Our students will enter a world of work and social interactions that will be very different from those of their parents. In order to prepare them for the future and yet undefined careers, it is imperative to consider and address a number of emerging trends that provide the context and conditions for their future success.
A Connected and Borderless World
The technological world and its associated network of social interactions are undergoing enormous changes. They serve as drivers of change that present a suite of challenges, and more importantly, opportunities for rethinking the educational landscape. Children today are born into a world where digital access to information is commonplace. For these post-Millennials, such is not considered “technology,” but rather the normal way of interacting with the world. Our increasingly networked world allows the connection of all human enterprises through information networks and unprecedented creation and sharing of educational and social content. This ubiquity and access present the challenge of how to educate children in a world where the sum of human knowledge is available instantaneously, for free, at their fingertips. All this is taking place in an increasingly global and “flattened” world where traditional barriers among countries – both literal and conceptual – have broken down. Information travels freely to all corners of the globe, and citizens around the world can participate in educational and political processes like never before. Furthermore, the tremendous advancement in manufacturing and information technology has allowed us to hold a device in our hand as powerful as most “computers,” allowing it to be a primary information resource device for most citizens. We have been freed from “place” as a requirement for learning and sharing.
Workplace Requirements for 21st Century Skills
Parallel and intertwined with the changes taking place in the technological landscape is a rethinking of skills and conceptual tools that are critical for 21st Century learners. Partnership for 21st Century Skills calls for a focus on the 5Cs: Critical Thinking & Problem Solving, Communication, Collaboration, Citizenship (from local to global) and Creativity & Innovation. The 5Cs embody mindsets that are critical for our students to successfully participate in the contemporary and evolving workforce. The successful development of these skills happens in school and home environments that adopt a whole child perspective which, in addition to building technology proficiency and adroitness with the information it accesses, engenders the development of each student’s social-emotional, psychological, and physical well-being.
Need for Global Environmental Awareness
A third trend is the recognition that human activities are exerting an enormous influence on the designed and natural world. Unlike any generation before it, children today will face unprecedented challenges related to the Earth's environment, including climate change, deforestation, loss of habitat, human overcrowding, and growing shortages of natural resources. Accordingly, environmental awareness and stewardship are paramount. To a great extent we as humans are able to modify and design our surroundings. Design thinking and problem solving are key ingredients to improving the human condition and ameliorating our impact on our planet. Students will need the ability to understand their environment and responsibly manage their future.