Forbes – Jordan Shapiro
“Each year, the Global Education and Skills Forum is held in Dubai. Sometimes called “The Davos of Education,” the event brings together educators, politicians, activists and thought leaders for a few days of focused conversation about the state of global education. The 2015 “New Vision For Education—Unlocking The Potential of Technology” report from the World Economic Forum is pretty clear about the state of global education. It needs attention. “To thrive in a rapidly evolving, technology-mediated world,” the report begins, “students must not only possess strong skills in areas such as language arts, mathematics and science, but they must also be adept at skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, persistence, collaboration and curiosity.” In the U.S., we spend a lot of time thinking about these kinds of skills and proficiencies. Our media is saturated with discussions of the importance of entrepreneurial problem solving skills. And we are also bombarded with stories about education technologies and digital literacies. Still, our school system suffers from embarrassing socioeconomic disparity. It is shocking that we can continue to teach all of our students the words of the Declaration of Independence even while the manifest reality makes it so obvious that we don’t really believe all schools, districts, classrooms, and students are created equal.”(more)