Beyond Literacy & Numeracy in the Digital Age - Ian Jukes

This was the first time I was able to watch Ian Jukes.  I've heard that he was a dynamic speaker and I wanted to experience it for myself.  I enjoyed hearing him speak.  He talked about how our schools need to change.  Our schools were designed for a population where 75% were needed to do agricultural jobs.  Our schools are preparing students for a "one size fits all" model.  At the same time routine cognitive work is being eliminated or off-shored.  Only 50% of those entering college actually get a degree.

Jukes shared that the critical skills needed to be successful in the 21st century include problem-solving, critical thinking to create novel solutions, analytical thinking, being able to collaborate in both physical and virtual spaces, multi-modal communication, ethics, and accountability.  He also pointed out that there needs to be interest and relevance for students.  Even if there are standards, they only dictate what you have to teach, not how you need to teach it.

It is important to challenge our students and to stop their dependency on us for answers.  Students should be taught how not to need us anymore - progressive withdrawal.  He also pointed out that our students cannot be only literate in the 20th century, they need to fluent in the skills of the 21st century.

Please visit the 21st Century Fluency Project:  http://www.fluency21.com