The world of work is ever- changing. However, new graduates will experience a heightened level of change over the span of their careers, as technology becomes more integrated and new software, tools, and gadgets make their work more efficient and far reaching.  Add to that the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit of today’s young people who will be launching many of the new businesses which will fuel our economic growth over the next several decades in areas that don’t yet exist, and it could be hard to predict what the workforce will look like in 20, or even 10, years.

All industries use technology, but that doesn’t mean all students or current workers have been trained or prepared for demands of the digital workforce. Older workers are finding they need to return to school to keep up with technology changing their industry, even with twenty-plus years on the job¹. Graduating youth may be at an advantage now as they exit college with know-how to succeed in today’s job market, but must adopt the mindset of a lifelong learner to stay ahead of the curve.

Technology hasn’t only changed the way we organize, communicate, and entertain, it’s also opened the doors to a global market and started a conversation between workers around the world. We are moving toward a complete reliance on technology to communicate, which is infiltrating dialogues, local and international, and requiring professionals have stronger communication skills than ever before in order to converse with the diverse workforce. In his commencement speech, David Calhoun, CEO of The Nielson Co. also highlighted the need to “keep learning throughout life,” not solely because of technology, but because globalization causes the world to change so fast that we can safely bet that our skills will become outdated at a fast pace².

Have you used Skype to talk with your parents while away at college? Have you used your filters on your Gmail account to separate your personal messages from your school messages? Have you learned how to close a professional email? Have you learned how to effectively write a negative message and close it in a positive way? All of these skills of diplomacy and negotiating will help you to launch your business ideas inside a small start up, a mid-size company, or within a department of a Fortune 500 company. Some colleges offer basic computer literacy classes that teach you how to use basic computer programs like word processors, spreadsheets, and some online organization tools, but much of the skills students are expected to bring to the world of work are self taught.

Consider the following reality of the new workforce:

• A Skype commissioned survey estimates that 62% of firms employ workers remotely³.
• Miscommunication can be a common problem because new hires lack of verbal and nonverbal skills.
• Immediacy may take away from the quality of computer mediated communication, as writers who feel rushed may not proof their emails, instant messages, or text messages for errors before sending⁴.
• Technology is everywhere, making a finer line for workers between personal time and work time.
• Currently, 57% of employers offer flexible working hours, due to the large amount of remote workers⁵.
• A lot of companies spread their employment across borders, which may pose language and cultural barriers between workers from different countries.

Thirty years ago this summer, I was finishing my first unpaid internship in Washington, D.C with Common Cause, a lobbying  group run at the time by Archibald Cox, John Gardner of Stanford, and, at times, Ralph Nader. The next year, the report,  A NATION AT RISK¹, was issued as I began my internship in New York City at the Academy for Educational Development. During both summers, I waited on tables at night to be able to work for no pay at my valuable internships. This report was commissioned by the then President Ronald Reagan. I distinctly remember one of the most defining lines of that document:  The educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a Nation and a people.

In 1984, I graduated into one of the worst job markets since that the one we are experiencing today.  Little did I know then that almost thirty years later, I would look back on a career in education which has, in the last decade specifically, become devoted to reversing America’s underdeveloped, undereducated and underemployed.

Fast forward almost thirty years beyond the NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND legislation, the largesse of people like Bill and Melinda Gates and the global picture of students around the world compared with the students learning here in the United States. Students who were born in and around that time now make up some of the college graduates who are in their twenties during one of the most difficult recessions for young adults. According to this week’s New York Times², youth advocacy groups designed to galvanize the efforts of graduates, in a more effective way than the Occupy Movement, are emerging. These graduates are required to be resourceful about creating their future work, facilitating networks where they can help each other, and developing a strong psychological personal outlook which will help them endure any economic turbulence.

When I wrote my first book, now in its fifth edition, MAJORING IN THE REST OF YOUR LIFE:  Career Secrets for College Students, I explored all of the workplace realities which few people bothered to share with undergraduates so that they could actually prepare for success once they earned their degree and landed their first job. The keys to the hidden job market are now as they were in the mid to late 1980s –a willingness from mentors and managers whom students have met on internships to pick up the phone, write a specific letter (or email)  or set up a meeting for a former intern who has demonstrated not just what they know, but what they know how to do; a college student who is willing to forego partying during the week to dig earnestly and wholly into their academics through facilitating a study group, reaching out to the professor or clarifying subject matter with a teaching assistant; a freshman who starts college by spending his summer truly learning what is ahead and preparing fully for a successful transition, including honestly evaluating his own strengths and weaknesses. Students with this kind of foresight can navigate the hidden job market as well as the transparent one.  They know how to tirelessly pursue opportunities and they know how to add real value once they are given the chance to show both their knowledge and their skills. These are the graduates who will not just get a job this season after they graduate. Indeed, they will be forging a promotion path no matter where their gifts and talents take them.

In the coming days, I will explore initiatives we’ve tried and the academic performance, graduation rates and graduation prospects compared with our past, as well as developing and developed nations around the world.

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¹ “A Nation at Risk,” by the National Commission on Excellence in Education.” April 1983. http://reagan.procon.org/sourcefiles/a-nation-at-risk-reagan-april-1983.pdf

² “Jobs Few, Grads Flock to Unpaid Internships,” by Steven Greenhouse. 6 May 2012. The New York Times. Accessed on 7 May 2012. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/06/business/unpaid-internships-dont-always-deliver.html

Student achievement is high on the priority list, but as more educators focus on helping underachieving students progress, overachieving students are being forgotten.

In Friday’s blog, I discussed how teaching girls to pursue STEM careers, where they make up a small fraction of STEM employees, will help address our country’s innovation crisis. Raising student achievement levels also shares this long-term goal. Student achievement isn’t just a short-term concern, like preparing students to pass tests, stay in school, and get to graduation day. Improving student achievement levels is a long-term goal, like advancing more students who are prepared to succeed in college, work, and life.

According to the article Don’t Leave Gifted Students Behind, “ The most-talented students are most likely to bring this nation out of the economic basement, create new inventions, cure deadly diseases, and, yes, restore the United States to its former place as the international leader in innovation and scholarship.”

U.S. students, in general, are behind their international peers. Our top students are also behind those from other parts of the world. Only 1.9 percent of U.S. students scored in the 95th percentile on the PISA assessment’s highest proficiency level, which fell below the 3 percent of the total sample of students from other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development-member nations, and significantly below South Korea (7.8 percent) and Shanghai (26.6 percent), according to the article.

Identifying that there is a problem in the innovation pipeline isn’t enough. What can educators do in the classroom to support over achieving kids? What can parents do at home to challenge gifted and talented students? What activities can students get involved in to spark a desire to innovate?

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Source:

“Don’t Leave Gifted Students Behind: High achievers are essential to global competition,”  Frances R. Spielhagen. 21 February 2012. Education Week. Accessed on 27 February 2012. http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/02/22/21spielhagen.h31.html?tkn=MZPFCnMBaTPo7CJEIQZgbi2q1xCvnVyluA4H&cmp=clp-edweek

America’s unemployed youth each take $40,000 a year from the economy and cost the government $14,000 in taxes, according to the article “What Does One Jobless Youth Cost Taxpayers? $14,000 a Year.” The “lost generation” is projected to cost taxpayers $437 billion over the next five years, and possibly $1.15 trillion in their lifetime.

However hard is to look into the future and still see unemployment hurting the economy and the American dream, there are even deeper concerns than dollar amounts. In a few years, America’s youth will be America’s adults. When high school students, college students, and college grads are out of work, some aren’t learning the skills they need to have a future career, create stable finances, and build back our economy.

The employment gap between young and old is the largest it has ever been, with only 56 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 currently holding jobs. As this gap widens, many young adults will go another year without employment and new ones will fall victim. Does calling this generation “lost” require them to stay in school, follow their passions, and dream about careers? How can a young adult who is told they are part of the “lost generation” have drive, motivation, stamina, or the self-confidence to defy the label they’ve been given?

The longer youth are out of work the more likely they are to earn less in life, miss out on real-world chances to build skills, commit crimes, and need government support, according to the article. But each member of the “lost generation” can take control of their lives and set a healthy path for their futures.

Jeremy Estrada grew up in LA. He was in a gang, he was assaulted, he assaulted others and he was institutionalized and put on probation a number of times as a juvenile. After running from the police for two weeks from his last offense, he turned himself in and was sent to Rite of Passage. There, Estrada was encouraged to learn and redirect his anger. He became a straight A student who was accepted to Pepperdine University. Today, he is a graduate from Georgetown University School of Medicine. (https://www.ncjrs.gov/html/ojjdp/2000_5_1/pag3.html)

We might not have the jobs to employ all of America’s youth, but how can they be directed to keep learning, experiencing, and dreaming? How can the “lost generation” take back power?  How can each person, challenged by our current economy, still make a difference, remain hopeful and contribute to the best of their abilities?  How can our personal and professional lives be a model for these young people?

With technology, students don’t need to leave the classroom in order to take a trip around the world. In November 2011, Edmodo, a social networking site, teamed up with Polar Bears International to send five people to the Tundra to film polar bears and stream webcasts straight to 1,700 classrooms around the world. Websites like Khan Academy, YouTube, and Stanford’s free online classes, have become highly accessible databases of knowledge available to people around the world. Social networking is being used in and outside of the classroom to extend the learning community for students after they leave school and for educators to connect with other teachers around the nation and world.

At Charlotte Jewish Day School, once a week students in grades K-5 connect with students around the world using a social network called ePals Global Community, according to the article “Students Go ‘Global’ Thanks to Technology.” Students and their e-Pal counterparts research about their e-Pal’s country, email each other questions, and send each other videos, due to the time differences many e-Pals can’t speak live using Skype.

Educators found that the global classroom taught children more than geography and culture; a “service-learning component” also arose. Fifth-graders were paired with Israeli students who explained to their American e-Pals that they take showers differently than people in the U.S. due to a water shortage: “They turn on the water, turn it off to soap up, turn it on to rinse, then turn it off again.” The American students decided to research water waste in the U.S. and monitor their water use.

In the article, Caroline McMillan explains the global connections students in each grade are making:

The kindergarteners are studying weather with a school in France; the first-graders are discussing animals and their habitats with Taiwanese students; and the second-graders are learning about climate maps with Switzerland and Canada.

Meanwhile, the third-graders are talking natural disasters with their counterparts in Christchurch, New Zealand; the fourth-graders are tackling global warming with a school in Thailand; and the fifth-graders are communicating with Israeli students (often in Hebrew) to discuss water issues.

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Sources:

“Students Go ‘Global’ Thanks to Technology,” by Caroline McMillan. 6 February 2012. The Charlotte Observer. Accessed on 10 February 2012. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/02/05/2979671/students-go-global-thanks-to-technology.html

Carol’s Summary:

Columnist Elisabeth Rosenthal asks “what makes a test feel like an interesting challenge rather than an anxiety-provoking assault?” Obviously, the test needs to be age-appropriate, which the Race to the Top program plans to put in place. Also, “high-stakes” testing – tests that define a students future off results from one day of testing – is shown to create anxiety and may not be reflective of the students overall abilities.

Rosenthal lived in China with her young children, 6 and 8, who were enrolled in a blended class environment, a mostly Western curriculum with an emphasis on discipline and testing.  10 years later and back in the U.S., when she asks them about the testing, all they remember was having fun since testing was commonplace. Rosenthal says, “the tests felt like so many puzzles; not so much a judgment on your being, but an interesting challenge.”

President Obama’s Race to the Top educational competition encourages more test taking. Instead of taking a long, intimidating test once a year, like was enforced with No Child Left Behind, these tests will be smaller and more frequent, allowing teachers to view students’ progress and help students throughout the semester. LifeBound has curricula that features true/false, fill in the blank, oral review, essay as well as the much-relied but overused multiple-choice questions.

Article: Testing, the Chinese Way

When my children were 6 and 8, taking tests was as much a part of the rhythm of their school day as tag at recess or listening to stories at circle time. There were the “mad minute” math quizzes twice each week, with the results elaborately graphed. There were regular spelling quizzes. Even today I have my daughter’s minutely graded third-grade science exams, with grades like 23/25 or A minus.

Read the entire article at: nytimes.com

Although social networking sites are becoming increasingly popular, there are still an abundance of people who are unfamiliar with these tools. There has been a recent uproar about the use of the word “tweet”, and a new debate on whether the word is appropriate to use in other outlets besides on-line. This debate has in some ways separated tech-savvy people from others.

This article explains the dynamics of each social networking site in detail and informs readers of why it may or may not benefit everyone. Facebook, the most popular of the sites, began as an electronic version of a college student directory, which displays names and photographs. It has grown into a billion-dollar industry that allows people to connect with one another and share things like news stories and photographs.

LinkedIn is similar to Facebook; however, it is geared more towards professionals and people looking to network in a professional environment. People can connect with potential employers and get advice on improving résumés. Twitter is at the forefront of “micro-blogging”, which allows people to share their thoughts with 140 characters or less. It is a great tool to share news and other links that one finds online.

Social media is a wonderful and useful tool not only for individuals but also for businesses. In addition to the LifeBound website, we also have a Facebook and twitter page, and we are constantly updating our pages with news articles, updates on our newest books, and tips for success. Visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lifebound or follow us on twitter through www.twitter.com/lifebound and www.twitter.com/caroljcarter.

Article:
For Those Facebook Left Behind
By DAVID POGUE
July 7, 2010
Last month, the standards editor at The New York Times wrote a memo that shocked — shocked! — bloggers everywhere. He asked Times writers to avoid using the word “tweet” (as in, “to say something on Twitter”).
“We don’t want to seem Paleolithic,” he wrote. “But we favor established usage and ordinary words over the latest jargon or buzzwords.”
That the Internet’s reaction was so swift and harsh only proves the point: the techno-savvy population can’t even conceive of the existence of a less savvy crowd. If you use jargon every day, you can’t imagine that millions of people have no idea what you’re talking about.

To read the full article: www.nytimes.com

Carol’s Summary:

 The Center on Education Policy released a report in March, addressing the fact that on average, boys in all grade levels have lower reading test scores than girls do. The data from the independent, Washington D.C. based organization has been accompanied by another report, which was released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

It has also been found that girls not only have been scoring higher in reading than boys, but that girls also tend to fare better academically overall. The exception is mathematics, which has generated varied results amongst boys and girls. On average, girls also have higher grade-point averages than boys in their grade level, and are likelier to graduate high school and go to college.

Although gender gaps in education have existed for decades, it is now becoming a global problem. In 2006, a study was released with data from fourth grade reading tests in 40 countries; the results showed that girls scored higher than boys in every area where data was collected properly.

Education experts and schools around the nation are now coming up with ideas for “boy friendly” teaching, which would engage boys’ interests in a way so that they would be likelier to succeed, particularly in literacy. There are many kinds of achievement gaps that need to be reduced and eventually closed, from gender to economic background and ethnicity.

There are as many different teaching styles as there are learning styles, and every child is different.  LifeBound books and curriculum provide teachers with different strategies and learning activities that engage different kinds of students. It is important that all students are on a level playing field, so that all children have an equal opportunity to succeed in school and in the real world. To learn more about LifeBound’s books, curriculum and other materials, visit www.lifebound.com or e-mail contact@lifebound.com.

Article:

Putting the “Boy Crisis” in Context

Finding solutions to boys’ reading problems may require looking beyond gender

By MICHAEL SADOWSKI

Putting the “Boy Crisis” in Context, continued

Putting the “Boy Crisis” in Context: Finding solutions to boys’ reading problems may require looking beyond gender

Putting the “Boy Crisis” in Context

“The Boys Have Fallen Behind.” “Girls Lead the Nation in Reading Scores.” “Are Teachers Failing Our Sons?” Earlier this year, newspapers across the country ran these and other headlines in response to a March report by the independent Center on Education Policy (CEP) in Washington, D.C. The report, which outlined results on state accountability tests, raised alarm by noting that the percentage of boys scoring “proficient” or higher in reading was below that of girls at all grade levels tested and in every state for which sufficient data were available.

To read more: Harvard Education Letter

CAROL’S SUMMARY:

The Center for Global Advancement of Community Colleges aims to work with two-year institutions to help them strengthen their global focus. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education article below, “they will work to recruit more students from overseas and to build greater recognition of the American community-college system abroad.” The end goal is to ensure students graduate prepared for a global marketplace.

Community College students in America need to know about the world—cultures, economic disparities, languages, nuances in working environments—to be world-class ready upon graduation. This world knowledge can and should begin in high school and be emphasized throughout college. Almost every classroom has a rich ability to draw out the history and background of each student in that class, whether they are foreign born or their families immigrated to the U.S. hundreds of years ago. When students know more about the world, they will know more about themselves.

LifeBound shares this goal. All LifeBound materials profile international students and enforce 21st century skills so that students successfully transition from fifth through twelfth grade, graduate high school and enter college well aware of the world around them. Our get ready for college book, JUNIOR GUIDE TO SENIOR YEAR SUCCESS, for example, features college essays from students in Shanghai and Bangladesh as well as perspectives from people around the world who are solving the world’s greatest problems. Schools and curricula that promote worldwide understanding will help all students succeed in the years to come.

ARTICLE:

The Chronicle of Higher Education
May 13, 2010
New Group Will Help Community Colleges Become More Globally Focused
By Karin Fischer

Several veterans of international education have started a new membership organization that will seek to help community colleges become more globally focused.

The Center for Global Advancement of Community Colleges will work with two-year institutions to recruit more students from overseas and to build greater recognition of the American community-college system abroad.

To view this entire article visit www.chronicle.com