______% of careers you will have in your lifetime haven't been invented yet.
How long has that ALREADY been true?
My job with New Tech Network is "Online Community Manager" there was no major in that at Butler University when I was there in the 80's.
No, no Twitter, no Facebook, no Linked In, no blogs, no online so no Online Community Manager.
In fact, I wonder if, no matter how old you are or what your career is, has it changed enough to be unrecognizable?
When I was growing up I remember wanting different careers at different times in my life.
librarian
teacher
lawyer
lobbyist
(I also wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder, Clara Barton, Mary Tyler Moore and That Girl: Marlo Thomas, but that is probably another post)
The very popular statement "the career you will have hasn't been invented yet" is ALREADY true, none of those above careers looks just like it did during my childhood.
So what do I think helped me to be ready to change with the changing times?
Was it my GPA, standardized tests? SAT scores? GRE exam?
Nah...I'm going to go with
Working at the Milky Way & babysitting (having a job in HS)
- having a checkbook in HS (for you young folk that is what we had before debit cards)
- paying 1/2 for stupid Calvin Klein jeans that I HAD to have.
- saving for college
- paying for gas
- managing my time
- speaking up on my own behalf
- being responsible for my own schedule/health etc..
- running for office
- working as a team
- decision making
- problem solving
- planning w/ a "big picture" in mind
- (seriously, I am so much more efficient due to QWERTY, thanks Mrs. Milholland)
- organize my thoughts
- finding my voice
- balanced views
- communication written & spoken
So accountability, written & oral communication, personal finance, collaboration, work ethic...
WAIT did I learn 21st Century Skills way before the 21st Century...hmmmmm?
Maybe some things really don't change.
You know, I had a great conversation with a gal in DC about this. Her claim: Extracurricular activities and elective courses build Enduring Skills, and have been for a long time. I couldn't really argue with her about it. I pointed out - we just haven't given students to opportunity to transfer those sorts of skills into other academic classes. And not all kids are involved in extracurricular stuff. So maybe there IS a place for NT schools. :)
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