Future Proof Your Education

100 Technology Skills for Today’s Workforce

Posted by busynessgirl | Aug 25, 2017 | Edge of Learning, Future Proof Your Education |

As the “growth” of AI becomes mainstream conversation, we hear more and more about the need to prepare students to be relevant in an increasingly knowledge-based economy. It’s not the facts we teach in school that are important, it’s the skills and ability to think and solve problems. If we want college graduates to enter the workforce being functional and valued workers, we have to make sure they also learn some digital skills as part of their college experience. There is no avoiding digital skills in today’s workplace. Most of our students “use” technology (smartphones, social media, and laptops),...

Adding Future Proof Skills to Course Syllabii

Posted by busynessgirl | Jul 6, 2014 | Edge of Learning, Future of Higher Ed, Future Proof Your Education, Motivation and Behavior |

There are many college-level courses that are required but not beloved by students. Math requirements, in particular, are particularly disliked by most students. I believe that we teach mathematics to help students develop logical thinking, attention to detail, and a method for attacking problems of all types. The subject of mathematics provides a common language and structure to allow the development of these skills. Unfortunately, in our zeal to explain “when we are going to use this” we wander into the dark land of contrived application problems and ridiculous problem constraints. But what if there were another way to...

What skills should we be teaching to future-proof an education?

Posted by busynessgirl | Oct 21, 2011 | Edge of Learning, Future of Higher Ed, Future of Learning, Future Proof Your Education, Futuring |

Some time last year I spent quite a bit of time reflecting on what skills we could be focusing on in higher education to “future-proof” a degree. What skills will stay relevant no matter what future careers look like? There are two frameworks used and endorsed in K-12 education: Partnership for 21st Century Skills and Equipped for the Future. I felt that the lists not quite right for adults that are returning or seeking an education. Here is the list that I developed, and a link to the Prezi that includes many video resources that correspond with the skills....

Prezi: Future-Proof Your Education

Posted by busynessgirl | Aug 25, 2010 | Edge of Learning, Future of Learning, Future Proof Your Education, Futuring, Personal Learning |

Here is my new prezi (designed for students) called Future-Proof Your Education. How do you prepare for uncertain career paths where technical knowledge doubles every two years? You pay attention to the skills that surround the content: Interact, Flex, Learn, Explain, Analyze, and Focus. ANALYZE … think critically, interpret data, predict, solve problems, make decisions, scrutinize information sources EXPLAIN … convey ideas in writing, depict data visually, speak so that others understand, present ideas digitally FOCUS … observe critically, read with understanding, be self-directed, listen carefully, set and meet goals EXPLAIN … convey ideas in writing, depict data visually,...

Technology Skills We Should Be Teaching in College

Posted by busynessgirl | Sep 9, 2009 | Digital Literacy, Future of Higher Ed, Future Proof Your Education |

This is a follow-up to my recent research about Teaching and Learning in the Digital Age. I’ve spent considerable time thinking about how to alter the classes I teach to re-center them on a core of flexible learning. In all of my classes this semester, students will be completing a variety of learning projects that involve alternative ways to learn (e.g. blogging, making mindmaps, teaching a lesson, making a video presentation, or designing a non-digital game). The difficult part about including these alternative learning methods is teaching the students all the necessary technology skills first. Most of my students...