7 Survival Skills for students today

In September 2013 representatives of business, education and community organisations met to discuss issues relating to the future at the (co)lab summit in Atlanta, Georgia.  Videos of presentations Including one from Will Richardson, are available on the (co)lab summit Youtube channel.

Education leader, Tony Wagner, delivered this address Reinventing education for the 21st century where he outlines the 7 survival skills that matter most for students in the new economy in which we live. 

1. Critical thinking and problem solving (ability to ask the right questions)
2. Collaboration across networks and leading by influence
3. Agility and adaptability to cope with the pace of change
4. Initiative and entrepreneurship (ability to set one's own goals)
5. Effective oral and written communication
6. Ability to access and analyse information
7. Curiosity and imagination. 

Individual learners - The Future of Learning

This week, as the first week of the new school year in Australia, I've been introducing the Year 7 student intake to their learning space on the college network, activating their accounts and setting them off on their digital citizenship journey in this stage of their education.

The overwhelming impression one has after working on this routine but semi-complex task with 239 students over such a brief time frame, is the range of students in our classes.  Students who are relatively the same age, because that's how we manage schooling, but vary so broadly in abilities, interests and potential result on the NAPLAN testing they will undertake in the coming months.

Perhaps it was this week's experience that made me look closely at the following infographic published in OnCUE, the journal of CUE - Computer-Using Educators, that arrived in my mailbox yesterday. Titled A Glimpse into the Future of Learning, it provides a forecast into 'a diverse learning ecosystem in which learning adapts to each child instead of each child trying to adapt to school'. 

We have already commenced the journey. This infographic provides an overview that is worthy of a discussion with colleagues.