Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

Are we truly helping our students build workforce-ready skills?

Concerns about college graduates being under-prepared to enter the workforce are rooted in K-12 technology and career-readiness skills, as many district leaders wonder if teachers are confident enough to teach the higher-level skills our future workers need.

A 2018 study from PwC and the Business-Higher Education Forum reflects a growing worry about the gap between the expectations of educators and the expectations of business executives when it comes to preparing students for entry into the workforce.

That study shows that 79 percent of CEOs are worried that a shortage of highly trained workers with the right STEM and computing skills will inhibit their companies’ expansion.…Read More

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Here’s how to foster creative problem solving

Last year, Adobe conducted a study of Generation Z students (ages 11-17) that found students and teachers believe creativity is critical for success in the future workforce. Based on this insight, we conducted another study this year to dig into this notion of creative problem solving: What does it mean, what are the sub-skills, and what are the gaps and barriers that exist? We discovered a disconnect between the needs of tomorrow’s workforce and what students are learning in the classroom today.

So how can teachers foster these skills now, even when curriculum standards are catching up, and help their students develop these key skills?

Engage kids with digital projects
What this means: Every industry is going digital and nearly every job has a digital component. Being able to clearly communicate ideas via multimedia (videos, audio, visual presentations, etc.) is more important than ever for people entering the job force, regardless of their level of education. Instead of assigning students to write a five-page book report, teachers can ask students to shoot and edit a short video depicting a chapter or a sequel, or using digital images to represent what they are learning.…Read More

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