Tony Wagner’s: Creating Innovators Influence “Yesterday’s answers won’t solve today’s problems.” Knowledge Workers Undefined Work LEADERSHIP Real Voice “Even in our best schools, we are teaching kids to memorize much more than to think, and in the 21st century, mere memorization won’t get you very far.” Would you Hire Your Own Kids? Problem Solver Flexibility Skills that kids need to succeed in today’s world. Jobs from yesterday are being outsourced and we are preparing kids for unknown waters. These skills are not to be taught in addition to the current curriculum, instead they are like the literacy standards – they are a vehicle for teaching. The new Common Core and Essential Standards lend themselves to be taught in the fashion these seven soft skills call for. Tony Wagner’s: Creating Innovators 7 Soft Skills Students Desperately Need

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Soft Skill #1 What is It? Asking Good Questions Figure out what’s important and what’s not Self-learning and inquiry “The idea that a company’s senior leaders have all the answers and can solve problems by themselves has gone completely by the wayside…The person who’s close to the work has to have strong analytic skills. You have to be rigorous: test your assumptions, don’t take things at face value, don’t go in with preconceived ideas that you’re trying to prove.” -Ellen Kumata, consultant What It’s NOT? Teaching to a test Only occurs at secondary levels Using textbooks as sole resource IDEAs Open ended questions Essential Questions Big Ideas Employers want workers that can problem solve and think for themselves not employees that have to be told step by step what to do Math Practice 1 – Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Soft Skill #1

MATH PRACTICE 1 Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

Collaboration Across Networks and Leading By Influence Soft Skill #2 What is It? Team Work Collaboration Relational skills Reaching across boundaries Teacher as facilitator “The biggest problem we have in the company as a whole is finding people capable of exerting leadership across the board….Our mantra is that you lead by influence, rather than authority.” -Mark Chandler, Sr. VP at Cisco What It’s NOT? Whole Class instruction Step by Step instructions Teacher-centered IDEAs Wikis Sharepoint Cooperative Learning Discussions Group work! Students need the opportunity to collaborate, critique, and reason with others. This is not the teacher sitting at the desk while students work in groups. The teacher roves, facilitates, monitors learning – pulls together when needed (all about differentiation) Math Practice 3 – Make viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others Collaboration Across Networks and Leading By Influence Soft Skill #2

MATH PRACTICE 3 Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others

Agility and Adaptability Soft Skill #3 What is It? Reflect and Revise Experimentation Risk taking Opportunities to fail Learning process What It’s NOT? Only one right answer Answer more important than process Lecture and rote memorization “I’ve been here four years, and we’ve done fundamental reorganization every year because of changes in the business…I can guarantee the job I hire someone to do will change or may not exist in the future, so this is why adaptability and learning skills are more important than technical skills.” -Clay Parker, President of Chemical Management IDEAs Debates Presentations Inquiry Based Problems Problem Based Learning Change and don’t we know it. We must allow students to find their own way, take risks, and alternate paths. Process is the most important Math Practice 1 – Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them Math Practice 5 – Use appropriate tools strategically Agility and Adaptability Soft Skill #3

MATH PRACTICE 1 MATH PRACTICE 5 Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. MATH PRACTICE 5 Use appropriate tools strategically

Initiative and Entrepreneurialism Soft Skill #4 What is It? Proactive, self-starters Creativity STRETCH goals Out of the box thinkers “For our production and crafts’ staff, the hourly workers, we need self-directed people…who can find creative solutions to some very tough, challenging, problems.” -Mark Maddox, Human Resources Manager – Unilever Foods What It’s NOT? Status Quo Teacher Dominated Boring, dull, non-engaging lessons IDEAs Teams Project Based Learning Students monitoring growth Real world, messy problems. “When will I ever use this?” Go beyond the expected – don’t settle (EVAAS) – Peak there interest and let them work Math Practice 4 – Model with mathematics Initiative and Entrepreneurialism Soft Skill #4

MATH PRACTICE 4 Model with mathematics

Effective Oral and Written Communication Soft Skill #5 What is It? Clear and concise Focus, energy and passion Reason and persuade Write with voice “The biggest skill people are missing is the ability to communicate: both written and oral presentations. It’s a huge problem for us.” -Annmarie Neal, VP of Talent Management at Cisco Systems What It’s NOT? Focus on grammar, punctuation, and spelling Worksheets IDEAs Reporting Newspapers Blogging Websites Presentations Talk the talk! Experience – real writing, speaking, communicating across the curriculum Math Practice 6 – Attend to precision Effective Oral and Written Communication Soft Skill #5

MATH PRACTICE 6 Attend to precision

Accessing and Analyzing Information Soft Skill #6 What is It? Evaluating information from a variety of sources Synthesize findings Always changing “There is so much information available that it is almost too much, and if people aren’t prepared to process the information effectively, it almost freezes them in their steps.” —Mike Summers, Vice President for Global Talent Management at Dell What It’s NOT? Definitions Sole Sources (textbook) One answer IDEAs Research Use of varied sources Technology infusion Multiple approaches Information is everywhere – we need to allow them to find it and process it – Textbooks are not only not aligned but there are multiple sources Math Practice 7 Look for and make use of structure Math Practice 8 – Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning Accessing and Analyzing Information Soft Skill #6

MATH PRACTICE 7 MATH PRACTICE 8 Look for and make use of structure Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Curiosity and Imagination Soft Skill #7 What is It? Inquisitive Thinkers Problem Solving Unique and meaningful tasks Innovation “Our old idea is that work is defined by employers and that employees have to do whatever the employer wants…but actually, you would like him to come up with an interpretation that you like—he’s adding something personal—a creative element.” —Michael Jung, Senior Consultant at McKinsey and Company What It’s NOT? Rigid Structure Close-minded Fear of failure IDEAs Make Learning Fun Real world problems Get them hooked. Think outside the box. Find new solutions Math Practice 2 – Reason abstractly and quantitatively Curiosity and Imagination Soft Skill #7

MATH PRACTICE 2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively

Resources: www.tonywagner.com http://quizlet.com/5556999/tony-wagners-7-survival-skills- flash-cards/ http://www.edutechmag.org/2009/06/28/reviewing-tony- wagners-seven-skills-students-desperately-need/ http://www.thedailyriff.com/articles/would-you-hire-your- own-kids-7-skills-schools-should-be-teaching-them-291.php http://wiki.bath.ac.uk/display/charlescornelius/Tony+Wagn er%27s+Seven+Survival+Skills Wagner, T., & Compton, R. A. (2012). Creating innovators: The making of young people who will change the world. New York: Scribner.