7/09/2010 |
(en una verdadera perspectiva global)
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Why do teachers teach? Why do students learn? These questions should lead to a similar answer: To create (or to be) productive people in tomorrow’s workforce. While there may be widespread agreement on the ultimate goal, we need to revisit the effectiveness of the educational methods we are using to prepare our students.
What exactly is the problem?
As the business world continues to change and evolve, some (take your pick…) teachers, subject areas, school districts, states, and even countries are stuck in an educational time warp. At first glance, one might conveniently blame technology. True, most schools don’t have the resources to keep pace with the business world’s cutting edge technology. Consequently, the resulting problem is that we are not adequately preparing future employees how to effectively problem solve, lead, interact, and operate in the global business world of the 21st century.
The business world is craving graduates who can:
· Apply their technical skills and training
· Function in a “team” environment
· Communicate well, both orally and, particularly, in writing
· Approach challenges with a strong work ethic and positive attitude
· Understand and accept interpersonal and cultural differences in both coworkers and customers
If our “customer” wants graduates with these skills, we need to find ways to make it happen. We may need to consider preparing students in a dramatically different fashion than we currently are.
What we don’t need is more of the same
It’s not necessarily the content that needs to be changed, but rather how we teach it. When you were in school, do you recall having to memorize bits and pieces of information only to forget it immediately after completing the test? Do you recall countless classes listening (or nodding off) to the teacher standing at the front of the room lecturing on and on for the entire class period? And did you ever have one of those prideful teachers who seemed to feel as though, because they were the teacher, they could never be wrong? Did it seem like an exercise in futility to challenge anything? Critical thinking and creativity were not consciously encouraged.
The result of these traditional, or “old-fashioned,” teaching methods is that we are not creating the kind of product our customer, the world of business, needs. The good news is that educators do have control over methodology, the way we teach, and in most cases there is no additional cost to implement such changes. The business world can’t afford to have their future employees unprepared to enter the world of work because of antiquated, ineffective teaching methods.
It’s time to close the gap
What businesses need from their employees today is dramatically different than even a decade ago. Not only has advanced technology increased the level of technical skills needed for today’s workers, but the level of problem solving, teamwork, and leadership skills required has also been substantially elevated.
Schools have historically lagged behind the needs of the business world in preparing candidates for the world of work. To a degree, this gap is inevitable, especially where technology is involved. But educators can and need to help close the gap, particularly in the areas of problem solving, teamwork, and leadership. This can be achieved by modifying the way we approach teaching and adding some contemporary teaching methods to our repertoire.
In Parts 2, 3 and 4 of this series, we will look at concrete ways to implement some of these contemporary teaching methods as well as consider additional concepts that are helping to develop the 21st century skill set employers are looking for.
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