One of the blogs I follow is FREE TECHNOLOGY FOR TEACHERS, an excellent site for resources and information. It is the source for much of the information I pass on to T&L staff and to teachers that I know with a particular interest. I would encourage you to make it part of your RSS feeds.
Last week there was a post sharing an NPR article with predictions of the growth and decline of various U.S. industries over the ten year period between 2008 and 2018. The scope of the study includes ten critical industries in our economy. The information comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics. An interactive chart of the information is available here, simply roll your cursor over one of the blue balls to see the data. A short narrative related to the information and economic trends over the past decade can be found here.
In reviewing the projected changes I can’t help but focus on our Classroom 10 initiative and the foundation of Outcome and Indicators, Thinking Skills, and Habits of Mind. The big question; Are we preparing young people for post high school success given these predicted trends?
As I reflect on this it makes me realize that I really don’t know enough about the trends and specific skill set in each of these industrial sectors. My reading has been more generic and focused on studies over time about what young people need to know and be able to do for success in this century. It reinforces for me the need to begin sharing data such as this with students while assisting them over time in identifying options for future learning and work, something that is currently being planned by a team of counselors.
Though I may not have specific information about any of these industries, I am comfortable that the knowledge, skills, and attitudes embedded in Classroom 10 learning are applicable to any work environment. I believe that this is especially relevant, given the rapid changes and new learning that influences the work in all sectors of the economy. Content changes with the creation of new knowledge, but Classroom 10 knowledge and skill sets are not dependent on any specific content. Our initiative is validated in reading from Pink’s A Whole New Mind, Zhao’s Catching Up or Leading the Way, Friedman’s The World Is Flat, Wagner’s The Global Achievement Gap: Why Even Our Best Schools Don't Teach the New Survival Skills Our Children Need and What We Can Do About It, and Curriculum 21: Essential Education for a Changing World.
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Thanks for sharing the NPR link. Now I know what to sharpen up on for my retirement years...LoomDog: Scientific/Management Consultant! Naw, just joking...I'll be teaching until they haul me out...in a straight jacket or an ambulance. As for the bulk of this post I fully understand the necessity to teach life skills, regardless of one's content area and yet I am consistently amazed at the dichotomy I encounter when kids are asked about their desires. I begin every new Marine Science class by asking every student (anonymously), "what do you want to learn about in this class?" I've yet to get a single response along the lines of "I want to learn how to manage my impulsivity better" or "I sure hope I get a chance to be a Quality Producer" or even "This class better be relevant!" In fact, EVERY student asks (begs!) for C-O-N-T-E-N-T...like a parched person staggering through a desert looking for water. "I want to learn about sharks, whales, tides, the scientific names of sealife, what lives in trenches and on and on." Will learning these things help these kids enter an NPR blue ball? Will they retain this knowledge on into their future? I highly doubt it but it's still reassuring to know that, at the very least, curiousity is alive and well...validating the importance of content.
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