Collaboration. Teamwork. Brainstorm.
Anyone whose been in school or the workforce in the last few years knows these words are often attached to positive outcomes for companies and institutions, like increased productivity, creativity, and achievement. However, research shows that these group practices may be overlooking the value of solitude, according to The New York Times opinion piece, “The Rise of the New Groupthink.“
As a leader during the modern American Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King, Jr. accomplished more toward racial equality in his 13 years of leadership than had happened over the previous 350 years, according to The Martin Luther King Jr. Center. His nonviolent movement was inspired in part by his Christian faith and the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. While others saw violence as a way to be heard, King used peaceful protests to bring attention to poverty, international conflicts, and equality. There is a wealth of information on King’s amazing social accomplishments on the website www.thekingcenter.org.
If you or someone you know is in debt, has a foreclosed home, or is struggling to pay the bills due to unemployment, you may have wondered how life would be different had lessons in financial literacy been handed out instead of endless lines of credit.
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The world of work is changing, and whether it scares or excites you, one thing is for certain: you shouldn’t be surprised if your job doesn’t exist in two decades. Many people are fearful of the changing workforce because it means uncertainty, foreign technology, and possible unemployment. However, the recent Fast Company article “The Career of the Future Doesn’t Include A 20-Year Plan. It’s More Like Four,” shows change can be positive, and something you should expect more of in your career.
Emotionally intelligent people are aware of what they do and who they are. Many issues young people have can be alleviated with the knowledge of the people around them and the feelings of others. This awareness makes for successful students, professionals, and members of society and it can thwart or redirect bullying or other inappropriate behaviors. In the recent article “10 Ways to Enhance Your Emotional Intelligence,” Dr. Norman Rosenthal explains there are two schools of thought surrounding emotional intelligence: your EI is an inborn characteristic or you can improve your EI with guidance and practice. Dr. Rosenthal is a believer of the latter, and offered the following tips to “enhance your emotional intelligence” in his article:
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Walter Dean Myers, the author of the best-selling young adult novel Monster and hundreds of other titles, is being sworn in today as the 3rd US ambassador for young people’s literature. In an interview this morning on NPR’s Morning Edition, Myers said the theme of his 2-year ambassadorship will be “Reading Is Not Optional,” in an effort to get more youth interested in reading and prepared to have a career in the changing world-of-work, especially those from urban and oppressed areas such as Harlem where he was raised.
A new report shows unemployment rates are lower for recent college graduates than those with less education, according to a recent article by The Chronicle. The study also found, generally, the careers with the highest employment rates are going to graduates with an industry-oriented degree and those pursuing technical fields.
If you’ve ever been in an argument with a teen, it might have felt like anything but productive. However, researchers found that if parents turn the argument from heated to healthy they are providing their kids with critical training they need for handling peer pressure, engaging in respectful confrontation, and offering solutions in reassuring ways, according to the NPR story “Why a Teen Who Talks Back May Have a Bright Future.”
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In the first week of 2012, there have been a number of articles dedicated to predictions on how technology will continue to influence education this year. Much of the discussion surrounds what digital tools will be used in classrooms or for independent learning and the inevitability of a changing learning environment. Yesterday, Mind/Shift posted the article “The Power of Play in Learning” by Aran Levasseur, the Academic Technology Coordinator at San Francisco University High School, where Levasseur explains the benefits of digital play for both students and adults.
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In yesterday’s blog, I shared the three learning trends for 2012 from the Mind/Shift article “Three Trends That Define the Future of Teaching and Learning.” Experts predict 2011 paved the way for learning to continue to be collaborative, tech-powered, and blended. Another recent article, “The Year in Education: Seven Innovations Changing the Way the World Learns,” highlights the learning tools and advancements we saw in 2011 that are predicted to influence education in 2012, and beyond. The following are a few we will be watching in the next year: