Restructuring Schools

In light of the notion of lifelong learning and the seven essential survival skills according to Tony Wagner, schools should definitely be restructured to better address these skills. A brief recap from the Tony Wagner’s article, 2008 titled Rigor Redefined. Wagner lays out the seven survival skills today’s students need to master in order to thrive in the evolving world of work. According to Wagner, these skills are the same ones that will enable students to become productive citizens who contribute to solving some of the most pressing issues we face in the 21^st century. The skills to be mastered by students are: 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.

To address these seven skills, schools should be restructured to leverage emerging communications and collaboration tools to create and personalize networks of experts to inform the education process. The networks are available not only locally but also globally. Not only will both teachers and students have to stay connected to these networks, but to be amerced with these skills as active learners and contributors. In this way, teachers will be in a better position to guide their students and enhance learning experiences.

Schools should be structured in a way that takes advantage of emerging technologies and expand learning experiences that transcend the classroom walls and be sensitive to individual learner’s style and interests. Finally, schools should provide digitally-rich learning environments. This would mean, providing more technology, such as computer networks and IPads to all students. Schools will also have to minimize the amount of blocks to network sites and allow students to freely navigate and explore what is available out there to feed into their learning needs so that they can more freely research their topics on the World Wide Web.