Mr. Y's class with SKILLS

Dennis Yuzenas taught a history class using "Essential Skills." He described Tony Wagner's list like this:

Why are Essential Skills an integral part of this class?

The World History class at Oxbridge Academy is a challenging course that focuses on integrating and incorporating 21^st Century Skills across all curricular disciplines. Descriptions of what constitute essential 21st century skills are plentiful. As society changes, the skills needed to deal with the complexities of life also change. The 21st century skills framework was developed using the latest research from a variety of sources and include:

(1) technology literacy

(2) financial literacy

(3) health literacy

(4) employability skills

(5) civic literacy

Within this 21st century skill framework there are common strands, or learning skills, that will allow students to thrive in the world of work and to be productive entrepreneurial citizens. Tony Wagner, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a guest at an Oxbridge sponsored symposium held at the Palm Beach Convention Center, labels these "survival skills" as (1) critical thinking and problem solving; (2) collaboration and leadership; (3) agility and adaptability; (4) initiative and entrepreneurialism; (5) effective oral and written communication; (6) accessing and analyzing information; and (7) curiosity and imagination. Wagner proposes that schools use academic content to teach these skills at every grade level, and be accountable for a new standard of rigor. (Wagner, 2008.)

Paradigms

Paradigms are mental models that filter incoming data. So what? Our competing successfully in the coming years is dependent on our accepting, no, EMBRACING change. Our paradigms can prevent us from seeing and dealing with the one constant of our future: Change.

One problem: People generally don't like change. Why change if what you've always done has served you well in the past? Change is scary. Change can be, to misquote Martha Stewart, "A bad thing."

Our study of Paradigms begins with Thomas Kuhn and ends with Thomas Friedman. Along the way we'll see how using our understanding of Paradigms will equip us to compete in the 21st Century.

In class we will refer to an old fellow named Zig Ziglar. He's a guy that made a lot of money motivating people to do the incredible things we're all capable of achieving. Over the years everyone from NFL teams to Fortune 500 companies have employed him. If you've ever heard of Tony Robbins then you have an idea of what Zig is all about. It may be corny at times...

He'll explain the formula that successful people use to achieve great things. Here's the not so secret formula:

"You can get whatever you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want in life." -- Zig Ziglar

You can see the full website maintained by Dennis Yuzenas at Whatdoyaknow.com