Key points:

• Reimagined dynamic and efficient skilling pathways can flex to future workforce needs
• Design thinking in the 21st century is an imperative
• 5 ways educators can shrink the critical thinking gap
• For more news on the skills gap, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub

Inefficient career transitions and related learning gaps are costing the U.S. economy $1.1 trillion annually–a staggering 5 percent of GDP, according to new research from Pearson.

The report, “Lost in Transition: Fixing the Skills Gap,” released at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, warns of a potential global “skills chasm” between employer needs and employee capabilities, and urgently calls for a fundamental shift in approaches to learning and skills development.

The full report details the economic and personal impact of learning gaps during major career transitions–from school to work, layoffs or business shifts, and disruptions caused by AI automation. It also highlights two critical imperatives for immediate, collaborative action across the education and business sectors: the need to learn more effectively and the development of modern skilling pathways that evolve with the future of work.

Prioritize “learning to learn”
Improving the way people learn is stressed as vital for an adaptive workforce ready for continual upskilling, career pivots and personal career fulfillment. The report advocates for “learning to learn” becoming a core focus across education and corporate training, emphasizing metacognitive skills such as goal setting, critical thinking and self-regulated learning. A cited study found that these approaches can accelerate yearly learning progress by seven months.

Develop clear modern skilling pathways
Moving beyond outdated linear career paths, the report encourages reimagined dynamic and efficient skilling pathways that flex to future workforce needs. It promotes work-based learning like apprenticeships to align skills with real-world demands, tailored support, and mentorships. It estimates the U.S. could gain $40 billion annually just by shortening transition times from formal education to work by six weeks.

Implementing such approaches could unlock trillions for economies while creating life-changing opportunities for millions worldwide.

“There’s real potential for the skills gap to become a chasm if we don’t act. The traditional education that slingshots people into their careers is no longer enough. Learning how to learn will become the focus for students, workers and employers to help people adapt and re-skill throughout their careers and their learning journey,” said Pearson CEO Omar Abbosh. “We can help prevent the skills gap from becoming a skills chasm when employers, educators, workers and government partner to find solutions.” 

The full report and its findings are based on quantitative analysis including data from Pearson’s Faethm, literature reviews and interviews with leading experts. Among other topics explored:

• Virtual reality for career exploration
• Lifelong learning financing
• Digital wallets for robust skills tracking
• AI-powered career mapping
• The creation of a common skills language
• Assessments for career progression and wage growth

This press release originally appeared online.

Key points:

• Critical thinking skills help students wade through misinformation
• Design thinking in the 21st century is an imperative
• 5 ways educators can shrink the critical thinking gap
• For more news on critical thinking, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub

It’s critical that students know how to use digital content, but as students have more access to information, it’s also critical that they know how to evaluate that information with a discerning eye.

In the Baldwin Union Free School District, educators and leaders are working diligently to avoid “brain rot” as they strive to teach students how to ask questions, evaluate information sources, and become actively involved in their communities.

“‘Brain rot’ is defined as ‘the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging. Also: something characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration,’” according to the Oxford University Press, which declared brain rot as its word of the year in 2024.

Led by Dr. Shari Camhi, the district’s superintendent and a past president of AASA, Baldwin UFSD educators work to identify actionable solutions to reverse brain rot and combat the trend of students consuming high-volume, low-quality digital content.

The district’s biggest focus is on media literacy education and civic engagement. News and media literacy studies are embedded into grades 6-12 ELA and social studies curricula.

Via lessons and research projects, along with a college-level course, “College Civics and News Literacy,” students in Baldwin UFSD are learning to discern fact from fiction, identify misinformation, and develop critical thinking skills that will serve them throughout their lives.

Asking questions and thinking critically

A large part of media literacy is learning to ask questions. In an age of social media, where anyone can cite information from any source and be declared an expert, students must have critical thinking skills to evaluate what it behind the message or information a person shares.

“There’s so much misinformation out there–we are deliberately making sure our kids have the skills necessary to know whether or not what they’re reading, wherever they’re reading it, is true or not,” Camhi noted.

The district’s college-level course, offered through a partnership with Stonybrook University, teaches senior students about truth and verification, fairness, balance, and bias.

In social studies classes, students examine current examples of news stories and information to determine if what they’re reading is journalism, opinion journalism, entertainment, sponsored content, propaganda, etc.

“We hope that our students have the skills, but almost more important is that they have the questions,” Camhi said. “When they read something, they should have questions about where the information is from, the author, other writing about the same topic, when was it written, and by whom. That’s one of the things we’re really deliberate about with our students–teaching them how to ask questions and how to ask the right questions. Everyone should be doing this.”

Digital resources and content are not going away, and the best way to balance the potential for brain rot with the need to engage in digital environments is to create a healthy curiosity and a healthy skepticism in students.

Sharing content online plays a large role in spreading misinformation. “One of the questions we ask is, ‘Should you share this?’” Camhi said. Instead of sharing before verifying what’s behind the content, students in Baldwin UFSD are learning to ask questions before they press send.

“When kids are on social media, [I hope] their brains are lighting up with questions they’re asking,” Camhi said. “The term ‘brain rot,’ if I imagine what that looks like, looks like kids sitting down, slumped over, accepting everything that comes their way. When I envision our students, they’re sitting up straight, they’re curious, they’re asking questions. If I took a scan of their brains, they’re lighting up because they’re not sitting passively accepting what they’re being told.”

When it comes to the district’s civics education, Baldwin UFSD leaders believe it goes hand-in-hand with critical thinking skills.

If you ask people to define “civics,” you’ll likely receive a variety of responses, all relating to the concepts of government function and what it means to operate as a good citizen within that government structure.

“When I think about this topic, it’s about being an informed and curious good citizen,” Camhi said. “What does it mean to be a curious and informed good citizen? The work we’re doing in our grades 6-12 courses and our college-level course is exactly that. When we graduate our students, regardless of their next step, we need to ensure we graduate young people who are smart–and not just book smart–that they’re curious and can ask questions, can tell the difference between what’s real and what’s not real, that they’re ready for the next step of life.

“We don’t teach kids what to think, but we certainly teach them how to think–that’s an essential skill that takes you through old age. You can’t forget how to think critically, because that’s essential,” Camhi said.

Students all have different strengths, and not everyone will excel in all academic areas–but media literacy skills are skills all students must have.

“If our kids graduate and can’t tell the difference between true and fake information, none of us will be fine–we have to be smart about this,” Camhi added.

Key points:

• Design thinking is a human-centered approach to problem-solving
• 5 ways educators can shrink the critical thinking gap
• Enhancing media literacy skills in the age of AI
• For more news on durable skills, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub

Love it or hate it, many teachers have seen just how much technology has changed the landscape of education. Within this rapidly changing landscape, teachers have taken on a role much different from how we have historically been viewed. We are no longer keepers and passers of knowledge as we once were. Instead, technology has allowed students to have almost instant access to different types of information, tools, and more in today’s day and age.

With infinite information at their fingertips, how do we equip this new type of student with the skills to interpret, problem solve, and think critically about the information they encounter when we are not always the ones delivering it to them? The answer is not necessarily a new one, but it is a concept that needs more attention from educators in our modern-day classrooms: Design thinking.

What is design thinking?

The idea of design thinking has been around since the 1960s (Dam & Teo, 2022) but has continued to change in both name and shape over the last 60 years. At its core, design thinking is a human-centered approach to problem-solving that encourages empathy, innovation, and creativity within students for the purpose of solving real-world problems. We should not simply view it as a tool for teachers to use, but as a necessity to prepare students for the complexities of the 21st century.

The basic steps of design thinking are empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test (Interaction Design Foundation, 2016). The goal is for students to lead with empathy to identify and define a problem, then develop a realistic solution to that problem that can be tested and refined through feedback. This process pushes students to engage with skills like critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, empathy, and problem-solving. These skills are extremely important for successful functioning for both the workplace and daily life in the 21st century.

Impacts

Design thinking is imperative because of the 21st century skills it teaches to students and asks them to practice, and it also can provide many additional positive impacts for students as well. The use of design thinking can foster a healthy relationship with failure within students. Research by Dorland (2023) shows that “design thinking training may enable students to embrace, rather than struggle with failure in their work.” By pushing students to continue to look for ways to enhance their work through feedback, the idea of failure is framed in a positive way.

Design thinking also has a positive impact on the overall motivation and engagement of students. Daniel (2016) found that in an entrepreneurship classroom setting, design thinking creates an atmosphere favorable to learning, with students playing an active role in gaining experience from their activities. Arguably the most straightforward benefit, design thinking supports overall academic performance by developing critical thinking, teamwork skills, social awareness, and negotiating meaning (Carroll et al, 2010, as cited in Noel & Liu, 2016).

How do I use design thinking?

Design thinking is flexible enough to be used within various levels and contents. So how do we use it in our classrooms? For starters, small steps are important. Looking for individual lessons or activities that could be changed to fit a design thinking or “problem solving” perspective are the best places to start. For example, in my 7th grade geography classroom we complete a “Local Issues” project at the beginning of the year using Google Earth. This is a standalone design thinking assignment where students are tasked to learn about or discover a need or issue within our local community by talking with family, friends, or other adults. They need to accurately define the problem, come up with solutions for it, display their solution using Google Earth, and share their presentation with a local leader or adult in the community. After finding one or two lessons to utilize design thinking, the next step should be to create large projects at scale or look for whole units that could be changed to a design thinking structure.

Incorporating design thinking into classrooms is not just an educational trend, but a transformative shift that we, as educators, need to make to best align with today’s learners. It is certainly not without challenges such as time constraints or lack of resources, but the outcome is worth the effort. By promoting empathy, creativity, and critical thinking in our classrooms through design thinking, we prepare and send our students into an ever-changing world with the confidence to navigate it and grow into leaders of tomorrow. I would highly encourage any teacher looking to revamp their curriculum and classroom in an engaging and relevant way to start looking at ways to implement design thinking.

References

Dam, R. F. and Teo, Y. S. (2022, May 20). The History of Design Thinking. Interaction Design Foundation – IxDF. https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/design-thinking-get-a-quick-overview-of-the-history

Daniel, A. D. (2016). Fostering an entrepreneurial mindset by using a design thinking approach in entrepreneurship education. Industry and Higher Education, 30(3), 215–223. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950422216653195

Dorland, A. M. (2023). Failing to learn: Design thinking and the development of a failure-positive mindset in the university classroom. Collected Essays on Learning and Teaching, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.22329/celt.v14i1.7155

Interaction Design Foundation – IxDF. (2016, May 25). What is Design Thinking (DT)?. Interaction Design Foundation – IxDF. https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/design-thinking

Noel, L., & Liu, T. L. (2016). Using Design Thinking to create a new education paradigm for elementary level children for higher student engagement and success. Proceedings of DRS, 2. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2016.200

Key points:

• Digital literacy is a key skill–but it remains a challenge for U.S. students
• Enhancing media literacy skills in the age of AI
• 5 strategies to close the critical thinking gap
• For more news on durable skills, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub

U.S. eighth-graders scored at the international average for computer and information literacy but below the international average for computational thinking, according to the results of an international study focusing on how prepared students are for today’s digital learning and working environments. Scores for U.S. eighth graders fell in both areas since 2018, the last time the study was conducted.

“While digital literacy is rapidly becoming as fundamental to a well-rounded education as numeracy and basic literacy, many eighth-graders in the U.S. struggle with some key skills, like determining the credibility of news and information that they find online,” said NCES Commissioner Peggy G. Carr. “Basic digital literacy is a prerequisite to communicating, finding employment, and socializing. It is now nearly as fundamental to student success as something like the ‘3 R’s.’”

 The International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) measures eighth-graders’ ability to use computers to investigate, create, participate, and communicate at home, at school, in their future workplace, and in their communities. The 2023 study’s results were released today in the United States by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). This is the second time that U.S. ICILS data have been collected.

“The study raises questions about the technological savvy of students who have been dubbed ‘digital natives,’” Commissioner Carr said. “It might be assumed that this cohort of students, born when the iPhone was launched and raised in a world in which computers and smartphones are commonplace, would navigate an assessment like this one with ease, but these findings show that is not the case for many students. Students now use this technology for hours each day, but many students do not have the basic skills they need to be safe while using it.”

In addition to computer and information literacy, ICILS also measured students’ skills in an optional domain, computational thinking. Twenty-four education systems, including the United States, participated in the optional computational thinking assessment, which measures the type of thinking used when programming a computer and involves conceptualizing problems (through algorithmic or systems thinking) and operationalizing solutions (creating, implementing, and evaluating computer-based solutions to problems). The average U.S. score for computational thinking was lower than the international average.

For computational thinking, the U.S. had a larger percentage of students at Level 1 (27 percent) compared to the international study average (24 percent). Students at the lowest level demonstrated an understanding of patterns and simple sequences, and were able to follow explicit instructions to modify code segments. Students at the highest level (5 percent of U.S. students, not measurably different from the international study average) demonstrated an understanding of a wide range of computational concepts and types of commands, and the ability to decompose complex problems into smaller more manageable components. They were able to iteratively test and refine block‐based coding solutions to address real-world problems, resulting in solutions with moderate‐to‐high levels of both precision and efficiency. The U.S. also had a higher percentage of students scoring below Level 1 in computational thinking (15 percent) compared to the international study average (10 percent).

ICILS also asked students about their experiences using information and communications technologies (ICT) and whether they were learning these skills at school or outside of school. Their answers reveal that a higher percentage of U.S. eighth-graders learned how to conduct internet-related research tasks, such as using the internet to find information and evaluating the reliability of information, from their teachers compared to students in other systems, on average. When it comes to navigating the internet safely, higher percentages of U.S. eighth-graders learned how to manage privacy settings for internet accounts (78 percent compared to 59 percent across all participating education systems) and identify scam messages (73 percent compared to 53 percent across all participating education systems) outside of school rather than at school.

ICILS is sponsored by the IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement) and is conducted in the United States by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). This was the second time the United States participated in ICILS. Thirty-four countries took part in ICILS 2023: Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium (Flemish), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Chinese Taipei, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kosovo, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the United States, and Uruguay.

The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia participated as a “benchmark” participant to enable reporting for that entity as well as contributing to the data reported for Germany as a whole. Benchmarking participants are education systems within countries.

Other key findings from the report include:

Computer and information literacy

• The average U.S. score in 2023 was 482, which was not measurably different from the ICILS 2023 study average score of 476
• The average U.S. score in 2023 (482) was lower compared to the average U.S. score in 2018 (519)
• Students in 16 education systems demonstrated higher average CIL scores than students in the U.S. They were: the Republic of Korea, Czech Republic, Denmark, Chinese Taipei, Belgium (Flemish), Portugal, Latvia, Finland, Austria, Hungary, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Slovak Republic, France, and Spain
• Ten education systems had lower average CIL scores than the U.S. average. They were: Cyprus, Greece, Uruguay, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Kazakhstan, Oman, Kosovo, and the Republic of Azerbaijan
• Six education systems had average CIL scores not measurably different from that of the United States: Luxembourg, Italy, Croatia, North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany), Slovenia, and Malta
• Only the Republic of Korea (6 percent) had a higher percentage of students performing at the highest CIL proficiency level (Level 4) than the U.S. (3 percent)
• About one-quarter (25 percent) of 8th -grade students in the United States did not reach the lowest CIL proficiency level (Level 1), which was higher than the percentages of students not reaching the lowest proficiency level in 19 education systems
• U.S. 8th-grade female students’ average CIL score (493) was higher than that of their male counterparts (468) in 2023

Computational thinking

• The average U.S. score was 461, which was lower than the ICILS 2023 average score of 483
• The average U.S. score in 2023 (461) was lower compared to the average U.S. score in 2018 (498)
• Average CT scores were higher for students in 14 education systems, or over half of the systems, compared to students in the U.S. Systems with average CT scores higher than that of the U.S. were: Chinese Taipei, the Republic of Korea, Czech Republic, Belgium (Flemish), Denmark, Finland, France, Slovak Republic, Latvia, Sweden, Norway, Portugal, Italy, and Germany
• Average CT scores were lower for students in four education systems (Malta, Croatia, Serbia, and Uruguay) compared to students in the U.S.
• Four education systems had average CT scores that were not measurably different from the average score for the United States: Austria, Luxembourg, North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany), and Slovenia.

This press release originally appeared online.

Join eSchool News for the 12 Days of Edtech with 2024’s most-read and most-loved stories. On the 2nd Day of Edtech, our story focuses on critical thinking.

Key points:

• Critical thinking should not be separate from and on top of what teachers are doing in the classroom
• How to help students build critical success skills
• 3 lessons on perseverance from Stoffel the honey badger
• For more news on durable skills, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub

Achievement discrepancies among U.S. students remain persistent and troubling–despite decades of targeted interventions and whole-school improvement programs. To make real gains, teachers need to address the underlying problem: the critical thinking gap.

Focusing on core cognitive skills sets students up for success throughout their academic careers. These five critical thinking strategies can help.  

Why focus on critical thinking?

Most academic interventions focus on core knowledge and basic skills: Let’s practice two-digit addition. Review the parts of the cell. Learn these vocabulary words. Read these passages for fluency. These kinds of exercises can help students make marginal gains in reading, math, and general content knowledge, but they don’t address the root of the problem: learning how to think and how to learn.

Growing evidence points to the role of critical thinking in educational achievement. Students need to activate higher-order thinking skills and metacognition to effectively master and retain new content knowledge, synthesize it with prior knowledge, and apply it to new scenarios and domains. However, most students are not explicitly taught how to do this.

Colin Seale, author of Thinking Like a Lawyer: A Framework for Teaching Critical Thinking to All Students (Prufrock Press, 2020), noted in an interview with ASCD: “When you start to look at how critical thinking looks in practice in K–12 classrooms, it’s often being treated as a luxury good. You’ll see critical thinking in an after-school mock trial program, or for an honors program that serves 8 percent of the school population, or for the special debate team or the selective entry school.”

Teaching students how to activate critical thinking and metacognition will enable them to learn more efficiently and effectively. Fortunately, that can be done within the context of the existing curriculum. Here are some ways teachers can get started:

1. Integrate critical thinking with content

Critical thinking should not be something that is separate from and on top of everything else teachers are doing in the classroom. For best results, it should be fully integrated with the content that is being taught. Think about the standards you are teaching to. Most will have both a content knowledge component and a thinking component. For example, if the standard requires students to understand the causes of the Revolutionary War, they need to know specific content, but they also need to understand cause-and-effect thinking. Teachers can help students by explicitly calling out the type of thinking required–e.g., defining, classifying, part-to-whole relationships, sequencing, etc.–and making sure students know what that kind of thinking looks like.

2. Give students a framework for thinking

Once students understand the type of thinking required, they need a framework to support it. A visual framework supports the development of critical thinking skills. Making thinking visible and concrete helps students activate the type of thinking required by the task and organize their ideas effectively. While there are tons of graphic organizers out there, it’s most beneficial to have a consistent framework for thinking that spans grade levels and content areas. This supports the growth of automaticity in activating cognitive skills.

3. Make learning active

Models such as project-based learning and inquiry learning have been demonstrated to improve learning outcomes. But you don’t have to upend your entire curriculum or implement a complicated model to make learning more active. Building in time for debate and discussion and collaborative learning activities are simple ways to make learning more active and engaging. For example, students can work together to construct meaning using a thinking map. Look for learning activities that require students to go beyond simple recitation of facts and engage deeply with the content as they solve a problem, develop and defend a point of view, or create something original.

4. Ask better questions–and teach students to ask their own

Increasing the rigor of the questions we are asking is another way to support critical thinking. That means asking questions that go beyond basic knowledge and comprehension to require higher-order thinking skills such as application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. (See some examples in the image below.) Even better, teach students how to ask their own questions. After introducing new content, for example, pause for a class brainstorming session where students come up with as many questions as they can, including basic clarification questions and higher-order “why,” “what if,” and ‘what else” kinds of questions. Then, students can work together to start answering some of these questions using the active learning methods above.

5. Get metacognitive

One important aspect of critical thinking is metacognition, or “thinking about one’s own thinking.” Students who are skilled in metacognition are able to recognize how well they understand a concept, where they need extra help or support, and how to apply and adjust learning strategies. Metacognitive skills include planning for learning, monitoring understanding, and evaluating the learning process. Like fundamental cognitive skills such as cause-and-effect or sequencing, metacognitive skills can also be explicitly taught. The questions in the Tree Maps below can help teachers get started.

These essential strategies can be applied across all grades and content areas. When we help students develop fundamental cognitive and metacognitive skills, learning becomes easier–and a lot more fun.

See previous 12 Days of Edtech:
1st Day of Edtech

Key points:

• Edtech tools can be a valuable resource to build media literacy skills
• Teaching ethical edtech for future innovators
• How to help students build critical success skills
• For more news on media literacy, see eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub

Media literacy has emerged as a critical skillset in today’s digital landscape. As individuals increasingly consume content from many platforms, understanding how to discern credible information from misinformation has become paramount. Media literacy empowers students to critically evaluate sources, assess the intent behind content, and engage with diverse perspectives. It serves as a foundational skill for academic success and a vital competency for responsible citizenship in a democratic society.

Understanding AI and its role in media

Artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes the media landscape, influencing how information is created, disseminated, and consumed. From algorithm-driven recommendations to AI-generated news articles, students must have the media literacy to recognize AI’s pervasive role in shaping their media experiences. Understanding AI’s mechanisms demystifies the technology and encourages critical examination of the content students encounter daily. Awareness of AI’s influence aids students in fostering a more profound understanding of how preferences and biases can be algorithmically curated.

The impact of AI on information dissemination

AI shapes content creation and plays a vital role in how information is distributed. Platform algorithms like social media determine what news reaches users’ feeds, often prioritizing engagement over factual accuracy. These algorithms can lead to the viral spread of misinformation, leaving students vulnerable to consuming content that lacks credibility. By understanding the role of AI in information dissemination, students can be more proactive in their media consumption, actively seeking substantiated news rather than relying solely on algorithmic suggestions.

The effects of social media on students

Social media platforms serve as both a hub for engagement and a source of distraction for students. They offer avenues for sharing ideas, discovering new content, and collaborating with peers. However, these addictive platforms lead to excessive screen time and decreased attention spans, challenging students’ abilities to focus.

Engagement vs. distraction: Finding balance

Finding the right balance between engagement and distraction in the age of social media is fundamental for students’ success. Educators can model effective strategies for managing social media use in educational contexts. They can do so by setting boundaries on usage during class time, promoting focused activities that enhance learning, and encouraging students to engage in digital detoxes during high-intensity study periods.

Leveraging edtech tools for enhanced media literacy

Edtech tools are crucial in advancing media literacy skills among students in today’s AI-driven landscape. Numerous applications and platforms can facilitate engaged learning and critical thinking, helping students consume information and analyze, evaluate, and create content responsibly. Here are some powerful edtech tools and strategies to enhance media literacy skills:

Content creation platforms

Tools like Canva, Adobe Spark, and WeVideo allow students to create visually engaging content, including infographics, videos, or presentations. Some are more accessible than others, so pick one that suits you and your students best. By engaging in content creation, students learn how to effectively communicate ideas and information–essential skills in assessing media quality and authenticity. Educators can assign projects where students must present different viewpoints on a controversial topic, prompting them to research thoroughly and distinguish credible sources from misleading ones.

Fact-checking tools

Fact-checking tools are more critical than ever. Websites and extensions like Snopes, FactCheck.org, and PolitiFact empower students to verify the information they encounter. Educators can integrate these tools into assignments, teaching students to question the reliability of sources, understand biases, and discern facts from misinformation.

Discussion forums

Platforms such as Padlet or Flipgrid encourage collaborative discussions among students regarding media consumption and analysis. They can post articles, videos, or social media posts along with their critiques and reflections. This shared space fosters peer learning and encourages diverse perspectives, helping students refine their viewpoints and hone their analytical skills.

Digital simulations and games

Edtech tools like iCivics or Google’s Be Internet Awesome encourage engagement through interactive simulations and games that teach media literacy concepts and digital citizenship. These platforms allow students to tackle real-life scenarios, fostering critical thinking about online media influence and ethical behavior.

Visualizations are excellent tools for conveying media literacy to visual learners. Consider introducing some concept maps to help students organize and represent knowledge by illustrating relationships between concepts. By encouraging learners to identify, connect, and categorize information, concept maps foster critical thinking and media literacy skills.

Video analytics tools

Utilizing platforms like Edpuzzle, educators can turn passive video watching into an interactive experience by embedding questions and prompts throughout video content. This strategy ensures students are paying attention and enhances their critical analysis of video narratives while promoting their evaluative skills.

Looking ahead

Artificial intelligence and social media significantly influence information dissemination, and media literacy skills are vital for any online participant. By integrating innovative edtech tools into the classroom, educators equip students with the skills to navigate, assess, and contribute meaningfully to the media landscape.

Through critical thinking, content creation, and responsible digital citizenship, students become informed consumers of information and empowered creators capable of engaging in the digital world with confidence and discernment.

Key points:

• Eight in 10 teens say they see conspiracy theories on social media at least once a week
• 5 news literacy resources for students
• How to help students build media literacy skills
• For more news on durable skills, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub

An overwhelming majority of teens (94 percent) want their schools to teach media literacy, although just 39 percent reported having had any such instruction during the 2023-24 school year, according to a study from The News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan education nonprofit.

The study reveals the alarming frequency with which American teenagers are exposed to–and believe–conspiracy theories on social media. But the research also found that teaching students media literacy is associated with healthy online habits like fact-checking before sharing on social media.
 
The study–News Literacy in America: A survey of teen information attitudes, habits & skills–surveyed more than 1,000 young people aged 13-18 and highlights the pressing need for systemic news literacy instruction in our nation’s schools.

“As we head into the final stretch of an election season defined by the spread of information disorder, this survey demonstrates that we urgently need to prepare our young people to discern credible news from misleading or false information,” said News Literacy Project CEO and President Charles Salter. “America’s teens need to learn news literacy skills so they can be more informed voters of the future.”

Among the findings: 

• Eight in 10 American teenagers say they see conspiracy theories on social media at least once a week. Some of the most frequent narratives cited include the 2020 election being rigged or stolen, the COVID-19 vaccine being dangerous and the Earth being flat.
• Of those teens who reported seeing conspiracy theories, 81 percent report that they believe at least one of them.
• Almost half of teens (45 percent) think the press does more to harm democracy than protect it.
• Eight in 10 say information from news organizations is no more impartial than other content creators online.
• Less than one quarter of teens (23 percent) say they use generative artificial intelligence chatbots once a week or more, challenging the notion that AI tools have already upended the way young people approach schoolwork. 

“This study underscores how vitally important news literacy skills are in an information environment dominated by social media. These platforms are home to harmful conspiracy theories, and our results show that American teens are not exempt from being exposed to, or potentially even influenced by them,” said Dr. Kim Bowman, a co-author of the report. “We need to do everything we can to be sure that young people know how to protect themselves from falsehoods – and this report shows that our students are emphatically asking for media literacy to be taught in schools.”

There were also reasons to be encouraged that media literacy instruction can help teens more successfully navigate our information ecosystem.

Among the findings, teens with at least some exposure to media literacy instruction were more likely to:

• Engage in civic-minded activities, such as pushing back against misinformation
• Correctly identify an image featuring a real person versus an AI-generated likeness
• Report higher trust in news media and more active news habits

The study provides recommendations for parents and guardians, educators, policymakers and journalists to ensure students have the knowledge and ability to participate in civic society as well-informed, critical thinkers by the time they graduate high school.

“The News Literacy in America report identifies that the country’s youth want media literacy to be offered in schools and the findings could not make it any clearer that the subject needs to become a curricular priority,” said Dr. Lance Holbert, director of the Leonore Annenberg Institute for Civics (LAIC) at the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, who was not involved in the study. “It should serve as a wake-up call for educating the nation’s youth about the value of quality journalism for a sustainable democracy.”

This press release originally appeared online.

Key points:

• Critical thinking should not be separate from and on top of what teachers are doing in the classroom
• How to help students build critical success skills
• 3 lessons on perseverance from Stoffel the honey badger
• For more news on durable skills, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub

Achievement discrepancies among U.S. students remain persistent and troubling–despite decades of targeted interventions and whole-school improvement programs. To make real gains, teachers need to address the underlying problem: the critical thinking gap.

Focusing on core cognitive skills sets students up for success throughout their academic careers. These five critical thinking strategies can help.  

Why focus on critical thinking?

Most academic interventions focus on core knowledge and basic skills: Let’s practice two-digit addition. Review the parts of the cell. Learn these vocabulary words. Read these passages for fluency. These kinds of exercises can help students make marginal gains in reading, math, and general content knowledge, but they don’t address the root of the problem: learning how to think and how to learn.

Growing evidence points to the role of critical thinking in educational achievement. Students need to activate higher-order thinking skills and metacognition to effectively master and retain new content knowledge, synthesize it with prior knowledge, and apply it to new scenarios and domains. However, most students are not explicitly taught how to do this.

Colin Seale, author of Thinking Like a Lawyer: A Framework for Teaching Critical Thinking to All Students (Prufrock Press, 2020), noted in an interview with ASCD: “When you start to look at how critical thinking looks in practice in K–12 classrooms, it’s often being treated as a luxury good. You’ll see critical thinking in an after-school mock trial program, or for an honors program that serves 8 percent of the school population, or for the special debate team or the selective entry school.”

Teaching students how to activate critical thinking and metacognition will enable them to learn more efficiently and effectively. Fortunately, that can be done within the context of the existing curriculum. Here are some ways teachers can get started:

1. Integrate critical thinking with content

Critical thinking should not be something that is separate from and on top of everything else teachers are doing in the classroom. For best results, it should be fully integrated with the content that is being taught. Think about the standards you are teaching to. Most will have both a content knowledge component and a thinking component. For example, if the standard requires students to understand the causes of the Revolutionary War, they need to know specific content, but they also need to understand cause-and-effect thinking. Teachers can help students by explicitly calling out the type of thinking required–e.g., defining, classifying, part-to-whole relationships, sequencing, etc.–and making sure students know what that kind of thinking looks like.

2. Give students a framework for thinking

Once students understand the type of thinking required, they need a framework to support it. A visual framework supports the development of critical thinking skills. Making thinking visible and concrete helps students activate the type of thinking required by the task and organize their ideas effectively. While there are tons of graphic organizers out there, it’s most beneficial to have a consistent framework for thinking that spans grade levels and content areas. This supports the growth of automaticity in activating cognitive skills.

3. Make learning active

Models such as project-based learning and inquiry learning have been demonstrated to improve learning outcomes. But you don’t have to upend your entire curriculum or implement a complicated model to make learning more active. Building in time for debate and discussion and collaborative learning activities are simple ways to make learning more active and engaging. For example, students can work together to construct meaning using a thinking map. Look for learning activities that require students to go beyond simple recitation of facts and engage deeply with the content as they solve a problem, develop and defend a point of view, or create something original.

4. Ask better questions–and teach students to ask their own

Increasing the rigor of the questions we are asking is another way to support critical thinking. That means asking questions that go beyond basic knowledge and comprehension to require higher-order thinking skills such as application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. (See some examples in the image below.) Even better, teach students how to ask their own questions. After introducing new content, for example, pause for a class brainstorming session where students come up with as many questions as they can, including basic clarification questions and higher-order “why,” “what if,” and ‘what else” kinds of questions. Then, students can work together to start answering some of these questions using the active learning methods above.

5. Get metacognitive

One important aspect of critical thinking is metacognition, or “thinking about one’s own thinking.” Students who are skilled in metacognition are able to recognize how well they understand a concept, where they need extra help or support, and how to apply and adjust learning strategies. Metacognitive skills include planning for learning, monitoring understanding, and evaluating the learning process. Like fundamental cognitive skills such as cause-and-effect or sequencing, metacognitive skills can also be explicitly taught. The questions in the Tree Maps below can help teachers get started.

These essential strategies can be applied across all grades and content areas. When we help students develop fundamental cognitive and metacognitive skills, learning becomes easier–and a lot more fun.

Key points:

• A new report urges policymakers to help students develop career-ready skills at each level of education
• 3 lessons on perseverance from a honey badger
• Are you tackling the durable skills challenge?
• For more news on career-ready skills, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching page

This article was originally published by SREB and is reposted with permission.

Communication, teamwork and problem-solving are clear priorities among success skills that employers seek, according to a new report by the Southern Regional Education Board.  

The Skills Employers Demand: An Analysis of the Research summarizes 10 years of studies, from 2013 to 2023, and analyzes job postings in the 16 SREB states.  

The report is designed to help educators and policymakers as they integrate these skills into what students learn in K-12, dual enrollment and postsecondary education. SREB’s Dual Enrollment Initiative includes a focus on skills for careers of the future.  

Success skills ─ sometimes called soft, durable, non-technical or employability skills ─ are personal qualities that advance careers and increase productivity. 

“At a time when we’re all learning how AI can do routine tasks, these are the qualities that set humans apart from machines,” said SREB President Stephen L. Pruitt. 

The most sought-after success skills across industries were remarkably consistent in academic and business studies: 

• Communication, oral and written 
• Teamwork and collaboration 
• Problem solving and critical thinking 

Supervision and management also emerged as a top skill in health care and STEM industries, where SREB predicts the largest workforce gaps in Southern states.  

“There is growing demand for these success skills, which are associated with higher earnings, adaptability, career progression, resilience and productivity,” said Courtney Leidner, SREB research analyst and author of the study.

For Educators and Policymakers
Promising Strategies to Build Success Skills  

“Building a plan to change instruction and integrate these skills into all programs of study is an important step,” said Dale Winkler, SREB senior vice president for school improvement. “SREB is committed to helping states and schools tailor strategies for their local areas.” 

Many SREB states are working to incorporate success skills into what students learn, from K-12 through postsecondary education. In addition to course standards, research suggests these strategies: 

• Tailor success skills to high-demand industries in your state or community by examining local job data.  
• Develop a cohesive approach across K-12, two-year and four-year colleges. 
• Use widely recognized credentials with clear criteria from reputable organizations. Credentialing can show employers that high school or college students have passed skills assessments.  
• Offer project-based and work-based learning experiences. 

Work-based learning allows students to learn to function in the workplace through mentoring, internships, apprenticeships or on-the-job training. It can begin in earlier grades with guest speakers, workplace tours and job shadowing 

Project-based learning, where students learn through practice and feedback on authentic, concrete projects, may be particularly effective in developing collaboration, adaptability and management skills. 

Key points:

• A classroom that values perseverance is a safe space for students to take chances
• Setting goals is another key part of creating an environment of perseverance
• See related article: 3 ways teachers can drive student growth

Have you ever heard the story of Stoffel the honey badger? Stoffel was rescued by a wildlife rehabilitation center after being injured by a pride of lions and quickly became infamous for his many escape attempts.

No matter what his caretakers did to deter him, Stoffel always found a way to escape his enclosure. First, he taught his fellow honey badger how they could work together to open the door to their habitat. Then, he began using tools and objects to scale the walls when his caretakers weren’t looking. At one point, he even built a small ramp over the wall using accumulated mud and debris. Suffice it to say, Stoffel knew a thing or two about perseverance.

As an educator, I’ve found myself reflecting on the nature of perseverance as the new school year begins. The landscape of education is always changing, and today’s students are facing hurdles that would leave even experienced academics feeling overwhelmed. We should all be taking a lesson from Stoffel the honey badger and cultivating a mindset of perseverance. Like any discipline, though, perseverance must be understood before it can be applied successfully. But what does that look like in the classroom? And how can educators teach students the value of perseverance in a way that’s memorable, meaningful, and fun? Here are just three strategies to consider:

1. Create an environment of perseverance: To paraphrase The Magic School Bus, the classroom should be a place where students can take chances, make mistakes, and get messy! Teachers can help by creating opportunities for students to put these values into practice.

One helpful strategy to consider is the Mistake of the Week. Celebrate mistakes as a learning opportunity by having students nominate one mistake that really helped the class understand something more clearly. Be sure to practice positive self-talk as well. Sometimes teaching students the right words of encouragement can be the key to boosting their resolve.

2. Give them a running start: It’s easy to forget that students are still growing into themselves. They’re in the process of discovering their interests, their talents, their limitations, and how to overcome them. To foster perseverance, educators need to give their students the space they need to grow. One way to do this is through Tinker Time. Allow students some time to tinker with materials or ideas just for the fun of it. They can also expand on ideas in a variety of ways and directions. Tinker time is a great way to begin investigations and tap into students’ prior knowledge, and it has the benefit of encouraging risk-taking and student curiosity.

3. Set goals: We want to start students off with challenges they can manage.This means learning to differentiate depending on the student. Think of it like this–if someone is new to jogging, their first goal should be running a 10K, not a marathon. When students can see progress, they gain a sense of accomplishment pushing them forward. Students can create their own goals and record, or teachers can create goals for a particular task or project. As a bonus, this is a great way to provide formative feedback to your students on how well they are doing along the way.

Perseverance demands flexibility and patience, both from us and our students. However, Stoffel reminds us that when we practice perseverance, we’re rewarded with growth, new opportunities, and a wonderful sense of accomplishment. So this fall, let’s all try to be honey badgers. Let’s remember to persevere and face every new challenge with creativity, enthusiasm, and grit.    

Related: 4 ways to enhance critical thinking skills

Critical thinking is plainly in decline.  Everywhere we look, people are uncritically consuming and spreading information that is distorted, misleading, and sometimes intentionally deceptive. Conspiracy thinking is rampant–QAnon, Alex Jones and the Sandy Hook shooting, Pizzagate, and unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud are just a few of the most notorious examples. The very foundations of our democracy are arguably at risk when millions are willing to believe irrational and unfounded claims.

Nobel prize-winning economist Daniel Kahneman (Thinking Fast and Slow) demonstrated that we’re generally inclined to draw conclusions based on gut instincts, thereby avoiding the hard work of closely examining evidence.  Psychologists and neuroscientists have shown that we are subject to “confirmation bias,” the tendency to believe whatever reinforces our prior views and to disbelieve what challenges them. We are especially prone to this bias if changing our views would be costly–financially, to our reputation, or to our identity. These natural tendencies, exacerbated by the pervasiveness of social media and the limitless access to information on the internet, leave us vulnerable to being duped by disinformation.

But we are not defenseless.  There are some simple exercises we can use to combat both our natural instincts and the rising tide of digital misinformation.  

1. Explore context. Whatever you read comes from someone with a particular history, perspective, and set of interests.  Ask yourself: Who is this person?  Where are they coming from, literally and figuratively? What might s/he stand to gain by persuading us of this? 

2. Consider alternatives.  Any position you encounter is only one of many possibilities.  What other explanations might there be for this event?  How else could we interpret this person’s words or actions?  What other solution to this problem might be possible?

3. Weigh evidence.  A position is only as strong as the evidence that supports it.  Ask yourself: Is there enough evidence here to support the conclusion presented?  Was that evidence gathered in an objective, non-biased way? Was potentially disconfirming evidence overlooked or suppressed?

4. Look at implications. The value of an idea is measured in part by what follows from it. If this is really true, what else would we expect to find? If this policy were adopted, what do we actually know about the downstream effects? Even if this appears reasonable, does it lead to absurd conclusions?

When we ask these questions and others like them, we refuse to accept things at face value. We cultivate a skeptical frame of mind, a willingness to investigate even things that look plausible at first glance. And we are especially skeptical of things–claims about the efficacy of medical treatments, the cause of a social problem, or benefits of a political policy–if they seem farfetched or at odds with ordinary experience. As Isaac Asimov said, “I believe in evidence. I’ll believe anything, no matter how wild and ridiculous, if there is evidence for it. The wilder and more ridiculous something is, however, the firmer and more solid the evidence will have to be.” 

To think critically is to ask these and similar probing questions consistently and relentlessly. We must ask them so routinely that they become second nature to us.  We should teach our children to adopt this practice of thinking critically, and we should model it for them, as well as for our friends, neighbors, and co-workers on a daily basis. This requires concerted effort, for while the basic questions are simple, the practice of thinking critically is difficult. It’s no wonder that we tend to avoid it.

The world will never be free of charlatans, demagogues, and others peddling half-truths or blatant lies for their own purposes. Our best defense is to develop the habit of asking these critical questions. In the final analysis, our willingness to do so affirms our fundamental responsibility to distinguish truth from falsehood and deception.  Given all that is at stake for us as individuals, and as a society, we can hardly afford to shirk that responsibility.

Related:
4 ideas to infuse critical thinking in ELA and social studies
How to educate in the 4th Industrial Revolution

Far fewer female high school graduates say they feel prepared to decide on a career path compared to male high school graduates, according to the second part of a national student survey, Post-Graduation Readiness Report Part II, with additional findings focused on disparities between male and female high school graduates.

While part I of the report from YouScience revealed that almost all high school graduates (75 percent) do not feel prepared to make college or career decisions after graduation, the newest findings reveal imbalances between male and female graduates in relation to college and career readiness. The national online survey polled more than 500 male and female high school graduates from the classes of 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.

The survey highlights how the lack of career exposure can lead to feelings of uncertainty for all students when it comes to post-high school readiness, however males felt more confident to make a choice after graduation simply due to being more exposed to more career options: only 41% of female high school graduates stated that they felt prepared to make a career choice or declare a major upon graduation compared to 57% of males.

Earlier research conducted by YouScience indicated a gender gap exists between male and female students in career interest. While female students possess strong aptitude for technology-based careers, their interest in those careers is low compared to those of their male counterparts. For example, female students have almost 10x the aptitude for advanced manufacturing careers than interest, while males are closer with 2x the aptitude than interest. This disparity can be partially attributed to the exposure gap – the lack of exposure or knowledge of jobs and careers – experienced by students in high school, which the latest survey data confirms.

While a career exposure gap exists among all students, male students appear to have a slight edge on their female counterparts. According to this latest research, nearly 60% of female high school graduates reported not being exposed to a wide enough variety of options for college and career versus less than 30% of males feeling the same lack of exposure. More male graduates (78%) also reported having a conversation with a teacher or school counselor about post-high school opportunities than female graduates (63%).

“There is no question that an exposure gap to potential careers exists for all students in education today. However, given that female students have great aptitude for in-demand careers — such as those in technology — we must also acknowledge and address the gap that persists between male and female students within the same schools,” said Jeri Larsen, Chief Operating Officer at YouScience. “By improving career exposure for everyone and partnering more closely with industry, we have a greater chance of solving workforce issues such as the limited pool of skilled talent. Equitable education and exposure for all students is needed now more than ever.”

Additional findings of the survey include:

Male high school graduates felt more prepared and/or confident

• 45% of males feel that they are in a job that they like or that is putting them on a good career path compared to 27% of females
• 68% of males are where they want to be in their education or career path compared to 57% of females

Female high school graduates felt less exposed to education or career options in high school

• Nearly one-third (32%) of females said they were rarely or never exposed to a variety of career options during high school compared to 22% of males
• Only 50% of females reported knowing that CTE courses were available versus 70% of males that were aware of them

Despite feeling confident and/or prepared to make educational or career choices, male high school graduates have changed their college majors more often than females

• 67% of males have changed their major since initial selection compared to 50% of females
• 59% of males have changed their major two or more times since initial selection compared to 46% of females

Related:
How to prepare students for the jobs of the future
5 skills for future success–and how to help students develop the

This press release originally appeared online.

The 4th Industrial Revolution is the current phase of rapid technological change. It is also known as Industry 4.0, and the advent of robotics, artificial intelligence, and automation has marked it. Klaus Schwab coined the term in 2013 in his book “The Fourth Industrial Revolution.” He defines it as “a new stage of industrialization characterized by a fusion of technologies blurring the lines between the physical, digital, and biological spheres.”

The 4th Industrial Revolution is a time of significant change. It is a time when new technologies and innovations are transforming the world. The role of educators in this revolution will be to prepare students for the future. Educators are uniquely positioned to help students understand how these changes will affect their lives and careers. They can also help students learn how to use these technologies responsibly and ethically.

How Technology is Changing the Way We Learn

The educational system is changing with the introduction of new technologies. But what are the benefits and drawbacks of this change? The benefit of this change is that students can learn at their own pace in a way that is most effective for them. The drawback is that we need to retain some of the human aspects of education. Students don’t get to interact with their teachers in person or have human-to-human interactions, which could be beneficial.

The impact of technology on our society has created a need for educators to understand the new skills and knowledge needed in the workforce. The 4th Industrial Revolution will require students to be creative, collaborative, and critical thinkers. The current curriculum needs to be updated, but the skills needed are within our reach. We must first recognize the need for a shift and then work to operationalize the changes necessary to prepare our students for the future.

The Future of Education in a World of AI and Automation

With the advent of AI and automation, education has to change. It is no longer enough to have a degree and expect it to put you ahead in the workforce. AI is going to be taking over many jobs in the future. And what are people going to do? That’s right; they’ll learn more skills to keep up with AI and automation. The future of education must focus on teaching people how to learn new skills quickly, find information, assess information for accuracy, and make decisions based on evidence.

The future of education is a topic that has been debated for decades. With the rise of AI and automation, traditional education’s role is becoming more uncertain. AI and automation are changing how we work, live, and learn. These changes will shape the future of education. Education is intertwined with many complex global issues, such as long-range employment forecasts and economic markets. As automation and AI continue to grow, the debate over their use in the workforce has intensified. Some argue that automation could lead to mass unemployment, while others see it as an opportunity for growth. As educators, our charge is to ensure that our students are enrolled, enlisted, or employed. The future’s changing landscape must be considered during curriculum development and delivery.

The Future of Education in a World of AI and Automation

Some people believe that AI will be able to replace teachers in the near future. They argue that it will be easier for students to learn from an AI than from a human teacher. Others believe that AI will not be able to replace teachers because they are more than just educators; they are mentors and guides who help students grow into responsible adults; who can adapt to the issues that they face in life. The future of education is becoming more and more automated. With AI’s help, teachers can focus on what they do best: teaching.

The balance of AI and high-quality teaching should be the target of our instructional programs in school. The 4th Industrial Revolution has already begun; it’s time for educators to join the revolution and partner with businesses and industry to continue to educate our students for the world of tomorrow.

Related:
How to educate in the 4th industrial revolution

When I ask educators if they have heard of the term “growth mindset,” many will raise their hands or nod they have. However, when I ask educators to define what it means to have a growth mindset, I often get blank stares or they struggle with putting it into words. 

This is one of the issues educators might be struggling with – well-researched concepts like growth mindset sound familiar, but there is little guidance on putting these concepts into practice.

If we are to truly close educational gaps, educators must believe in and must be empowered to make a difference and put a plan in place to support student success.

Focus on Collective Teacher Efficacy

Professor John Hattie defines “collective teacher efficacy” as “the collective self-perception that teachers in a given school make an educational difference to their students over and above the educational impact of their homes and communities.” 

In this video, Hattie discusses collective teacher efficacy in greater depth. He shares how educators need to start taking credit for the learning happening in their classrooms by believing they are the ones causing that learning. This is an important first step.

Understanding learning does not just happen by chance is foundational for success. Educators who believe in student growth and achievement are the reason students grow. This is because these educators know how to plan for success and, in turn, set up the right environments to foster learning.

Understand Learning Beliefs

To develop collective teacher efficacy, it’s important for educators to take time to dig into their own learning beliefs by answering questions such as:

• What are your beliefs about learning?
• What are the steps you take to learn something new?
• How do you learn best?

For maximum impact, educators can do this activity in PLCs. Administrators or coaches can pose the questions and have everyone do a five-minute quick write to collect their thoughts. Then these thoughts can be shared – and discussed – with the group. Educators can even create posters with these learning beliefs that can be hung in the teacher lounge or classrooms. This can also be done online using Padlet, for example.

Once educators understand their own learning beliefs, it’s important to understand what it means to have high expectations for all students. The best way is to do this is by asking additional questions such as:

• What are your non-negotiables for classrooms?
• What does an inclusive and productive learning community look and feel like at your school for all students? Teachers?
• What are your expectations for your educators and students when it comes to data-driven instruction?

For higher impact, educators can repeat the same discussion and collaboration activities completed for the collective teacher efficacy questions with these questions about learning beliefs. Taking this extra time to clarify expectations and learning beliefs sets the foundation for proactive planning for student success.

Develop a Plan for Success

Next, it is important to set aside TIME to plan. In planning, it’s essential for educators to devise instructional strategies for whole group, small group, and independent instruction for all students, keeping grade-level standards and outcomes in mind.  There are online resources available, such as this step-by-step guide, to help with this planning.  

During the planning phase, educators should consider focusing on building can-do cultures, providing scaffold and support for grade-level success, promoting student self-efficacy, involving families, and thinking differently about structures and schedules. Collectively, these different areas will help accelerate student learning for grade-level success and ensure equitable outcomes and growth for all students.

When thinking about closing gaps and planning for success for all students, educators need time, resources, and support to plan. Equally important, they need to understand their key role in student success – they are, after all, the ones driving student learning and achievement!

Related:
Are you tackling the durable skills challenge?
5 skills for future success–and how to help students develop them

Just for a moment, think about your physical environment. Perhaps you’re taking your lunch break in your car that has satellite radio and reading this article on a mobile device. Maybe you’re at home on your computer where you’ve got another browser tab open, creating a meeting agenda in Google Drive to share with your colleagues. 

Evidence that we’re in the middle of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) is all around us. From the mobile device that can connect you via FaceTime or Slack with co-workers worldwide to cloud computing, we operate in a time and space marked by its reliance on artificial intelligence, blockchain, big data, the Internet of Things, and automation.

As individuals interested in empowering the next generation of young people to succeed, it is time to ensure that the field of education is appropriately responding to the 4IR, which has impacted nearly every industry in recent years. The question, then, is how can we ensure that we educate students to succeed in a world dominated by the 4IR?

Education Lags Behind Industry

Industry reacts to the market’s wants and needs as soon as an opportunity to make a profit presents itself. It adopts lightning-speed technologies and uses them in new ways every day. Industry is structured to pivot at a moment’s notice and to innovate rapidly. However, the same cannot be said for the field of education.

Although education is intended to prepare students to live and work successfully in the world as adults, it is currently not prepared to help them do so in the world of the 4IR. This is mainly because education is not as responsive to the needs of industry that lives and breathes the 4IR. Young learners finish school without the mindset and skills necessary to thrive in this environment.

What We Can Do About It

1. Change How We Think.

Partnerships between educational institutions and industry have increased over the decades to help ensure that students graduate with needed skills. However, they have resulted in education that supports learners being able to do a particular job instead of any kind of work, which is necessary for working in the 4IR.

2. Teach the Right Skills.

Students must learn technical skills to navigate life and work in the 4IR successfully. They need to know how to film, make podcasts, blog, and build wikis, for example. Additionally, they need to become adept at different skills, like creativity, working in teams, innovation, time management, communication, and critical thinking. A 2020 World Economic Forum report states that “critical thinking and analysis as well as problem-solving, and skills in self-management such as active learning, resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility” are critical to business leaders.

These skills help students to make the most of existing and new technologies, both now and in the future. If they can learn to think outside the box, they are better prepared to take charge of their learning and become life-long learners.

3. Create Independent, Life-Long Learners.

Upending traditional classrooms and encouraging students to try and fail, collaborate, and innovate is the key to helping students take charge of their learning and encourage their internal motivation and curiosity.

What’s wrong with the memorize and regurgitate educational model? It doesn’t prepare students to work in a world where they will have to learn new skills to stay current and relevant constantly.

A 2017 Institute for the Future and Dell Technologies report states that “around 85% of the jobs that today’s learners will be doing in 2030 haven’t been invented yet.” Furthermore, the World Economic Forum indicates that “by 2025, 85 million jobs may be displaced by a shift in the division of labor between humans and machines, while 97 million new roles may emerge that are more adapted to the new division of labor between humans, machines and algorithms.” Students in classrooms today must be prepared for jobs that don’t even exist yet, and the best way to do that is to prepare them to be self-managing learners who are driven to continue learning throughout their careers.

4. Update Curricula and Its Delivery.

Integrating ideas from STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) with curricula and industry needs is a crucial step in bringing education current with the reality of the 4IR. Reimagining what a classroom looks like is another critical step. Flexible classrooms focusing on teachers facilitating instead of giving knowledge and on students’ interests and abilities will help students develop the skills necessary to succeed in a changing world of technology.

Content should also be participatory and personalized. It should be participatory in creating opportunities for learners to think critically about it. Instead of multiple-choice quizzes that assess their knowledge, learners can apply the knowledge to their learning contexts, which makes it more personalized.

Additionally, content should be delivered in group-based situations, encouraging debate and communication of opinions and information. This promotes the development of the crucial communication skills needed for the 4IR. Groups can also work together to create products that practically demonstrate their learning. This also allows them to evaluate and innovate, further improving their 4IR skills.

Changing how content is delivered is another vital facet of making education more compatible with the 4IR. MOOCs and mobile-accessible learning help create self-guided learning experiences that students can utilize to learn new skills relevant to their particular contexts.

Where to Next?

As we–as parents, formal educators, administrators, and invested community members–reflect on how to prepare our learners for the future, we must focus on equipping them with the skills they need. They need to think big and have the self-confidence to roll with the changes the world will continue to throw at them and use those changes to improve their lives and the world. By rethinking and restructuring education to align with the challenges and opportunities of the 4IR, we are better situated to successfully empower learners for their futures.

 A new effort to evaluate the “durable” skills that lead to success and achievement in the 21^st century workforce was launched this spring by nonprofit organizations America Succeeds and CompTIA.

America Succeeds and CompTIA are collaborating on ways to integrate durable skills into education pathways – in the classroom for future workers and in employee training for individuals already in the workforce – to prepare them for success in their careers and communities.

“Durable skills are the skills that last a lifetime, the skills that you use to demonstrate what you know and the skills that employers are looking for,” said Tim Taylor, co-founder and president of America Succeeds, a national nonprofit that is committed to engaging business leaders in accelerating equity, access, and opportunity in education.

“We believe helping students better develop their innate durable skills at an early age will help them compete, contribute, and thrive in their careers,” said Todd Thibodeaux president and CEO of CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce.

Durable skills, also referred to as soft skills, human skills or 21^st century skills, can be difficult to define or quantify. Generally, they fall under ten major themes or competencies:
1. Leadership
2. Collaboration
3. Creativity
4. Metacognition
5. Growth mindset
6. Character
7. Communication
8. Critical thinking
9. Mindfulness
10. Fortitude

The first step planned by America Succeeds and CompTIA is to bring employers together to define a common rubric of the durable skills that apply across industries and occupations with the goal of developing a method to assess an individual’s competency level and understanding of durable skills and identify actions that can enhance them.

Separate research by the two organizations suggests that employers are interested in identifying job candidates with these skillsets and providing training to close the durable skills gap:

• Seven of the ten most requested skills in jobs postings are durable skills.
• Employers seek these skills nearly five times more frequently than the top five technical or hard skills.
• Two-thirds of HR professionals say durables skills are becoming more important and more of a focus, though half acknowledge some degree of confusion and challenges with soft skills/durable skills.
• Sixty-eight percent of HR professionals believe most or all the top 10 durable skills categories can be taught.

“Employers clearly recognize the importance and value of recruiting people with solid durable skills, especially in a tight labor market with little margin for error in hiring decisions,” Thibodeaux said. “The challenge is finding a way to accurately and fairly assess a candidate’s prowess in these areas. We’re committed to finding solutions to solve this dilemma, in a way that eliminates barriers and creates opportunities for a more inclusive group of job candidates.”

“As we begin to recover from the pandemic, it is essential that we address the inequities that have been amplified, and at the same time reimagine and restructure education systems and career pathways to work better for all,” said Taylor. “Defining and assessing durable skills allows us to focus on those solutions and see a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Material from a press release was used in this report.

The price of a college degree continues to creep higher across the country. But has the value of that degree kept pace? Students expect their investment in college to pay off in the form of meaningful employment. However, according to new data, both recent grads and HR managers believe that the absence of durable skills–including people skills–training in higher education offers an opportunity for colleges and universities to partner with students and employers in closing a critical skills gap. 

A new report from Mursion, From Skill to Instinct: How Higher Education Can Bridge the Gap Between Classroom and Career, found that while the hard, technical skills ingrained throughout traditional academia are critical to career success, these skills may not be enough to stand out in a highly competitive job market.

In fact, the data revealed that 44 percent of HR professionals would hire an applicant with strong durable skills, such as superior people skills, over an applicant with superior hard skills.

The report illustrates how this new skills gap is widening and reveals the implications it may have for the future if no formal action is taken. The data highlights an opportunity for higher education institutions to step in and not only increase the value of their offering, but to help mold a future workforce with the social instincts to collaborate and work together successfully. 

Main highlights from the data include:

While the general importance of people skills in the workplace is uncontested, expectations have diverged. Hiring and HR managers are looking for high levels of collaboration, while recent graduates are focused on individual skills:

• 65 percent of HR professionals believe teamwork and collaboration are the most foundational people skills–and 40 percent believe these skills are the most lacking in new hires
• Only 37 percent of recent graduates believe they need to develop better teamwork skills, instead putting their focus on presenting (41 percent) and negotiation (40 percent)

The pandemic and sequential shift to remote work are only widening this new skills gap:

• Before the pandemic, HR professionals rated the people skills of existing employees as average or below average–close to half (47 percent) believe that the pandemic has made these skills even worse
• Recent graduates reported missing out on traditional in-person facilities or events that may have acted as a launching pad for their careers

“It may seem natural to assume that recent college graduates and other emerging professionals will ultimately learn how to navigate challenging office personality types and advance their careers,” said Mark Atkinson, CEO and co-founder of Mursion. “But we can’t afford to assume that all recent graduates are autodidacts when it comes to foundational human skills. To learn any new skill and make it instinctual, people need practice, guidance and reflection. They need the opportunity to fail in a psychologically safe space so they can pinpoint their mistakes and try again until mastery is achieved.”

Material from a press release was used in this report.

From the classroom to the district director level, and eventually my own desk in the principal’s office, I have served in many different roles in K-12 education.

However, in the midst of my career, I left public education to spend 2 years in corporate America.  That experience, working in what some call the “real world,” has given me a somewhat different perspective from many of my peers.  By working the corporate world, I’ve seen the connections between what is taught in the classroom and how that knowledge is applied in the workplace. 

Perhaps more importantly, I believe I have pinpointed five abilities all students need to develop before leaving K-12 schooling behind and moving into the world we call adulthood. 

Among those abilities are:

1. Critical thinking: Many folks go through the motions in their working lives–following directions, meeting quotas, and, simply put, people pleasing! However, those individuals who question everything, refute the status quo, and take risks are often rewarded for their initiative. As a middle and high school teacher these days, I help students become thinkers first and foremost. Yes, I am a STEM teacher, but not one of the fields that make up STEM can be explored with any level of success without independent thinking.

One resource I use to teach students how to think is Teach Different. Students paraphrase a simple quote, then look at the statement from an opposing lens, and eventually answer an essential question that makes each child truly take a side in the argument this process has created.

2. Making: While so many children grow up as “makers,” this thing called formal schooling often disrupts the natural progression of building creativity. Building blocks are replaced by textbooks, and natural curiosity (aka. trial and error) is stifled by standardized testing. In my class we use everything from pieces of cardboard and glue to metal scraps and a MIG welding machine to “make.” As the adult in the classroom, I do not assess this “making,” I simply encourage it by always providing new resources and materials in our classroom maker space. Next year we are going to build a sustainable 3D printing business, where scrap filament is not simply thrown in the trash, but instead recycled into new filament. Yes, it should be as cool as it sounds!

3. Knowing one’s options: I have spent well over half of my career working with underserved populations. Many times, the academic achievement gap is caused by the opportunity gap. Students do not go through school hoping to land in careers that they know nothing about, and often struggle in subject areas that are not being routinely encouraged by friends and family. Therefore, it is my job to show them different career paths that might not be commonplace in their community. The recently enhanced Discovery Education platform has great video compilations of amazing STEM jobs out there, some of which I had never heard of before myself. Knowing is only half the battle, though…

4. Responding to motivation: The debate between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and the role of each in education, will likely never end. Yes, we want all students to be lifelong learners, but it is a lot easier to learn when you see risk followed by reward. While I have mentioned cash prizes to students for meeting certain goals, not one situation has come to fruition where I have had to pay up! At the same time though, a lot of big names such as Amazon are entering the education space to excite students through programs such as the Amazon Future Engineer program. With contests and prizes including scholarship money and Amazon Gift Cards (which to most is as good as cash), students will certainly buy into content a lot more quickly and willingly when they see a tangible outcome that includes recognition for their efforts!

5. The ability to network: One thing that some might be questioning is how does one go from a principal role back into the classroom? It might not be as easy as it sounds, but I had little problem leaving education, finding success in the financial world, and then returning to the school setting because of my connections. Some connections are personal ones, some professional ones, some at an organizational level, and some at a global level. The saying goes that it’s not about what you know, but who you know. I feel that it is about both! I currently consult with two edtech companies (one where my boss is in Australia) and talk to teachers literally all over the globe about these products. While my Twitter following is only nearing 2,500 (@mdsforthekids), I continue to network with fellow educators, innovators, entrepreneurs, and agents of change because you just never know when a different opportunity might present itself. 

I encourage my students to be on the lookout for opportunities to widen their network. I encourage them to, when they meet new people they want to stay in touch with, follow-up with a note or follow their social media accounts.  Reach out to them occasionally to say to hello, or to update them on a topic of mutual interest.  Building out a new network takes time, but it is well worth the energy you spend on it.

While there are many skills and abilities students need for future success, I believe these five are critical, core skills every student can use in pursuit of future success.  Now, it is up to us educators to create the learning experiences that will help students build these skills.

“We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist … using technologies that haven’t been invented … in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.”—Richard Riley, former Secretary of Education 

Less than twenty years ago, a student saying that they wanted to be a data scientist, digital artist, app developer, virtual assistant or blogger would’ve been met with confused faces and the standard “what’s that?” question from parents and educators.  

You can’t blame them, most of those jobs (if they even existed yet) were just fringe roles on the outside of tech spaces. And at the time, education and job prep were still based on careers that had been solidified. But, the students of the time filled those new roles, many of them having to teach themselves how to effectively do the functions of each job.  

Today, many now wonder if the same thing will happen again with our current students and will there be a skills gap between graduates and careers? Well, it will. A 2018 report by the Institute for the Future (IFTF) said that 85 percent of the jobs that today’s students will do in 2030 don’t exist yet. So, how are we supposed to again prepare students for the jobs of the future, such as a self-driving car mechanic, telesurgeon, or whatever else we see appear?

We asked this question to some of our Connections Academy teachers. Being experienced educators in online learning (another field that didn’t exist 20 years ago), they’ve seen firsthand how the world has changed and how we can better prepare our students with the future job skills for it. Here is what they recommend:  

Teach students these three essential skills

Traditionally, you choose a field that interests you, decide on it as your major/career path and then follow the educational paths that have been laid out to prepare you for that role. But, with the future of work, that’s an outdated recipe. 

We can’t predict exactly what these careers will be. However, based on what we’ve already seen and the forecasts of economic experts, it’s better to prep students with these four future job skills that can be applied to many different future jobs: 

1. Complex Problem Solving

The days of insert material into machine, push button, remove product and start over are gone. Today, employees need to think independently, identify increasingly complex problems, and solve them or present ideas on how to solve them. 

In fact, the World Economic Forum report predicted that “in 2020, more than one-third (36%) of all jobs across all industries are expected to require complex problem-solving as one of their core skills.” Now that we’ve passed 2020, that number is way higher.  

Our teachers suggest using these methods to allow students to develop problem-solving skills: 

• Provide project-based learning opportunities that allow students to define a real-world problem and create and test solutions for it, like making a fruit battery out of a lemon. 
• Give students more responsibility for their learning pace as they advance through the school years. These three Connections Academy students graduated high school early by taking advantage of their online school schedule. 
• Track students’ problem solving in real-time through an education management system that helps you intervene with help when needed. 

2. Critical Thinking

Thanks to the digital age, we’re flooded with more information today than ever. But we’ve also seen that there are chunks of it that are false, which can cause students to get sucked down the rabbit hole of misinformation. Not only will this hurt their academics when they use unverified and/or misleading information to complete an assignment, but it will also hurt their chances at employment since they’ll abandon important critical thinking skills that employers will want. 

We need to teach students to think critically. This means differentiating between credible and noncredible sources; analyzing information for bias, logic and accuracy; and recombining that information to create new solutions and products. Some of the best ways to do this are to: 

• Set high information standards with multimedia resources from leading education publishers and providers. 
• Integrate critical thinking, research, and writing skills across content areas—from math to American history. 
• Help students sharpen those skills in online clubs and courses geared to their personal passions and career interests. 

3. Collaboration

Collaboration is more important than ever in today’s work environment. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic forced people into remote work and learning environments, the workplace silos (cubicles) were already trending down in favor of getting coworkers to interact with each other. Some industries have teams regularly connecting with co-workers all over the world through digital tools…an advantage that an online school graduate will already possess. 

According to our teachers, collaboration skills can be practiced and improved if you encourage your students to:  

• Work and learn online with peers from diverse backgrounds and geographic areas. 

• Team up on group projects where they learn to plan, delegate, communicate, and hold one another accountable for meeting a common goal. 
• Learn and practice foreign-language and cultural skills with native speakers online. 
• Use online collaboration tools respectfully and effectively for everything from the chat room to the virtual classroom. 

4. Life Skills 

Life skills—the abilities and behaviors that help you deal effectively with the challenges and pivots of everyday life—are skills that allow students to be as adaptable as possible. As future jobs and workplaces continue to evolve faster than ever, we know life skills will never become outdated: 

• Time management skills gained from setting up a schedule for class, studying, and eventually a work schedule, are critical in the future of work. 
• Organization skills like juggling homework, lessons, study breaks, and other priorities are other great life skills for kids to start mastering now. 

Learning these four skills will help prepare your child for wherever their career choice takes them in the unpredictable future of work. To help them begin the career exploration journey, check out 5 Ways to Help High School Students Pick a Career post. 

Fact: Every job in every sector will require soft skills. These soft skills include what many call durable skills—professional and personal competencies that span a person’s career—and they are requested in job postings much more frequently than hard skills.

A new report from student success nonprofit America Succeeds leverages data from 82 million employer job postings and reveals the critical importance of durable skills training for long-term success in the workforce.

These “soft” skills were requested in more than 50 million job ads–almost two-thirds of those studied. One-third of jobs (29 million) requested at least 3 durable skills, and of the 10 most in-demand skills across all postings, 7 were durable skills. The top 5 durable skills were requested almost 4 times more than the top 5 other skills.

These are some of the unique data points presented in The High Demand for Durable Skills. As defined in the new report, durable skills are the soft skills that comprise important professional capabilities (leadership, critical thinking, communication, etc.) and personal qualities (creativity, mindfulness, fortitude, etc.) that last throughout an entire career.

“The need for inclusive, soft skills-based education and hiring was apparent long before the pandemic but COVID-19 has greatly accelerated existing trends,” said Tim Taylor, co-founder and president of America Succeeds. “We launched this unique research initiative to start a national conversation around durable skills, so that schools understand the importance of educating for them and corporate leaders recognize the urgent need to partner with the education system to solve their workforce challenges.”

Using Emsi’s database of tens of millions of employer job postings from the past two years, America Succeeds categorized 100 of the most in-demand durable skills into 10 major themes or competencies.

Key findings include:

• The top five durable skills are requested nearly four (3.8) times more than the top five hard skills
• Over 29 million postings (36 percent) requested at least three of these skills
• Leadership and communication competencies are in highest demand, requested by 50+ percent of postings
• While the value of durable skills is high nationwide, geographic regions differ from one another and from national averages in their demand for specific competencies

“Companies will continue to compete on innovation and talent like never before which makes the use, sharing, and transparency of skills data across stakeholder groups even more important to the world of work”, said Cheryl Oldham, senior vice president of Education and Workforce, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. “Collective action around durable skills is one way to ensure Americans have the right skills for the jobs of today and tomorrow, and the economy has the skilled workforce it needs to grow.”

The report represents the initial results of a long-term initiative to identify and elevate the need for durable skills training across the full spectrum of education-to-employment pathways. America Succeeds continues to expand its research and advocacy campaign, partnering with leading corporations that are seeking to foster greater student achievement, build an educated workforce pipeline, and protect the nation’s future economic vitality.

Additional supporters of the initiative include SHRM, CompTIA, The Manufacturing Institute, Business Agility Institute, Associated Builders and Contractors, and Americans for the Arts.

In an ever-changing global workforce, today’s students are developing skills to make them productive members of tomorrow’s workforce. Perhaps one of the most important skills they’ll learn is lifelong learning.

A new report highlights lifelong learning’s prominent part in higher ed and the workforce, but the report’s recommendations are also important for K-12 educators and learners.

Related content: 5 strategies to navigate the future of learning

Future of Lifelong Learning: Designing for a Learning-Integrated Life, a new whitepaper from D2L released during the 2020 Education World Forum, focuses on the future of work and learning. The paper describes how these forces and the interactions between them are permeating all aspects of our society, driving an increasing need for lifelong learning.

Related Content:

eSchool News STEM, STEAM, & Makerspaces Guide

The eSchool News STEM, STEAM, & Makerspaces Guide is here! It features strategies to help you integrate STEM, STEAM, and makerspace education into classrooms, and it offers a look at how these tools engage students and give them valuable skills. A new eSchool News Guide will launch each month–don’t miss a single one!

“While we cannot forecast the future with any certainty, it is clear that there is an increasing importance on the education and workforce development sectors to continually enable working individuals for the jobs of both today and tomorrow,” says Jeremy Auger, D2L’s chief strategy officer. “Achieving the vision of a ‘Learning-Integrated Life,’ or ongoing learning and skills development as the enabler of employability, success, and purpose, requires a paradigm shift in the current models of education and skills development.”

The demand for lifelong learning appears to be strong and growing in both the short-term and the future. Up to 375 million workers across the global workforce—or 14 percent of all workers—may need to change occupations and learn new skills by 2030.

But for lifelong learning to be obtainable, education and training opportunities must be accessible to all–particularly for low-skilled and disadvantaged individuals. A lack of accessibility creates gaps in education and skills, leading to economic disparities.

Recommendations for lifelong learning include:

• Acting as a convener, governments should leverage a national strategy to create a shared commitment between government, public education systems, and employers to create a cohesive lifelong learning system.
• Industry-academic co-design of programs have shown compelling benefits for workers, employers, and educational institutions. Industry-led partnerships with labor organizations should offer similar potential in preparing new workers and upskilling existing workers for changing technologies and business processes.
• Higher education should address the demand for learning through new, flexible models of learning for adults.
• Employers and postsecondary institutions must work together to develop models for assessment and recognition based off what already works.
• Industry and higher education institutions should promote the development of durable skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence, all critical across occupations and for career adaptability.
• In order for the shift in our learning systems to be realized and to meet the needs of a Learning-Integrated Life, data must flow more seamlessly between government, industry, and education.

While this research has broad implications for higher education, it is still relevant for the K-12 landscape for several reasons:

1. Students need to learn how to learn. And they have to do so before reaching college or entering certification programs or the workforce. When students participate in makerspaces and project-based learning, they take ownership of their learning. Student agency and student voice emerge, letting students find their strengths and develop skills they’ll need for success.

2. STEM education prepares students for the future. The majority of tomorrow’s jobs (many of which don’t even exist yet today) will require some kind of STEM competency. A background in STEM is essential. What’s more–as STEM roles in the workforce evolve, workers’ skills will need to grow and evolve. Giving students a strong STEM background before they graduate from high school gives them confidence to rely on that STEM knowledge, apply it to real-world scenarios, and learn more with STEM in the future.

3. STEAM education and makerspaces help students develop creativity. Creativity is consistently cited as one of the most-desired soft skills in workers today. In addition to creativity, STEAM and makerspaces help students develop other soft skills, or employability skills, such as problem solving, empathy, and the ability to collaborate. These soft skills will help today’s students when they are in the workforce navigating changing career requirements and ongoing learning opportunities.