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January 29

 This morning’s session is with Gary Marx, President of the Center for Public Outreach.  He has authored several books including 16 Trends: Their Profound Impact on Our Future, Preparing Students for the 21st Century, Ten Trends: Educating Children for a Profoundly Different Future, and Preparing Schools and School Systems for the 21st Century.  His session is titled “Creating a Future…The Essence of Leadership.”

To define the concept of future, let us consider that bright eyed first grader who bounced into school this morning… he or she will graduate in 2022 and at 72 he/she will be on social security in 2077.  From this perspective let’s consider what we do as leaders to fashion the future for the graduate in 2022.  What type of real security do we wish for them to have in 2077?  What will normal look like to them?

The answers require foresight… not gazing into the past or being comfortable with today… but stretching ourselves so we can peer into the future.

How do we teach to prepare today’s first grader for the year 2022?
What do they need to know to be prepared for the work force? 
What is the academic knowledge base, the skills set, attitudes, and behaviors they will need to succeed?
By which bench marks will we measure success?

The world is changing… the question is, are we preparing our students for the global society?  Mull over that out of every 100 people:

  • • 61 live in Asia and Australia
  • • 14.5 live in Africa
  • • 11 live in Europe
  • • 8.5 live in Latin America & Caribbean
  • • 5 live in North America

Education is vital to the future of our students and for the success of our nation.  To put it in perspective consider the following data:

Median Household Income Levels by Education Level (2007)

  • 9th through 12th grade  $24, 492
  • High School graduate  $40, 456
  • Some college (no degree)  $50, 419
  • Associates degree   $60, 132
  • Bachelor’s or more  $84, 508

We cannot prepare the children of today for the future using yesterday’s ideas.

What jobs are we preparing them for?

  • Developing a computer the size of a sugar cube
  • Recycling centers for lithium carbonate batteries
  • Designing mini medibots to deliver meds/take tissue samples
  • New sources of energy/propulsion – hydrogen fusion, ion engines, & fuel cells
  • Engineering better medicine
  • Accessing clean water
  • Gleaning energy from fusion
  • Solar energy storage

We are preparing students for jobs we cannot imagine.  This has major ramifications for the educational community.  We cannot accept teaching that prepares students for an ever increasing world of trivia that we disguise as bubble-tests and then call it accountability.

We are accountable for creating critical thinkers, inventors, problem solvers, and leaders.  We must help develop self-learning so they may go forward in a fast and ever changing world.  We must provide them with the ability to work in teams, help them develop conflict management skills, as well as providing an ethical foundation. 

Some of the qualities for the 21st Century that we must impart to our students are:

  • the ability to exercise virtuous judgment
  • receptiveness to new ideas and possibilities
  • the ability to be mutually respectful
  • receptiveness to constant change
  • having a creative mind and being imaginative
  • being a well thought out and sympathetic critic
  • becoming one who looks to the future and is a visionary
  • becoming one who takes pleasure in complexity

The question for education, according to Gary Marks, is “How can we become flexible enough to move the system forward while we’re doing our daily work.”

Teachers have been wrestling with this question for awhile.  I believe is time to show leadership and begin developing a solution, by teachers for students.

 

E-mail Bryan!