In Tony Wagner's Global Achievement Gap seven essential skill are identified as fundamental for todays students to be successful and push themselves and each other. They are Identified as:
1. Critical thinking and problem solving
2. Collaboration across networks and leading by influence
3. Agility and adaptability
4. Initiative and entrepreneurialism
5. Effective oral and written communication
6. Accessing and analyzing information
7. Curiosity and imagination
This got me thinking; what are my seven essential skills, and how do they align with the ones listed above? Here are my seven essential survival skill for student and life success:
1. Critical thinking and problem solving (check)
2. Effective oral and written communication (check)
3. Accessing and analyzing information (check)
4. Collaboration across networks leading by influence (check)
5. Be humble and learn from everyone around you
6. Be passionate about something
7. Connect on a personal level, so we can learn from each others experiences
Overall I think Tony Wagner nailed it with his seven survival skills. Here I will define the ones that I have listed above.
1. Critical thinking and problem solving: The number one characteristic sought out by many employers is the ability to ask good questions. We need to teach our students that learning is a practice and that NO teacher is satisfied with a students ability to re-generate information, nor is that the goal of learning. Teachers need to be a guide and facilitator into a student learning, and be approachable to fostering good questions.
2. Effective oral and written communication: Without effective and concise communication a learning environment and a work place can become confusing and frustrating. It is important to relate in class written assignments to real-life. Any job or academic setting that a student confronts after high school will rely on some form of communication. This could be email, phone, or even a post it note. If messages can note be presented and interpreted in an orderly manner, confusion can set in creating chaos. It is also important to remind students of professional writing vs. text writing or slang, and to always identify their audience.
3. Accessing and analyzing information: With many academic and job settings relying on internet access, it is important for a student to know how to find the answer to a question rather than the answer it self.
4. Collaborating across networks and leading by influence: As stated above the use of the internet is required for many job settings. The ability to work with others through the internet is invaluable. This can include collaborating in a different state or even country. It is also extremely important for an individual to earn respect instead of demand it. This can be achieved by leading by influence.
5. Be humble and learn from everyone around you: We live in America. We are bigger, stronger, faster and better (at least through media) than everyone around us. This can sometimes intrude into our personal and professional lives, and limit our ability to hear or see another individuals view, and limit our learning from them. This can create more of a competitive vs. collaborative environment.
6. Be passionate about something: I do not care what a student is passionate about but I encourage all students to be passionate about something. Ultimately their passion promotes an amazing learning process. I have seen student who will not read a page in a book, go home or sit in study hall and research a topic in depth. Reading articles, networking with others, watching videos, and teaching others. This process is healthy and can give them a glimpse into their ability to learn, network and teach others.
7. Connect on a personal level: This is important for many reasons. As a teacher I see the number one tool for engagement to be a personal connection. Students who my not inherently care about the lesson at hand are respectful and wiling to trust a teacher when a connection is present. This creates many more learning opportunities. We should extend this to others around us so we can learn and be taught from one another.
For this year I am choosing to make a commitment to connect on a personal level so that I can develop better relationships with staff and students. I would also like to attempt to be humble and learn from everyone I interact with, trying to remove my ego from professional interactions and truly hear, and understand what others are presenting.
1. Critical thinking and problem solving
2. Collaboration across networks and leading by influence
3. Agility and adaptability
4. Initiative and entrepreneurialism
5. Effective oral and written communication
6. Accessing and analyzing information
7. Curiosity and imagination
This got me thinking; what are my seven essential skills, and how do they align with the ones listed above? Here are my seven essential survival skill for student and life success:
1. Critical thinking and problem solving (check)
2. Effective oral and written communication (check)
3. Accessing and analyzing information (check)
4. Collaboration across networks leading by influence (check)
5. Be humble and learn from everyone around you
6. Be passionate about something
7. Connect on a personal level, so we can learn from each others experiences
Overall I think Tony Wagner nailed it with his seven survival skills. Here I will define the ones that I have listed above.
1. Critical thinking and problem solving: The number one characteristic sought out by many employers is the ability to ask good questions. We need to teach our students that learning is a practice and that NO teacher is satisfied with a students ability to re-generate information, nor is that the goal of learning. Teachers need to be a guide and facilitator into a student learning, and be approachable to fostering good questions.
2. Effective oral and written communication: Without effective and concise communication a learning environment and a work place can become confusing and frustrating. It is important to relate in class written assignments to real-life. Any job or academic setting that a student confronts after high school will rely on some form of communication. This could be email, phone, or even a post it note. If messages can note be presented and interpreted in an orderly manner, confusion can set in creating chaos. It is also important to remind students of professional writing vs. text writing or slang, and to always identify their audience.
3. Accessing and analyzing information: With many academic and job settings relying on internet access, it is important for a student to know how to find the answer to a question rather than the answer it self.
4. Collaborating across networks and leading by influence: As stated above the use of the internet is required for many job settings. The ability to work with others through the internet is invaluable. This can include collaborating in a different state or even country. It is also extremely important for an individual to earn respect instead of demand it. This can be achieved by leading by influence.
5. Be humble and learn from everyone around you: We live in America. We are bigger, stronger, faster and better (at least through media) than everyone around us. This can sometimes intrude into our personal and professional lives, and limit our ability to hear or see another individuals view, and limit our learning from them. This can create more of a competitive vs. collaborative environment.
6. Be passionate about something: I do not care what a student is passionate about but I encourage all students to be passionate about something. Ultimately their passion promotes an amazing learning process. I have seen student who will not read a page in a book, go home or sit in study hall and research a topic in depth. Reading articles, networking with others, watching videos, and teaching others. This process is healthy and can give them a glimpse into their ability to learn, network and teach others.
7. Connect on a personal level: This is important for many reasons. As a teacher I see the number one tool for engagement to be a personal connection. Students who my not inherently care about the lesson at hand are respectful and wiling to trust a teacher when a connection is present. This creates many more learning opportunities. We should extend this to others around us so we can learn and be taught from one another.
For this year I am choosing to make a commitment to connect on a personal level so that I can develop better relationships with staff and students. I would also like to attempt to be humble and learn from everyone I interact with, trying to remove my ego from professional interactions and truly hear, and understand what others are presenting.