our world is changing

8/12/2019 Our World is Changing

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Our world is changing, and in order to prepare our children for this new world we need to change

the way we educate them. In the 21st century educators must create a curriculum that will help

students connect with the world and understand the issues that our world faces.

Schools in the 21st century will become nerve centers, a place for teachers and students to

connect with those around them and their community. Teachers in this new environment will

become less instructors and more orchestrators of information, giving children the ability to turn

knowledge into wisdom.

In order to educate in the 21st century, teachers and administrators need to cultivate and

maintain the student's interest in the material by showing how this knowledge applies in the real

world. They must also try to increase their student's curiosity, which will help them become

lifelong learners. Next they should be flexible with how they teach and give learners the resources

to continue learning outside of school.

,All educators want to help their students succeed in life. What

was considered a good education 50 years ago, however,

is no longer enough for success in college, career, and

citizenship in the 21st century.

As educators, we constantly strive to prepare our students for the real world that exists around

them. We teach them how to read, write, and calculate. Then, of course, there are the less

tangible skills we teach; such as how to work in a team, think critically, and be curious about the

things they encounter each day.

We want to prepare them to lead productive and successful lives once they leave us and enter

into the realm of adulthood. But what lies ahead for our students in the future? Did educators of

twenty years ago know that so much of our world would be based on computers and technology

now? Could they have known what skills would be needed in the job market today? Unlikely, but

yet they had to do their best to prepare their students for this world anyhow. Nowadays,

educators are still charged with the same complicated taskpreparing students for the unknown.

Tony Wagner of Harvard University worked to uncover the 7 survival skills required for the 21st

century. To accomplish this, hundreds of CEOs in business, non-profits and educational

institutions were interviewed. A list of seven skills that people will need to survive and thrive in the

21st century was compiled from their answers.

We may not know exactly what lies ahead for our students in the future, but we have the

advantage of knowing what skills they will need once they get there. Here are the 7 survival skills

of the 21st century, along with how they may look being purposefully applied in a classroom.


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Skills: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Preparation:Students will need to develop their skills at seeing problems from different angles

and formulating their own solutions. Regardless of the field they choose to enter for their careers,

the ability to think and act quickly is an indispensable tool for the future. To practice this, teachers

should present students with situations in which they need to figure things out for themselveswhere skills that they have already developed can be drawn upon and applied to help them figure

out a problem.

The problem should ideally lend itself to multiple solutions, as we do not want to teach students

that there is only one answer available, but instead that problem-solving can be a creative and

personal experience. Situational problems in mathematics provide a good example of these skills

at work.

Skills: Collaboration Across Networks and Leading by InfluencePreparation:Not every person is born a natural leader.

However, the ability to lead others can definitely help a person to advance and become

successful in their chosen career. Also, finding a job where you dont need to be able to work

closely and harmoniously with others can be quite a difficult task. To best prepare students in this

area, more than just the typical teamwork is required. Instead of simply getting into a group and

splitting the tasks with each other, students should instead be encouraged to take on different

roles within their group for each task within the project.

Sometimes they can be the manager and at other times they can be an organizer or a graphic

designer. There are many different roles that students can fill during a project with their peers

that allows them to work with others in a more collaborative way than just breaking apart a project

and then putting it back together in the end.


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Skills: Agility and Adaptability

Preparation:If we look back at the last twenty years we can see how much has changed in the

workplace and the world.

Our students need to be comfortable with the idea of change and be willing to adapt to the

changes around them. Teachers can create a very dynamic environment within the classroom

that can help to prepare students for the future. Varying the teaching strategies we use, the setup

of the classroom, the ways that learning is demonstrated by students, and even the guidelines for

group work or homework can help students learn to adapt.

Have students create a storyline, for example, then surprise them with a mandatory element to

incorporate, or even have them switch work and complete a task based on the preparations of

another. They might grumble at first, but the skills will serve them well!

Skills: Initiative and Entrepreneurship

Preparation:Students need to be able to take initiative and contribute to the world. We should
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encourage these skills within our classrooms and our communities. Our students can be

incredibly creative and interested in shaping their experience in the classroom, so we can ask

them for much more than a list of classroom rules and consequences.

Let them know that you are available and willing to listen to any of their ideas about improving theclassroom or school. Help them organize their ideas and put them into practiceeven if an idea

may fail. It can be a valuable lesson about how to analyze what went wrong and consider how to

improve the idea. Students should never be afraid of trying because they are afraid of failure.

Skills: Effective Oral and Written Communication

Preparation:Despite advances in technology, these skills never diminish in importance. Think of

a boss or manager sending you an email full of grammatical errors or presenting a new business

plan while speaking too low and reading the entire presentation off a sheet of paper. What would

you honestly think? Consider some of the best communicators you have seenwhat makesthem rise above the rest? We need to teach our students how to speak confidently and clearly.

This doesnt come naturally, but with practice; enunciation, speed, volume, gestures, and eye-

contact can all be taught and learned. The same skills that help in drama can help in oral

communication. Take a moment one day to begin teaching a lesson in a very ineffective way and

see how long it takes your students to ask what youre doing they should be able to tell you

exactly whats wrong with your communication skills! As for written communication, we need to

continue to emphasize the rules while also teaching students how to use the technology available

to them to help check their writing. The difference between formal and informal writing is quite

important for students to learn and start applying.


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Skills: Accessing and Analyzing Information

Preparation:Students have access to unimaginable amounts of information today. The Internet

provides an incredible research tool that can be their best friend or worst enemy. Accessing

information is easy, but accessing good information tends to be more complicated. Students need

to be taught how to sift through the millions of web pages available on a topic and find what they

need (and be able to trust what they find). They need to learn the difference between factualinformation and factual-sounding opinions.

Many students today will check answer websites to gather information, not really thinking about

how the information was written by a person who may or may not be correct or truly

knowledgeable in a subject area. In the same way a teacher can think-aloud reading strategies,

we can think-aloud Internet searching strategies. Project your screen on the board and learn

about a topic with your students. Show them how to search, and how to use those answer sites

without being misled!
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Skills: Curiosity and Imagination

Preparation:Our students come to us naturally curious about their world and wanting to explore

it. Their imaginations are vast and untamed, creating endless amounts of practical and

impractical things. Our task as educators has less to do with teaching them how to be curious and

imaginative, and more to do with not taking that away from them. We need to continue toencourage them to develop these skills, as well as teach them how to apply them creatively and

purposefully. Imagine the little boy who loves soldiers and robots, but hates princesses.

How do you react when he shows you his freshly-drawn picture of a soldier using a robot-inspired

weapon to destroy a princess? Do you celebrate his creativity in the same way you celebrate the

world-saving-robot drawn by the student next to him? Is his picture hung on the wall? We dont all

like and appreciate the same things, so an educator must be very careful about how they nurture

and develop their students creativity and imagination. We can teach them which things are

appropriate in which situations without making them feel like their ideas are wrong or bad.Besides, the greatest horror writers have to begin somewhere!

It is all the transcendence of human race that people today reach the height of maximum luxury

upgrading from the days of their very ancient Stone and Cave age. What human being has

achieved today was once only a dream out of reach. But man's curiosityperhaps the most

wonderful gift given to man by God was behind his quest leading to wholehearted efforts to

convert all impossible dreams of yesteryears into reality.

Today in the 21st century, men have reasons enough to be proud for their unique achievements.

From stepping into the moon of cloning genes, there has been a long list of tremendous success ofscience and technology. But restless people's mind has still enough desire for even greater

achievements. And there is every reason to believe that in the coming days many of such dreams

would be possible for us.

Today at the starting days of the 21st century, Technology is the most pronouncing name all over

the world. We are at the age of computer. Application of computer is becoming a common name

in all aspects of life.

Computer now no longer remains only a laboratory kit. Its application ventures into industrial

setups, health care facilities, educational institutions, banking systems, ticket booking counters,carrying out business proceedings, governmental jobs in fact in all aspects. Greater accuracy,

more memory capacity and time saving ability of computer make people more and more

interested towards its application.

CD-ROMS have already ventured into conventional paper printings with their greater storage

capacity and longer safety. Internet the name has already created history turning out the world

into a global village.

Electronic commerce (E-com) is all set to create big bonanza in the 21st century where a man in

India sitting with his computer could order his required assets at a market complex in America


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and within hours, he could get delivered his required assets at his doorstep. Software experts are

continuing their efforts to create even new miracles.

Home works have already been carried out to regulate computer applications. Pirated software

packages, leaving computer viruses in the net are creating havoc all over the world. The recent

"love bug" menace stalled net application throughout the world for several hours leading billions

of dollar loss incurred in the worldwide business proceedings. Need therefore now arises to have

strict international cyber laws to prevent such crimes.

Medical science is yet another area where man has already gained big success. Bypass surgery

organ transplantation, CAT scan, ultrasound, Keyhole surgery are the names that have given

maximum safety to human life. Using modern equipment in human body, diagnosis and surgery

has already created history. Computer application has given greater accuracy and sophisticated

modes to medical facilities.

Telemedicine now makes possible distant treatment, where a patient can consult with his

physician by pressing keys in the keyboard. In the coming days, it would have greater access

where a patient sitting in India could consult and get treatment from a specialist in America.

Application of robots in surgery is already under experiment in Western countries.

In the coming days of the 21st century where a surgeon could sit in his place and just by pressing

keys perform surgery getting assistance from the robot. The recent success by the scientists in

human gene mapping has marked another grand success in the field of medical science. Scientists

now believe that it would be possible to have absolute treatment for diseases like cancer or AIDS

in our coming days.

Like polio or pox, many other diseases would also be completely eradicated from our life.

However, in the time of overall human health management, there remain many shortfalls.

Inequality in human health security is a big defeat for medical science. High cost now becomes a

factor where the rich can only afford to get specialised medical facilities.

For the poor, better medical facilities are still a distant dream. Large number of children still is

dying of malnutrition in many African countries. Every day, more than 1000 women die all over

the world in problems related to pregnancy and childbirth. In our country malaria and

tuberculosis still cost large number of deaths. In many places, villagers nave still to depend on

quacks since they cannot afford modern medical treatment.

What we now need is equality in terms of health care facilities. Let's hope we achieve this goal in

the coming days of the 21st century.

In the field of space science, there has been success beyond imagination. Once people dreamt of

getting the moon in their hands. And today after stepping into the moon they are now dreaming

of making holiday resorts at moon.

Success achieved in mission Mars has thrown new light on the possibility of life in other planets.

Grand success achieved in space science has now led to spectacular achievements in the field of


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communications like E-mail, Internet, ISD system, mobile Tele system, fax etc. Recent revolution

in TV broadcasting is also due to grand success achieved in the Space science.

In transport, air service system has already created revolution turning the world into an area of

only a few hours of journey. Supersonic jets are now under trial, which would give fastest ever

transport facilities. Railway system of transportation has achieved steep heights. Japan has

already created history by introducing fastest ever electronic railway engine. Gradual decrease of

conventional fuels like petroleum or coal has now led people to find out non-conventional fuel

resources.

A vehicle driven with solar energy is already under trial. Solar energy would be the mains source

of fuel in future, which would also be eco-friendly.

In the field of agriculture also, people's efforts have led to tremendous achievements. Green

revolution has created history all over the world Biotechnology has helped hybridization where

scientists have come out with success in producing advanced varieties of high-yielding, disseat

resistance or drought-resistance seeds.

With the assistance of satellites meteorological science has got new boost-up with early prediction

of proper time management or water management for better cultivation. As has been reported

scientists in Britain recently created a type of insect the can kill any other type of crop destructing

pests. In the coming days man new evolutions are in the line which, would make possible even

evolution are in the line which would make possible even better crop management.

In the field of nuclear science, scientists have already developed fission technology to produce

greater energy. They have already learnt to produce nuclear energy from high-powered

radioactive elements like plutonium, thorium or uranium. In the wake of decreasing stock of non-

renewable sources, people have even learnt of making artificial radioactive material India's

Kamini Research Reactor has already set example using "Uranium 233"; a man-made fissionable

material derived from thorium, as fuel.

Efforts have been continued to harness fusion of hydrogen atom. In the coming days of the 21st

century, scientists would certainly come out with success trapping large amount of energy from

fusion of hydrogen atoms, to be used in useful purposes.

Success of science and technology is tremendous. We have already achieved a lot and there is lotmore to be achieved in the coming days. But where science and technology has made us

materially rich in socioeconomic front, the world is also going to be a big loser. Man's de; to

achieve beyond limit has now threatened safety of human life.

We fast proceeding industrial setup, environmental pollution is becoming a common name.

Vehicular pollution is fast growing at a pace emitting poisonous gases everyday in the

environment. Number of patients suffering from respiratory ailments, skin diseases or other

health hazards is increasing every day. Being one of the most polluted cities in the world,

thousands of residents in Delhi are reportedly suffering from respiratory problems.


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Green house effect is becoming a serious concern threatening world environment. With the

increase of industrial activity and decrease of forest coverage, carbon-di-oxide level is rising in the

environment at a rate faster than the normal resulting in rising of world temperatures. Scientists

have reported melting of ice in the Polar Regions and rising of the sea level. It has now been

predicted that by the mid of the 21st century, many islands and parts of the countries will

submerge under sea.

Ozone depletion is yet another reality creating havoc in our life. Refrigerator, a success of science,

has added luxury to our life, but the coolants used here now remain one of the major sources of

chloro-floro- carbon (CFC), that causes depletion of the Ozone layer, the protection barrier of the

poisonous ultraviolet light. With the influence of UV light, danger of skin cancer is rising

tremendously.

As Darwin explained in his theory of evolution, to keep balance on earth every species need to

keep its multiplication at a balanced rate. With excessive multiplication of human population,

other species are downing their population rate. Several varieties of birds and animals are already

extinct from our environment. With greater human establishment, forest coverage is fast

reducing. Landslides, heavy rains leading to floods have now become the common occurrences.

Large-scale competition among the human beings has led to shortage of all conventional

resources on the earth. For example, the scientists have predicted that by the mid of this century,

the world would face big potable water crisis.

On the social front, disparity between the rich and the poor is increasing tremendously. Social

tension is mounting steadily. People are going to be more and more mechanical. Joint family

norms is now almost outdated.

People have become more and more self-centered. With lack of sympathy among the rich for the

poor, social crimes are raising reducing safety to man's life with deprived classes as also neo-rich

taking to crime.

Disparity among the countries has also been rising. Countries have become more and thirstier to

increase their influence. Various world organisations like WTO, UN, etc. have no longer remained

fair in conducting their business. In these organisations, voice of the rich countries prevails to the

neglect of the poor countries.

The North-South gap has been rising tremendously. Where the American and European countries

are turning to be world's heaven in terms of luxury, people of many African countries are dying of

malnutrition, disease and death.

Political disparity is mounting among the global powers increasing regional tensions. Even after

experiencing war havoc a number of times; nations do not seem to have learnt to avoid conflict.

To show their own muscle power, countries have concentrated beefing up their stockpile of

conventional and nuclear arms.

Again both economic and political disparity is giving birth to rebel groups within the countries.World terrorism is now creating havoc all over the world. Man is the most successful creation of


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God. And all human beings always seek mental peace perhaps the most wonderful gift of God. The

revolution of scientific inventions was all started to give comfort and happiness to man's life.

When Einstein evaluated his theory of relativity (E=mc2) perhaps he did not even imagine that

one day men would apply it to enrich their stockpile of dreaded nuclear weapons. But very

unfortunately people's desires to feed beyond limit make them hawkish against one another. It

took thousands of years to reach at today's level of progress, but it will not take even a day to go

back to our days of origin.

Fortunately a sane human mind can never desire for destruction. World efforts are continuing to

ensure permanent peace. At the beginning of the 21st century, can we really hope of getting a

world of love, unity and peace in our coming days? Religion which should be source of mental

peace, universal brotherhood, and respect for other beliefs is now being misused to promote

terrorism whether it is Kashmir, Chechnya, the Philippines or elsewhere by Islamic

fundamentalists.

The unprovoked killing of innocent and devout pilgrims to Amarnath, the Nature-made (not man-

made) Shiv lingam, in Jammu & Kashmir is a gruesome reminder to the extent where religious

fanaticism has reached. Is it not better to be an atheist than theist, if such brutalities are to be

heaped on human beings in the name of religion? Amar Nath symbolises God's incarnation in

snow to most, it is not Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Mosque dispute which should lead to inter-

religion clashes.

Let man learn to co-exist that is the only wish of every peace-loving person for the 21st century.

Schools are expected to prepare students for a complex and rapidly changing world. In addition to

teaching subject content, schools are expected to develop young people who are information and

media literate; critical thinkers and problem solvers; communicators and team players. They are

expected to teach environmental awareness and civic responsibility and various other transferable

and lifelong skills. Schools are seen to have an important role in enhancing wellbeing so that

students can realise their full potential, cope with the stresses of life and participate fully in their

community. Increasingly schools are expected to educate young people to behave responsibly in

relation to drugs and alcohol, cyber safety, road safety and their sexual health

our world is changing

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