1. 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

2. 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

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

4. 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

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

6. 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

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

8. 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

9. MATH PRACTICE 4
Model with mathematics

10. 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

11. MATH PRACTICE 6
Attend to precision

12. 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

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

14. 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

15. MATH PRACTICE 2
Reason abstractly and quantitatively

16. Resources: www.tonywagner.com
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wagners-seven-skills-students-desperately-need/
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Wagner, T., & Compton, R. A. (2012). Creating innovators: The making of young people who will change the world. New York: Scribner.