According to a World Economic Forum report, all industries expect at least 50% of their workforce will require reskilling in some way1, so flexibility and adaptability are important attributes to cultivate in our students in order to use new technology to its fullest potential. English language learners are at an advantage, as the linguistic flexibility of bilingual students helps their brains to adapt easily to change, meaning that new challenges aren’t as daunting as they otherwise might be.
THRIVING IN A CHANGING WORLD
TO DO GLOBALLY COULD THEORETICALLY BE AUTOMATED USING TECHNOLOGIES THAT ALREADY EXIST
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“FOCUS ON WHAT STUDENTS ARE GOOD AT, WHAT THEY WANT TO LEARN”
“ 50% OF THE WORK THAT PEOPLE ARE PAID
success. As well as focusing on the things they need to pass their next exam, focus also on what students are good at, what they want to learn, and what they think will actually be helpful in their later lives. If we can instil a learning mindset in our students, and a desire to upskill and experience new things, it will encourage them to view the future as an exciting challenge rather than something scary, and they’ll be more prepared to meet it. Humans are hardwired to fear change, but if you can help them overcome that, they’ll find a way to thrive in our rapidly evolving world.
Having a good command of English will obviously help when your students are looking for work in a globalised world. However, as an educator, you should be going beyond simply teaching them grammar and vocabulary. The skills that will stand today’s teenagers in good stead are human in nature, like creativity and curiosity: skills that robots can’t replicate. The World Economic Forum’s report, The Future of Jobs, found “human skills such as creativity, originality and initiative, critical thinking, persuasion, and negotiation will retain or increase their value” in the workplace of the future, so those are the most important to try and implement into your classes. One way you can start doing this is by offering learners more agency and autonomy. Let them have a say in the direction their learning takes. Give them choices, get them working together to achieve a common goal and follow up with time spent reflecting on their 1 http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_2018.pdf
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