In the article “Rigor Redefined” by Tony Wagner the way students learn today is looked at and examined to see if what students learn now will be useful in the future. The article states there are seven survival skills needed to succeed in the new world of work: critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration and leadership, agility and adaptability, initiative and entrepreneurialism, effective oral and written communication, accessing and analyzing information, and curiosity and imagination. Wagner also added his observations of classes he went into.
Some of the ways to succeed in this article I agree with and some I don’t. The one skill I don’t really agree with is collaboration and leadership. The explanation really doesn’t explain the skill. All it really says is that team work is better in virtual team. When I read this the first thought that came to my mind was “how well does that work exactly? “ How could you communicate with your other team mates if your internet was down? Wouldn’t conference calls get confusing? I think working in teams is a good idea if you have physical contact with your group members. Most of the other skills I agree with. You must have a good memory to succeed is the Skill I agree with the most.
When I read the part of the article about the type of schooling students get I thought to myself, “This is exactly how school is.” AP Chem is just like lab for me at the moment. You get to class, get a work sheet, listen to the directions the teacher give about the lab and go to work. You can ask questions but when something doesn’t work then what? I feel that the AP English class Wagner observed was how my English class is. The teacher figures out good ways to help us learn and she gets everyone involved. That’s the way every class should be like. That is the best way to learn and become successful in the future.
