There have been many efforts to identify 21st century skills and propose educational systems that would increase the probability of developing these skills.
Cindy just sent me a link to “the official Google blog” identifying and explaining important characteristics in folks the author argues are likely to be of interest to Google. The characteristics include:
analytical reasoning
communication skills
willingness to experiment
team players
passion
The title of the Google blog entry argues potential knowledge workers need to be capable of non-routine problem solving.
The challenge for the up-and-coming generation is how to acquire them. It’s easy to educate for the routine, and hard to educate for the novel.
Seems the development of such skills would be more likely if students had occasional opportunities to collaboratively take on non-routine problems.
I have been reading Richard Louv’s “Last Child in the Woods” and I do recommend the book. The author laments what he describes as “nature deficit disorder”, correlates nature deficit disorder with various maladies, identifies possible causes, and recommends solutions. I think there are many quality ideas in this book – most probably stretched a little too far. I agree that the reduction in free play has probably contributed to health problems in children and the rest of us. It make sense to me that as a society we have become overly fearful of low probability evenrts and intimidated by potential liability claims (Louv does cite Flinklehor – but I think he spells the name incorrectly – Finkelhor). I do think that experiencing nature probably is a better way to encourage preservation of nature than dealing with nature in the abstract. I am less certain about the connection between instructured experiences in nature and a reduction in ADHD and depression.
I am guessing Louv is not a big fan of technology, but he lumps computer-based activities with television viewing and assumes that computer-based activities are intended as substitutes for other learning/play experiences.
Cindy and I were able to create an early niche among those preparing future teachers to use technology because we argued that technology allowed learners to experience the world in more beneficial ways. This has been described as a “tools” model. I thought an advantage at the time was to confront stereotypes. Learners do not learn from technology, but use technology as a tool to help them learn. The best uses of technology may not be to provide information, but to help learners process/understand the information provided by other means. Technology does not offer a substitute for a field trip to a nature preserve, but taking technology (videocamera or digital camera) on a field trip improves the immediate and follow-up experience. We talked about multimedia authoring to learn as a variant of the generative/constructivist notion of writing to learn.
So my priorities – digital cameras, blogs, wikis, and field trips. Lower priorities – Second Life, games, etc. Process real experiences when possible.
Back to “Last child in the woods”. Louv talks about generations and how predispositions in the present genereated are encouraged by early experiences with parents. Of course, the concern is that lack of access, fear, and alternative diversions will prevent an appreciation for the natural world as experienced rather than as an abstraction from developing.
I am not worried about my kids or their kids. My kids are living in an urban setting and engaged in professional careers. They are probably more committed to providing physical world experiences for their children than we were with them.
One special note. Over the years, we have had the opportunity to take summer camping trips. One of the benefits of being unemployed in the summer. Camping and travel by car used to be relatively inexpensive. Alaska has been the destination several times and our kids now say that these trips were special. Our youngest daughter decided to follow an interest kindled long ago and spend the summer working in Alaska on a whale watching boat. We were able to convince her to generate a blog – the last entry describes the bears that broke into here garage. Hard to beat such experiences as grist for some pretty interesting stories.
An interview with Clay Shirky, author of “Here comes everybody”, is available from Will Richardson (Weblogg-ed). Shirky, a college prof, has some interesting things to say about the future of education – structured and personal learning. There are some interesting comments about the mismatch between what we want schools to do and what we presently are measuring.
This is not an iPhone promo. I live in North Dakota. I promised Cindy an iPhone for her last birthday, but we do not have access to ATT. 70 countries, but not ND.
Anyway, I became fascinated with the live stream (http://twitlive.tv). The feed presently has over 6000 viewers and has maxed out. Quality of the feed is amazing. Also interesting to watch the chat window.
I have written several posts based on my reading of Tom Friedman’s The World is Flat. Friedman’s analysis has had an impact on educational thinking – partly in comparing different educational systems and partly in recognizing economic challenges that have educational implications. Friedman’s books have had a place on my iPod for several years and I have reviewed The World is Flat several times.
If you are an educator and have not read or listened to the World is Flat, I can now suggest an alternative. I encourage you to follow Ted Koppel’s Discovery Channel series on China. The series began this evening. The Discovery Channel web site offers some information on the series. The themes in the Koppel series and Friedman’s book are very similar.
I am recording the Koppel series with our Tivo. This is serious stuff and worth reconsidering.
I was listening to the evening news and one of the stories described Texas oil man T. Boone Pickens’ plan to reduce dependency on foreign oil. The plan (as I understand it) is to
increase wind power to generate electricity which
reduces the use of natural gas to produce electricity which
allows natural gas to be used as a fuel for automobiles.
Pickens argues that his plan is the most practical way to reduce oil imports in a reasonable amount of time. Pickens is promoting his plan on a web site created for that purpose.
It made me think of the pictures I took almost exactly a year ago while driving through my home state of Iowa.
I now live in North Dakota and I have always assumed there was plenty of wind here. You only have to experience a few winter days to understand the true meaning of “wind” chill. I did find a source indicating ND has “utility grade wind“. I suppose the downside of ND as a source is that the distance energy must be moved to major population areas is great.
Grand Forks is home to a LM Glassfiber plant which produces the giant blades that are used on the large turbines. We frequently see these blades heading down the interstate one blade per semi.
I am writing this post after spending some time with my bloglines. A post by Will Richardson caught my attention. Richardson has a tendency to go sour from time to time. The world does not always spin in the direction that it should. What is the use? etc. The problem now seems to be that technology leaders are not adapting web 2.0 tools to innovative educational ends. Perhaps we are waiting for some well developed examples from the consultants. Actually, I thought the poster sessions offered many examples of classroom activities. Perhaps the NECC experience depends on whom you think will inform you. My problem with NECC is that I have read enough blogs/books to predict the outline of most “major” presenters (e.g., Surowiecki). This is not a criticism because I understand my background and profession requires and allows a different daily focus. I am also frustrated by the lack of what I regard as quality research. Again, I understand there are different conferences for this purpose. Our personal perspectives allow each of us to find fault in a situation that must attempt to meet the needs of thousands.
Today, I decided talking about wind energy was more important than worrying about how many teachers blog or engage their students in authentic projects. Anyone care to argue this priority?
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