Week 30 - The broader professional context of teaching with regard to trends.
As we are becoming more interconnected through globalisation, international trends are playing more of a role in our lives they ever used to. With regard to the teaching profession, teachers not only need to be aware of global trends, but need to prepare their learners for their future in this ever changing world.
Daggett (2014) points to a couple of simple solutions to get students career ready. Firstly teachers need to increase student proficiency in reading and maths. In his research Daggett (2014) found that reading requirements for entry level jobs were higher than 75% of America's 11th grade students. Although I am a primary teacher and these statistics relate to older students, it reinforces the importance for all primary teachers to build the foundational skills of reading in a primary school setting so that these skills are embedded before students reach high school.
Furthermore Daggett (2014) states that teachers need to ensure students are able to apply the skills and knowledge they have acquired to a range of subject areas. Having students apply the knowledge across curriculum areas assists students in becoming problem solvers and adaptive in their learning when facing different situations. Building these skills when students are younger ensures the will be able to be adaptive to an ever changing global workforce, especially with technological advances in robotics and automation disrupting labour markets (National Intelligence Council, 2017).
Furthermore, the New Zealand Government needs ensure that the teachers have the necessary resources to keep pace with the changes in technology and a curriculum that is set up to provide a skilled workforce for the future economy.
Daggett, B. (2014). Addressing Current and Future Challenges in Education. Retrieved from http://www.leadered.com/pdf/2014MSC_AddressingCurrentandFutureChallenges.pdf
What
Jobs are changing. The days of moving into a career for life are long gone and as technology continues to advance, many jobs that were once done by humans have been replaced by technology and robots. As Daggett (2014) states, people are being replaced in by technology that can do jobs better and less expensively than humans. We have already seen technology and robots replace low skilled work in factories and driverless cars are being tested by corporate global giants including Google. As educators, we need to be aware of this global trend of technology replacing jobs and prepare our students to be adaptable when entering the workforce.So what
In order to be career ready, students need to be taught how to be adaptive in their learning and be able to 'learn, unlearn and relearn' if they are to compete in a global workforce against both their peers and advancing technology. As educators, we need to nurture our students 'ability to learn' as a skill that will take them beyond the classroom so that they can become lifelong learners in order to function in a global marketplace.Daggett (2014) points to a couple of simple solutions to get students career ready. Firstly teachers need to increase student proficiency in reading and maths. In his research Daggett (2014) found that reading requirements for entry level jobs were higher than 75% of America's 11th grade students. Although I am a primary teacher and these statistics relate to older students, it reinforces the importance for all primary teachers to build the foundational skills of reading in a primary school setting so that these skills are embedded before students reach high school.
Furthermore Daggett (2014) states that teachers need to ensure students are able to apply the skills and knowledge they have acquired to a range of subject areas. Having students apply the knowledge across curriculum areas assists students in becoming problem solvers and adaptive in their learning when facing different situations. Building these skills when students are younger ensures the will be able to be adaptive to an ever changing global workforce, especially with technological advances in robotics and automation disrupting labour markets (National Intelligence Council, 2017).
Now what
Our school has had reading and maths as a focus for a number of years and having been using the Davis Dyslexia strategies to improve our data in this area. Our results have shown an increase in those that are achieving at or above under the old nationals standards scheme. Based on the trend I have discussed above, along with the research outlined by Daggett in this area, our school will continue with this program to ensure our primary students have the foundational skills they need to head into high school.Furthermore, the New Zealand Government needs ensure that the teachers have the necessary resources to keep pace with the changes in technology and a curriculum that is set up to provide a skilled workforce for the future economy.
References
National Intelligence Council. (2017). Global trends: The Paradox of Progress. National Intelligence Council: US. Retrieved from https://www.dni.gov/files/images/globalTrends/documents/GT-Main-Report.pdfDaggett, B. (2014). Addressing Current and Future Challenges in Education. Retrieved from http://www.leadered.com/pdf/2014MSC_AddressingCurrentandFutureChallenges.pdf
Hi Craig,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog and I found many of your points you covered relevant and relate-able in particular the importance to build fundamental skills in reading and how Davis Dyslexia provide fantastic support and strategies for students. I am a primary teacher and teach at a secondary school. I believe those statistics to be accurate with older students in regard to reading. My literacy programme incorporates a through reading programme to build on these such skills. MindLab has really allowed me to reflect and take chances with my low level learners with special needs through the use of technology. I was able to learn alongside my learners and to adapt to change as well. As Bishop says in Edtalks (2012) teachers need to be learners amongst learners needing support to do this at school and national levels. Therefore transforming a traditional classroom to that of which incorporates digital technologies and tools can certainly be a challenge. Then as you just get use to using one digital tool it changes again and as teachers you need to up skill, adapting to this new change instantaneously allowing the teachers to become the learner and vice versa. I believe you can empower your students by utilizing your expertise to provide the best learning and teaching opportunities for your students to engage or equip them to be becoming competent global citizens and life long learners.
Kinds Regards
Debbie