It might not be easy to predict with certainty the type of jobs that will exist in the nearest future but you can agree with me that today’s students need a variety of skills.
having known this, schools preparing students for the future must check out the best and unique ways to provide students with the skills that they need to succeed.
Being in high school back then, everyone knew that the next stage after high school was college. What my school did was to have students divided into different tracks listed below:
- Business
- College Prep
- Vo-tech
Withing each of the track listed, students followed a specific course of studies giving little room for “electives”. The ultimate goal was to get students prepared for college and most importantly prepare them for the workforce after graduation. This method is found also in schools preparing students for the future.
Furthermore, there are certain conditions that must be imbibed in order to create an innovative workforce for the future, especially by these schools preparing students for the future and some of them are:
- Dedicating time for creative projects,
- Rewarding innovation and divergent ideas,
- Allowing for failure, and
- Measuring what matters most.
Schools preparing students for the future should foster these conditions in any learning environment. There are many ways schools preparing students for the future can map out school structures, strategies, and teaching programs that will align well with these aforementioned conditions.
Schools preparing students for the future | Five best strategies to adopt
Providing more innovative learning opportunities for all students gives students the right skills for the future. This will also build independence and in turn foster content retention among students, and higher student engagement.
This will make students see learning as a process rather than a finite learning experience. Here are the five best strategies to adapt in preparing students for the future:
- Project-based learning
- Artificial intelligence
- Maker education and coding
- Place-based learning
- Entrepreneurial skills and courses
- Teaching Lifeskills
- Teaching responsibility
- Teaching work ethic
- Teaching moral values
- Teaching arts
- teaching students to be proactive
- Teaching about the world’s cultures, customs, and global responsibilities
- Focus on developing creative thinking
- Developing patience in Students
- Ensuring students are well-rounded
- Improving student’s fitness and energy levels
- Improving the leadership and communication skills of students
Project-based learning
This is one of the best strategies schools preparing students for the future can adapt to develop the skills students will need to work independently in the future. How can this be done?
With project-based learning, instructors can come up with essential questions that do not have to be easily found. This will engage students in sustained inquiry thereby promoting critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving.
Students need more real-world experiences and that is what project-based learning can help them do.
Also, when students get the opportunity to create something of personal interest and also when they experience productive struggles when searching for answers to questions that are challenging, they are better prepared for a future of learning and work.
Artificial intelligence
Courses under Artificial Intelligence are the in thing these days. Schools now offer courses in Artificial Intelligence.
Artificial Intelligence is so important that so many jobs in the future will be replaced by Artificial Intelligence.
That being the prediction, it is important that schools preparing students for the future start discussing Artificial Intelligence and the ethics surrounding its use.
Therefore, giving all students the opportunity to understand what Artificial Intelligence is all about, as well as exploring and designing Artificial Intelligence will foster innovation and provide students with great experiences and competencies.
Maker education and coding
Introducing a course related to coding in our various schools is a great way way to give students the opportunity to explore new technologies and lead students to discover their personal interests.
We need students to understand how things work, how to iterate and design new technologies. Though there are countless apps available in the world today many of which complete countless tasks, humans are still needed to keep their technology relevant and competitive.
Place-based learning
This is a method where schools collaborate with local experts, businesses and community centres and other organizations in giving students an opportunity or opportunities where they can apply the things they are learning in real life.
These kinds of opportunities inform students about imminent global and local issues as well as facilitate a personal investment in their work.
Place-based learning is “anytime, anywhere learning that leverages the power of place, and not just the power of technology, to personalize learning.”
For example, in place-based learning, we shift learning from the traditional content and instead look at a specific geographical area or focus on the culture of a place, to help students build on content knowledge while also developing empathy and social-emotional learning skills.
What this will also do for students is to give them the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning as well as authentic, real-life work experiences with a deeper level of understanding.
In this regard, students can identify and solve problems like starting a recycling program, cleaning up the environment, planting a garden or conducting interviews to depict issues affecting communities.
Entrepreneurial skills and courses
Schools preparing students for the future should teach students more about the gig economy and skills that students need for the future.
Students need a course that provides the right learning experiences. We have Entrepreneurial courses that foster critical thinking, problem-solving and time management skills as well as lead to other benefits.
Entrepreneurial skills and courses give students the opportunity to leverage technology and have the right digital skills that will prepare them for a variety of work environments whether it is physical or virtual.
Preparing students for the future entails physical and psychological preparation. Students should eat nutritious foods, exercise, and take enough rest and sleep. Some college students may have difficulty adjusting to new living environments away from home. They may need natural sleep aids and supplements to help them reach a more relaxed state and calm mind to achieve sound sleep and have the strength to beat the stress and anxiety away.
In Conclusion
As educators, the best we can do for ourselves is to keep ourselves and the future generation informed on how the future of work is changing. Staying informed simply means knowing what the job market looks like, the skills students need and how we can help them develop such skills.
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