My GAME Plan - Part 3

Thomas L. Friedman points out in his article “It’s a Flat World, After All”, that “Globalization 3.0” is making the work environment much more technically savvy and today’s students will need to be able to anticipate future technical trends, prepare for them, then adapt quickly as they change. The flattening of our world is putting more emphasis on the individual, but that individual must collaborate with global partners. So students will need to learn how to synthesize information from a variety of sources and collaborate across cultures. Perhaps most importantly I think the challenge of overcoming the “quiet crisis” that Friedman discusses involves students understanding how social context affects technical innovation. Educators will need to make sure they are aligning themselves with career opportunities that benefit from these innovations. In an effort to understand this phenomenon, this week I’m focusing on my goal of expanding my knowledge of the “Model Digital-Age Work and Learning” NETS standard.  I want to gain a better understanding of how to connect my students’ technological skill development with their future career goals and society’s future career needs.

To do this I have been culling resources from the Chronicle of Higher Education’s website. I found an interesting article that relayed how industry professionals from Adobe are sharing innovative software with UNC, to help enhance their journalism and media curriculum and better prepare students for the workforce’s needs.  Many employers provide employees with innovative tools as they have the incentive to increase revenue by making the process of creating work product faster and cheaper. Students will need to be aware of the tools and trends of their trade to remain competitive.

I also read an article that gave me good insight to millenials and their learning needs. Tomorrow’s workforce will be constantly bombarded with information from around the globe and employees will need to be able to respond quickly and accurately. Having a solid understanding of how to blend today’s learners needs with tomorrow’s workforce needs is vital.

We as educators should expose students to the growing trends in technology and it’s impact on their intended careers. Lastly, we should give them the tools to mine resources that inform them on how to stay on top of these trends, so that the learning process goes beyond the classroom. To assist in this, my next step in focusing on this standard will be to find professional development opportunities.

Resources:

Friedman, Thomas L. (2005, April 3). It’s a Flat World, After All. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com

International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National education standards for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS_for_Teachers_2008_EN.sflb.ashx