In our last post, we shared three of the seven skills that every child needs for the future according to Tony Wagner, co-director of the Change Leadership Group (CLG) at Harvard Graduate School of Education. They are (1) Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, (2) Collaboration and Leadership Influence, and (3) Agility and Adaptability.
In this post, we will continue the topic by sharing the remaining four skills.
4. Initiative and Entrepreneurialism
In the past, employees were expected to do what they are told. However, today’s organisations expect their employees to turn creative ideas into entrepreneurial action.
In TWC, our teachers are trained in the instructional scaffolding technique, which supports each student based on their individual needs. Through this technique, our teachers are able to help students discover answers to their own questions, take risks in their creative writing, and become an enterprising learner.
TRY THIS AT HOME
Let your child take the lead in planning family activities. Guide him or her with questions such as “what should we bring?”. If problems crop up, give your child the opportunity to think of solutions by themselves.
5. Effective Oral and Written Communication
In both the business world and in our personal lives, good oral and written communication skills allow us to articulate thoughts and express ideas effectively. At TWC, our students are encouraged to engage in lively debates and write journals to develop effective communication skills.
TRY THIS AT HOME
Join your child in re-enacting a movie scene together. This helps them to gain confidence and practice their enunciation, speed, volume, gestures, and eye-contact.
6. Accessing and Analysing Information
The amount of information available on the internet, and the speed at which we can retrieve it has never been higher. With this information overload, it is important for our children to be able to assess the quality of the information they are consuming. In the TWC classroom, we equip our students with the skills to distinguish opinions from facts. Our teachers also use mentor text to teach students about contextual clues and to use them to reveal the author’s intention.
TRY THIS AT HOME
Engage your child in a friendly debate the next time they finish reading a book or article! Engage your child in a friendly debate using issues around us. E.g. “I wish we could just cross the street here! There should not be any traffic rules in our country, right?”
7. Curiosity and Imagination
Some people believe that curiosity and imagination are impractical traits that children should grow out of. At TWC, we believe that our children’s window of curiosity should widen as they grow, and the strength of their imagination should strengthen as they learn. After all, curiosity is what turns an individual into an inventor, and imagination is how many successful businesses began.
TRY THIS AT HOME
Be curious together! Watch short documentary shows on YouTube to find out more about our intriguing world. See pictures of places you have not travelled to, and make plans together!
As teachers and parents, we want to set our children up for success. Helping our precious children develop these seven 21st Century Skills will give them the tools to navigate the rapidly-changing world confidently.