Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/preparing-our-children-now-for-the-future-five-outcomes-to-pursue/5020257/
The world is changing at a lightning pace, yet schools remain locked in models developed more than half a century ago. Our grandchildren are being exposed to courses, teaching methods, and school schedules that are remarkably similar to what we experienced. We are preparing our children for a world that is long gone.To discover how we should be preparing children for the world they will inherit, I studied think pieces on workforce trends and surveyed early childhood experts from around the world. From this research I have identified five outcomes we should be pursuing in our early childhood
programs (as well as in primary and secondary schools, for that matter).
You will note that the ‘three Rs’ are absent from this list. Rather, the list is comprised of what Carolyn Miller of Community Development Institute in Denver, Colorado, refers to as ‘soft skills.’ She observes that “if young children develop and are supported in maintaining a sense of experimentation, enthusiastic participation, and positive social interaction . . . then they will be . . . well prepared to learn all the technical skills [‘hard skills’] needed for success in the twenty-first century.”
Donna Rafanello, Associate Editor of Exchange, comment-ed, ...