In reading through current and past posts and this week’s discussion questions, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about how our education system is just so far behind in terms of all of this amazing information that’s being shared. The disconnect is, in some cases, only getting wider.
In most schools there are pockets of teachers who are working hard to facilitate the extended use of tech in their classroom, but so many are still relying on textbooks, worksheets and poster presentations. How are students to manage the balance between the two? There is no right answer to this dilemma, as we can’t force teachers to teach a certain way, just as we can’t force students to all learn a certain way. So what to do? It’s interesting to hear from a student’s perspective:
Here are a few links to articles describing the benefits of technology in the classroom that maybe we can use to encourage colleagues to jump on tech train!
How does technology prepare students for the future?
Big ideas to redesign K-12 for the automation age.
Lack of preparation for a technology-enhanced workforce is a challenge similarly found in K-12 and higher education. A positive approach to the education-workforce divide can be seen in the Work-Integrated-Learning (W-I-L) program at the University of Waterloo in Ontario (https://uwaterloo.ca/work-learn-institute/). W-I-L combines university-led learning with practical work experience and government funding to help students gain relevant knowledge, skills, and innovative perspectives for use in the demanding and changing labour market. Essential technological and soft skills are developed in partnership with an employer network that has real problems to solve. Well-defined key performance indicators provide positive experiences for students, and for employers there is access to new graduates with essential skills who are ready to get up and running as soon as they have graduated.
For people part way through a post-secondary education or in need of workforce skills upgrading, eCampus Ontario is another organization that understands the need for access to technology-enhanced learning. It has been developing online educational tools for teachers, learners, and employers to help people complete their programs or gain professional development micro credentials (https://www.ecampusontario.ca/micro-certifications/). Learning does not end with secondary education, and it is encouraging to see growing support for lifelong learning.
This disconnect between education and the workforce is indeed problematic. For many students, project- based learning is not allowed in the classroom until the graduate level. It is also very rare for students to discuss or utilize soft skills in class for real life situations. Another issue that was not discussed, was access to tech devices (laptops, tablets, smartphones). When one thinks of it, these things are all deficits that students in some shape way or form will experience. Perhaps the solution to starting this conversation may be:
1. Recognizing the deficits.
2. Accepting that the status quo needs to be changed.
3. Developing a strategy to assess then implement these changes to the school.
This alternative may not be the best one of choice, but it does provide a viable starting point.
I feel that in education, there is a huge push towards technology, technology, and more technology. Technology is sometimes viewed in the education world as the future and what we need to get our students prepared for. Even though the world is shifting to a more automated and technology-focused framework, I am not sure if exposure to technology and a focus on the skills required to use technology is the be-all to end-all in education. I am not sure if this focus is really what will get the next generation ready for the world and workforce that awaits them.
The idea of “soft skills”, as mentioned in the video above, is important to highlight when we think about the future of education. In British Columbia, we call these skills “Core Competencies” (https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/competencies). These skills include COMMUNICATION (collaboration), THINKING (critical, reflective, and creative), and PERSONAL/SOCIAL (personal awareness and responsibility, positive personal and cultural identity, social awareness and responsibility). I am a strong believer that these “soft skills” or “core competencies” are the foundational skills that students will required to find success in the future workforce. With a strong foundation of these skills, students are then prepared to tackle whatever facet of society that they chose to pursue, whether that be technology focused or otherwise. These foundational skills will prepare students to see, think, and use technology responsibly, effectively and intentionally.
*EDIT* Sorry, I meant to reply to the OP, not to your comment Brittany.
I absolutely agree with you about the importance of core competency skills to prepare our children for the exciting and digital future. As parents or educators, we are emphasizing and encouraging our children to be curious about our world that they know little about. Their imaginative minds and curious minds can find answers by exploring and experimenting in the physical environment and also in the digital sphere with the help of advancing technologies.