Comments on: The key skills today’s employers desire http://www.eschoolnews.com/2012/12/10/the-key-skills-todays-employers-desire/ Just another eSchool Media site Thu, 10 Jan 2013 16:37:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: nfmorg1 http://www.eschoolnews.com/2012/12/10/the-key-skills-todays-employers-desire/comment-page-1/#comment-168985 nfmorg1 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:08:31 +0000 http://www.eschoolnews.com/?p=118252#comment-168985 In higher education, 75% of the instructors -- 1 million educators -- are on temporary contracts. The so-called "part-timers" are more than half of this group and are paid poverty level wages, rarely given professional support like benefits, offices, computers, professional development resources or even enough time to prepare for their classes. Their employment is completely dependent on the whim of administrators who insist that they need "flexibility" even though most of these instructors have been "temporary for years and even decades. In spite of this, most of these instructors do their best to bring innovative pedagogical practices and creative uses of technology into the classrooms, at their own expense and at the risk of rapid burnout. Most try to combine the best of innovative new technologies with the best of classical pedagogies. See the report of the New Faculty Majority Foundation at http://www.nfmfoundation.org/NFMF-Back-to-School-Survey.html A culture change is absolutely necessary: one that puts students at the center of the mission of higher education again. When the faculty are disrespected and abused, students suffer. Without steps 4 and 6 -- support and respect for the instructors in the classrooms -- no vision for a 21st century education can be realized. In higher education, 75% of the instructors — 1 million educators — are on temporary contracts. The so-called “part-timers” are more than half of this group and are paid poverty level wages, rarely given professional support like benefits, offices, computers, professional development resources or even enough time to prepare for their classes. Their employment is completely dependent on the whim of administrators who insist that they need “flexibility” even though most of these instructors have been “temporary for years and even decades.

In spite of this, most of these instructors do their best to bring innovative pedagogical practices and creative uses of technology into the classrooms, at their own expense and at the risk of rapid burnout. Most try to combine the best of innovative new technologies with the best of classical pedagogies. See the report of the New Faculty Majority Foundation at http://www.nfmfoundation.org/NFMF-Back-to-School-Survey.html

A culture change is absolutely necessary: one that puts students at the center of the mission of higher education again. When the faculty are disrespected and abused, students suffer. Without steps 4 and 6 — support and respect for the instructors in the classrooms — no vision for a 21st century education can be realized.

]]> By: luciadolan http://www.eschoolnews.com/2012/12/10/the-key-skills-todays-employers-desire/comment-page-1/#comment-168969 luciadolan Tue, 11 Dec 2012 14:07:04 +0000 http://www.eschoolnews.com/?p=118252#comment-168969 What do employers say they want student to learn? This question is answered by EdLeader21 - a company that earns its living consulting to school districts on 21st Century Skills - but no research is provided supporting the consultants' theory. IMHO thinking critically, writing persuasively and collaboration are timeless attributes of an excellent education. "Why were Einstein and his associates able to collaborate so effectively? How were they able to avoid the mistrust, suspicion, and covering up that which often occurs when a group of people attempt to collaborate together? Why were they able to share their work openly and honestly with each other, while their contemporaries did not? What was their secret? Einstein and his associates had discovered and used a set of ancient Greek principles of intragroup communication, which was developed by Socrates. Socrates and other Greek philosophers would sit around brainstorming and debating various issues. Their discussions, however, rarely got out of hand. Although hot tempers emerged, the participants were bound by seven principles of discussion Socrates established to maintain a sense of collegiality." http://www.creativitypost.com/pop-culture/what_einstein_learned_from_socrates_about_group_collaboration What do employers say they want student to learn? This question is answered by EdLeader21 – a company that earns its living consulting to school districts on 21st Century Skills – but no research is provided supporting the consultants’ theory.

IMHO thinking critically, writing persuasively and collaboration are timeless attributes of an excellent education.

“Why were Einstein and his associates able to collaborate so effectively? How were they able to avoid the mistrust, suspicion, and covering up that which often occurs when a group of people attempt to collaborate together? Why were they able to share their work openly and honestly with each other, while their contemporaries did not? What was their secret?

Einstein and his associates had discovered and used a set of ancient Greek principles of intragroup communication, which was developed by Socrates. Socrates and other Greek philosophers would sit around brainstorming and debating various issues. Their discussions, however, rarely got out of hand. Although hot tempers emerged, the participants were bound by seven principles of discussion Socrates established to maintain a sense of collegiality.”

http://www.creativitypost.com/pop-culture/what_einstein_learned_from_socrates_about_group_collaboration

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