The Future of Libraries - what does it look like?

Libraries, like schools, are changing with technology. The typical library full of books will be going away and be replaced with a space for accessing digital resources and getting help finding resources. Many libraries are struggling to change and even attract visitors.

Here is an infographic with some interesting details about the library of the future:



Future of Libraries


Here is an article with more about this. https://www.webcheckout.net/blog/library-future/







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7 Key Skills for Employability

Last month, I published a post entitled "Important Skills Students Need for the Future that we need to help them learn"  in which I described what I, and other research, felt were the most important skills for students to learn to succeed in the future. It also showed that these same skills were important to employers for their employees to have.

Here is a nice poster showing 7 Key Skills for Employability. Google Apps, with the right assignments and coaching from the teachers, can be used to help students foster these skills through projects, collaboration, teamwork, research and writing.

Related:

Important Skills Students Need for the Future that we need to help them learn

10 Technology Skills Every Student Needs for the Future

21st Century Skills resources

The 10 Most Important Work Skills in 2020

Project Based Learning resources

WPI Plan - a great educational model

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Important Skills Students Need for the Future that we need to help them learn

Back in January of 2012, I published a post entitled "10 Important Skills Students need for the Future" in which I described what I, and other research, felt were the 10 most important skills for students to learn.

The list:

• Sense-making. The ability to determine the deeper meaning or significance of what is being expressed
• Social intelligence. The ability to connect to others in a deep and direct way, to sense and stimulate reactions and desired interactions
• Novel and adaptive thinking. Proficiency at thinking and coming up with solutions and responses beyond that which is rote or rule-based
• Cross-cultural competency. The ability to operate in different cultural settings
• Computational thinking. The ability to translate vast amounts of data into abstract concepts and to understand data-based reasoning
• New-media literacy. The ability to critically assess and develop content that uses new media forms and to leverage these media for persuasive communication
• Transdisciplinarity. Literacy in and ability to understand concepts across multiple disciplines
• Design mind-set. Ability to represent and develop tasks and work processes for desired outcomes
• Cognitive load management. The ability to discriminate and filter information for importance and to understand how to maximize cognitive functioning using a variety of tools and techniques
• Virtual collaboration. The ability to work productively, drive engagement and demonstrate presence as a member of a virtual team

I also posted this list this past January that came from employers:

• Problem Solving Skills
• Positive Thinking
• Creative/Innovative
• Multi-tasking
• Initiative
• Cultural Sensitivity
• Accepting Responsibility
• Team Working
• Empathy
• Communication
• Time Management
• Professional Manners

Edudemic has released a list of the 8 Skills Students Must Have for the Future. The article also has some tips for teaching these skills. 

• Leadership
• Digital Literacy
• Communication
• Emotional Intelligence
• Entrepeurship
• Global Citizenship
• Problem Solving
• Team Working

Most of these lists cross over with each other, but are all important. Project Based Learning can help students develop skills such as team work, communications, problem solving, creativity, etc, while technology can also help by providing students with new opportunities to communicate, learn with others, and be creative. 

There are some articles on this blog that can also help. See below and search the blog for what you are looking for. 

Related:

10 Technology Skills Every Student Needs for the Future

21st Century Skills resources

The 10 Most Important Work Skills in 2020

Project Based Learning resources

WPI Plan - a great educational model

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Critical Skills Students need for the Future

Two years ago, I wrote an article entitled "10 Important Skills Students Need for the Future". Basically, they need critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, and communication skills.

This weekend, I found this on Twitter. It shows that employers agree that these are the critical skills students need. Project Based Learning is a great way to develop these skills.

Related:

10 Important Skills Students need for the Future
Project Based Learning Resources

10 Technology Skills Every Student Needs for the Future



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The 10 Most Important Work Skills in 2020

I've written about the 10 Important Skills Students Need for the Future and the 10 Tech Skills Every Student should have before. Below is an infographic of the 10 Most Important Work Skills in 2020.

You will notice that critical thinking, social intelligence, collaboration and using new technologies are all part of this.

It is important that schools work to help students develop all of these skills so that they can be successful in our ever changing world.

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Students' Education Proclamation

Converge Magazine, along with Project Tomorrow, came up with this Students' Education Proclamation.

http://blogs.convergemag.com/students_proclamation/2009/02/the-student.html 

I think it is a great tool to use as guidance for creating the new face of education. Students need these things in order to be successful. They don't need to spend hours and hours taking standardized tests that really don't test anything useful.
In today's world, anyone can find any information in an instant. What is needed is the ability to analyze that information for reliability and accuracy, and then apply it to something else. Students need to be able to communicate, collaborate, do research, analyze and synthesize information, and solve problems.

Let's use this proclamation as a way to change education to make our students more prepared for the world.