Tony Wagner of Harvard on the Global Achievement Gap
Tony Wagner at Harvard University warns about two upcoming issues in education 1) the skills gap 2) changing motivation in the next generation of students. (I would skip right to the 7 skills, which is 7 minutes long)
The seven skills for the 21st century include:
1) Critical thinking and problem solving (the ability to ask the right questions)
2) Agility and adaptability
3) Initiative and entrepreneurial (what would it look like to invent an entrepreneurial curriculum? why did bill gates have to drop out?)
4) inability to persuade or touch others. kids can’t write or speak. logical reason skill. no ability to write with voice.
5) accessing and analyzing information. literacy for the 21st century (info is doubling and changing so quickly)
6) curiosity and imagination (daniel pink’s book: a whole new mind)
7) collaborate across networks and lead by influence (virtually + globally) to create new knowledge. “understand different cultures and contexts.” (command and control in some environments has collapsed toward emphasis on influence)
“What will be the engine of the American economy in the 21st century?????”
In terms of at least half, if not all of the skills, I think Debate Across the Curriculum and/or participation in high school debate is a healthy (the only skill its light on is the entrepreneurial skill, but amazing at both four and five once students get core debate concepts).
What other studies have you heard about 21st century survival skills for careers and citizenship?
More Global Achievement Gap and Tony Wagner Resources
For more on Tony check out this extensive audio interview of Tony Wagner at Cisco. (40 minutes)
You can also check out Tony’s articles, books, videos, and presentations at School Change.
Tony also speaks to the teachers (and students) to work in teams. Teachers seem to be team adverse.
There is an inborn “the classroom is my kingdom” which inhibits this.
I couldn’t get the interview to work on my MacBook; you might prefer this keynote (which I imagine is around 50 to 60 minutes):
http://www.schoolchange.org/videos/the_global_achievement_gap_video.html
Wagner makes a fantastic distinction between content standards and competencies standards, which hopefully can drive policy and classroom teaching alike.
Its quite interesting as Wagner does a great job of strategic analysis and telling stories.
“Test prep is killing student motivation and curiosity” They have a “shared fear of this generation’s work ethic.”
“This generation is very differently motivated…instant gratification.” “Even kids in extreme poverty are online. 8 out of 10 kids have a MySpace page.” Web 1.0 vs. Web 2.0 for “creativity and connectedness..they learn from peers more than from adults….sharing photos and music…except in school. Thats the digital divide.”
“They really want and need to make a difference.”
I’m now inspired to research the change in Finland and the OECD ranked countries:
http://www.oecd.org/document/13/0,3343,en_2649_35961291_40168205_1_1_1_1,00.html
1) “Gather the data that matters most.”
–National Student Clearinghouse. AYP or College completion rate = more important. 1 out of 3 HS grads whites. 1 out of 5 black. 1 out of 6 hispanics.
2) “Data for the heart.” Video tape focus groups and share them with parents….”that creates an urgency for change that can’t compare.”
3) Make it transparent
4) “Engage community in skills that matter most…with the data”
5) Spend time in classrooms. McKenzie study.
–Ensure support for teachers. Lets ban the word professional development…lets talk about coaching. Video tape best practice and constantly . Make it transparent. Video taping = best way.
“Whats at stake is our children’s futures…their individual futures.”
Questions from the Audience:
Collegiate learning assessment? Also known as college and work readiness assessment. (lots of colleges with brand names don’t add value. Those that succeed pay attention to more than research…classroom teaching) http://www.collegiatelearningassessment.org/
Portfolios is a better assessment of staying in and getting in college. Its why colleges are dumping ACT and SAT as an assessment.
Intercultural competencies? Companies work globally and you have to work in networks. (Global cultural literacy. Understanding of difference and contribution and enrichment) Partnership for 21st Century Skills. They talk explicitly about global awareness.
What about the work of Robert Sternberg at Yale and now Tufts?
1) creative
2) analytic
3) practical (problem solving)
We only test analytic.
He has developed assessments of creative and practical which tufts is using.
Sternberg is training faculty to teach with these skills in mind.
How about Assessment? Collegiate learning assessment. Its $45. You can create locally relevant versions. Some districts are doing this…specifically with capstones and portfolios.
Example: NY Performance standards Consortium. Getting it validated by outsiders. David Connley has also done work. (its on the resource page + David’s website)
Critical thinking in colleges? Well its a pre-k to 16 problem. Movement to hold the four skills responsible. Last 2 years more group work + the like in college
21st century skills for teachers? Its not about tips and tricks. Its not about getting better technically at something. Its about opening up your practice for collaborative inquiry. As an administrator, you have to open up. Have you asked collegues to open? How many video taped meetings?
Principles of ethics? Not addressed in book or research. Not a 21st century skill. Its always been around. The ability to develop empathy and understand other points of view. Also time management. Gene Piaget the relationship between intellectual and ethical. (ie reasoning, empathy)
How has your philosophy of learning walks changed? You need to allow for reflective inquiry. (He provided a ton of details here about for instance in portfolios students writing for a real audience–sorry I gave out a bit. this is critically important for assessing student learning and doing peer review) Assessment works “that had a lot of rigor.” Isolation is the enemy of improvement.
(side note:
http://www.schoolchange.org/videos/the_global_achievement_gap_interview.html
90% of questions asked by teacher. student engagement questions. trivial pursuit is 20th century rigor vs. solve problems + independent +curious + imagination + analysis. to get and keep a job, to get into college , and we want our citizens to have)
What kinds of standards? Content vs. competency. Knowing the parts of speech won’t make you a better writer. Can you write a wide variety of essays: opinion, a personal perspective and narrative. Portfolios of written work–progressively more developed thoughts and research. Employers never say I want them to come with better content….i need them to come with better SKILLS. We don’t test writing, we test parts of speech.
Assessment isn’t on the cheap. European countries prove. Can do it smartly by doing sampling of individuals schools too.
Work across schools to determine what is good writing…and what we need to teach/inspire to get there. Use the lesson study process of Japanese.
This is a book for opinion leaders…not just teachers. What is truth? How do we motivate the net generation? How do we better train and support teachers so they have the support other professions do?
Unions: current tenure focus vs. professionalization of teaching. need to have tenure scaled out…for more professionalization and greater reward for better execution.
state legislatures could change the tenure focus. national board for professional teaching standards. you have to submit a portfolio and samples of teaching.)
So check out the Global Achievement Gap….(I’m hoping to pick it up at David Kidd, B + N, or Border today)
This presentation from 2007 allows you to see more of his slidedeck.
http://www.schoolchange.org/videos/what_does_it_mean_to_be_a_change_leader_.html
What is the problem in American public education?
Brain vs. Brawn economy. (Ken Kay yesterday)
Never really had to teach students to think. Work in teams. Communicate effectively.
Education system = sorting machine.
Without these skills = marginal employment, marginal citizenship.
“Global Achievement Gap” Work ethic of this generation. Focus groups + interviews with young people. Not unmotivated–differently motivated. No fear of authority. They want a coach or mentor. Multi-tasking = prefered way of learning.
We are peanut butter of rock + hard place.
Accountability of blame. (Curriculum articulation) Shame and blame. Need collaboration. Leaders need to re-frame the problem. (new curriculum, new tests won’t solve)
Civil rights problem.
(i think he makes a mistake in saying college ready = work ready…to some extent…although generally true)
1/2 college students need remediation.
help others see this problem. (the “basics” perception gap between parents and employers)
how do you create momentum for change–if it ain’t broke, don’t fit it???? most important question for change.
***Great analogy/thought experiment about learning how to swim, play tennis, ski.
Therefore: need to build system for continual assessment and improvement–rooted in a common vision of effective teaching.
You’re loosing your kids.
Can have data overload. Its drowning, its a fire hydrant. “They never told us what data to look at.” Data that matters to adults vs. matters to childrens’ futures.
Example: Rocks AYP, but 18% college completion rate. Elementary students reading below grade level. AYP may not be the determinates of student success.
Need to know:leaving 8th grade % reading a grade below and one other data point i missed.
data for the head vs. data for the heart. focus groups videotaped and shown to faculty and parents. (school boring, dont’ care about me, falling through cracks) Need 2 kinds of data.
Discipline. Wide shared understanding of what is good changing. Not just understanding of theory. Learning walks or videos.
SF started with live teaching behind mirror or a school walk. Meetings were models of good teaching. (Is this good instruction? Teachers video meetings.
Curriculum articulation vs. quality of student work. Common student writing standards and assessments.
Assessment is about sorting now–not improvement.
7 disciplines of strengthening instruction. (remember to get this or search for it)
Activity. Read. Pair share. And Q + A.