address creating bilingual capabilities with our native English speaking students?
The concept of intellectual capital is something that we really need to fully understand as we think about the world of work in the future. Networking is essential today but will be even more important in the future.
We will need to insure that our curriculum/ teaching practices keeps pace with the everchanging environment. This should be a goal for all.
Daniel Pink says its not enough to have knowledge and skills (much of our education is left brain learning). We need that AND right brain thinking...design ability, story telling, seeing the whole picture...
We need to provide students opportunities to be engaged in instructional activities that encourage discussion, networking, problem solving....Social capital is essential to their future success.
This gives the term "life long learner" a much greater meaning. . .
I agree with khurley - Is our government's emphasis on high stakes testing looking at the whole child - the whole process?
What are the implications for small communities such as Avon Grove? What can we provide to retain these knowledge workers?
The statistics on knowledge workers is amazing and we must train and educate our students in new and innovative ways.
The Business Ladies were just talking about this yesterday.
I wonder when we will see the shift at the high school? Today I think it will be those kids who are in early elementary school now who when they reach high school we will see the trends Gary is speaking about.
21st Century Implications - fortuitous for Avon Grove High School to be involved with Classrooms for the Future Grant at this time and have some of the resources to explore and develop 21st Century Skills in the Classroom!
It is unsettling that we are charged with preparing our students for jobs that don't exist...
Career training is extremely important in today's workforce.
I sure hope the new teachers are game players -- it's just the skill needed to learn on your own.
Who is Faith Popcorn?? What is her background???
My son is a senior in High School this year. How exciting to have so many choices!!
I want to be a ring tone composer.
Cybrarian . . . isn't that me already?
The kids need to see some of these slides! The emerging careers list and the idea that they will have many jobs before thirty or forty!
Are our higher education facilities prepared to provide education for these emerging careers?
Charleen....I don't think we do need to train folks for careers. We don't know what they are going to be. If I had been trained to program in Cobol, would I be any less competent as a web developer? And I learned all of that on my own.
We really are presented with a great opportunity here...our children's future are full of OPPORTUNITY!!
AGI...that's why I'm here ;-)
Good question, AGI.
Higher ed needs to catch up with us. Some higher ed facilities - sorry, Pat!
Continuous improvement is the key for our success here in AG....
We need to teach "learning to learn" and nuture excitement and encourage risk-taking!!!!
YES. We need to give our students the tools to continue to learn so that they are prepared for whatever their futures hold.
One of the things I want to address with educators this year is why cooperation isn't collaboration. Think about it -- really different from the "cooperative" projects we assign compared to how I get work done every day by collaborating with people in my office, on the Net or anyone who's left me stuff I can find in Google.
Continuous improvement . . . a constant process . . . and we want to have a voice in how we improve.
Our kids are already doing "continuous improvement." Think of any kid you know who isn't trying to learn something -- how to dive, how to beat some game, how to get in touch with friend, how to put on makeup. Continuous improvement and self-directed learning!
Pat I agree students need to learn how to learn...its not just educators responsibility but parents have a responsibility too.
Yes. We have a large world of individuals with whom we can collaborate.
Understanding the world from the perspective of the millennial generation is something we really need to take time to dicuss as an educational community.
Jane -- What's a Business Lady?
Kristina - I think our teachers are very aware of how the world is changing around us.
I love to see our students collaborate and contribute to a project or idea. They are learning real world skills that will be useful later.
I can really see the difference in the way the millennials live and learn which has huge implications for our work as educators.
The Millennials . . . first time I'm hearing this term.
Developing the concept of collaboration between teachers will be important so they can see the relevance for their students.
I think we know the world is changing at a rapid rate but the big question is what do we do to address this as we educate our students.
Margie -- Here's what Wikipedia said about Faith Popcorn.
Faith Popcorn , born in 1948 as Faith Plotkin, is a futurist and founder of the boutique consultancy, BrainReserve. Fortune (magazine) called her the "Nostradamus of marketing."
The Google Jockey would be showing us that too.
Pat - the Business department at AGHS is all women and one man. Terrizzi is a brave guy! The Business Ladies were talking yesterday. Terrizzi wasn't with us at the time. When he enters the conversation, the group becomes the Business Persons.
Margie -- I know that answer!!! Get out of their way. Guide them with what we know. Learn from them and with them. Stop focusing on teaching and start focusing on learning!
Thanks for the scoop o Faith Popcorn, Pat! Interesting!! I never heard of her before today.
Just because something is on You Tube doesn't make it true. Our kids need to learn to be discriminating and questioning - confirm what the read/see/
What is 'normal'?
Yes. Check your sources of information!
Pat - Love the concept "Get out of the kids way!" You are so right about this....we do need to focus on the learning and let it be about this instead of the teaching and us.
Pat,
Right on! The key is listen, learn and be flexible
Go technology! :)
Media literacy skills . . . a part of my "library world" now.
Go literacy! :)
Flexibility is a critical skill! How do we help our students learn to be flexible? How do WE learn to be flexible?
30 years vs 80 seconds....wow! The world is moving FAST!
Time - this is the scarey part. Not enough - how do you keep up?
Don't forget numeracy! :)
30 years vs 80 seconds....wow! The world is moving FAST!
Pat -- saw an interesting article on Marc Prensky's site yesterday with a sample paper from a student. Basically, the kid said I found this on Wikipedia and this on Ency Brit and this by Googling, so I think this is true and here's why I think it's important. (check out www.marcprensky.com)
The scariest thing about changing the way we teach is the first day...after that it gets easier and easier.
pat - that kind of cross-referencing is great - I'll check it out
I wonder if our students know about nanotechnology...My guess is YES!
This sounds like something out of a Michael Crighton book. (Did I spell his name right?)
Pat!
Harry Wong is all about the first day!
Changing our ways does not happen all at once. Change is incremental.
Wendi - my guess is Michael Crighton wrote about nanotechnology and other such concepts years ago!
If you want to really think about what the world would be like read Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge. Read the first 100-200 pages if you don't like science fiction, but the stuff about school and learning is really neat!
Jane - You are right - Change takes time but is really exciting!
How will be bridge the digital divide with these concepts - kids who don't have the technology?
I think that we have always learned from our students.
AGI -- Who's Harry Wong?
Teaching Media Literacy skills is something we need to concentrate on.....
Rainbows End . . thanks Pat . . I'll read it!
A downloadable client program called the Second Life Viewer enables its users, called "Residents", to interact with each other through motional avatars, providing an advanced level of a social network service combined with general aspects of a metaverse. Residents can explore, meet other Residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, create and trade items (virtual property) and services from one another.
Personalization in our schools occurs now but needs to be an even greater focus for us...
No one here will argue against the need for personalization in our schools.
I think the big question is how do we do the job of helping children attain the established standards but at the same time push children to even higher levels than the standards address.
I believe we need to look at standards the way we look at vitamins -- minimum daily requirements! The standards development and the lessons built around them limit the imagination of educators (just a little editorializing there ;-)
Shouldn't we be modeling life-long learning?
Right on, Margie! (As we said in the '60's!
I bet we don't need to "push" them so much as give them opportunities and get out of the way!
Pat - Great analogy with standards and vitamins!
Iventing the future . . . leads to developing our future jobs.
YES>
This is all about Gardner's research on Multiple Intelligences.
Absolutely, Pat. Perhaps we should look at the way we can make our lifelong learning more visible across the district this year. HMMMMMMMMM
Love the multi-vitamin analogy. Hope you don't mind me using your terminology.
Pat M. - Agreed. As educators we need to model the fun and the excitment connected to "life-long learning"
Can't wait for smart cars and smart highways ;-)
Yea, but even Gardner doesn't believe all the stuff that people have been teaching in the name of Gardner! His point was simply that we all have different "intelligences" in different measure. Good book to extend on that is Daniel Pink, A Whole New Mind. (I assigned it to the administrators last year.)
Encouragement in the home and parental support is a key element in educating our students.
Yes. And the concept of "home" continues to change . . .
Char - should we be looking at parent workshops or trainings in this area?
sorry guys, I have been blogging in the wrong spot.
I fear that we will become more "disconnected" as our use of tech. grows.
Wow - Carlin has us down!
What should I be doing as a 4th grade teacher to meet these needs?
Jane -- we should be inviting parents into the classrooms. Take a look at that Vernor Vinge book for an example of this. Real idea starter!
AGHS is already taking many steps to become a future-focused learning comunity.
I love that phrase "audacious goals"
Our district will be holding a "parent night" for our new cyber safety committee and this may focus on many technology issues.
Yeah Chris! Good work as a Google Jockey.
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