As
an educator I'm always intrigued to see education from a parents
perspective. This reading "9 Essential Skills Kids Should Learn" by Leo Babauta offers insight to how some
parents are approaching the way they raise their children, best
preparing them for the future. He talks about the ever changing
landscape of the world and differences with his experience.
In
the past children were trained with a skill set based on jobs
available in the near future, not distant. Nobody could have
predicted the exponential advances of technology and it's influence.
He provides arguments on the impossibilities of predicting
the future, and offers the way forward with education as; adapting to
change, being prepared for anything and not anything specific. Babauta "unschools" his children through home schooling.
Although
I agree with this list of skills considered essential
for future generations I can't help but feel it is slightly
incomplete. After living and working in Korea for the past few years,
the one thing that sticks out in my mind is the way Korean parents
and it's education system spoon feed their young. Thus creating a
dependent, passionless population of youth that never questions
failures, and unable to deal with change. Babauta's list excludes creativity, and critical independent thinking.
Problem
solving, passion, and independence are undoubtedly essential skills
for the future. Asking questions, compassion, and tolerance are all
derivatives, therefore inherent if the skills stated previously are
implemented properly. Parents should demonstrate these skills through
modeling, and leading by example but letting their children discover
and explore answers on their own. What better way to teach the future
generation than teaching them to teach themselves?
To
complete this list of essential skills I would include Creativity.
Innovation is how we got to where we are. I think creativity is the
key to anything and everything we do. We should always be searching
for a better, more efficient way to operate. Creativity would
complement asking questions, passion, independence, compassion,
tolerance and lead to children able to deal with change by adapting,
learning, solving, and overcoming anything.
Holy shit. I cannot agree with you more about the insight you posted into this article. I read the same one and posted it on my Blog as well and I feel like your articulated the point I was trying to make so much better.
ReplyDeleteI agree with how we are teaching these skills to some degree, but it seems how much of the time we are just teaching them this sense of powerlessness because to a greater extent outside of school they are so sheltered, which sort of erases any degree of initiative we might be able to teach.
Creativity needs to be on that list as well and seeing how you included it in your post, makes me feel like mine was lacking that fundamental addition. I'm following your posts from now on.
Very interesting points made David. I strongly agree with you on many. Many cultures I believe make critical errors regarding education. Passionless, yes. Burnt out also? Most definitely.
ReplyDeleteBabauta states many essential qualities that we hope to learn from inside and outside the classroom. We all have a list of life skills that we deem important to us. I have realized that Canadians and Koreans are polar opposite in life goals. Call it what you may, The American dream. Things are very different, everywhere.
I read this article as well and enjoyed very much your comparison of the Korean educational system. It seemed that it is mirroring what is described in this article as the problem associated with the 80’s. I also enjoyed how you questioned the authors list and said it was incomplete, well done.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that creativity should have been on the list. As you stated, it is something traditionally not taught here. The opportunity for students to fail, and then have success also seems to be lacking here. The students I have known here are devastated by failure, which is sometimes measured as not being the best. Picking yourself up and continuing on after a failure is one of the most important lessons to learn.
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