We’ve finally said goodbye to 2021, a year that was unlike any other. At a time when the world seemed like it had been put on pause again, we all felt the impacts and upheaval that came with the pandemic. Yet with this disruption came new opportunities. Education continued to move online, giving students and educators new ways of learning.
Why Students Need to be Future Ready Innovators and Entrepreneurs
The biggest problem we face is that the current model of education has taught our kids to sit down, behave, and wait for instructions.
So while the world is rapidly rewarding the risk-takers, the disruptors, the outside of the box thinkers – our schools have been rewarding the compliant, the “good kid” that repeats back the “correct answer.”
We’ve operated under the assumption that as long as our students get good grades, do what they’re told, and get into college, there would be a job waiting for them.
If you look at the data, this is no longer the truth. Our “good students” are lacking the innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurial problem-solving skills that are the most demanded now by the world.
Therefore as we welcome 2022 with more hope and optimism, we must teach students the most important aspect for anyone preparing themselves for success – to be future-ready with 21st-century skills.
Here are a few ways we can help students prepare for the 21st century
- Adopt a skill-based education
Our education institutions act as knowledge providers and not skills providers. Skill-based learning is about planning, implementing, and analyzing skills gained through knowledge-based learning methods. The idea behind this method is to develop learners into independent thinkers and prepare them for the challenges in the future.
Skill-based education guides the students where to look and doesn’t limit their world to what to see, and so it is the true celebration of inquisitiveness of future seekers of the Millennium.
- Encourage digital literacy
Digital literacy is becoming a requirement in the digital age. Today’s students are digital natives, and in some cases, are more comfortable adapting to new technologies than their teachers.
Giving students more freedom of choice and encouraging them to use technology in new and creative ways is one of the best ways to help them hit the ground running once they enter the workforce.
- Develop Resilience
A long time ago, in classrooms, the emphasis was on the “three Rs – reading, writing, and arithmetic.”
Nowadays, another R is seen as a crucial element in educating millennials – developing resilience. Equipping students with a resilient attitude will mean they react to change with a growth mindset rather than fearing the changes they will have the confidence to adapt to new situations.
Students and staff who are resilient and adaptable will have advantages over their less resilient peers.
Final Thoughts
There is no denying that education today needs to prepare students for the future, such that they have the 21st-century skills necessary for a successful career.
We have a responsibility to all students because they will be designing our future. We need to design learning experiences that will prepare them to become leaders, designers, problem solvers, and innovators.
With a little planning and thought, teachers can ensure that students move on from their classrooms having developed as humans and not just as potential workers.