We live in a world marked by complexity and rapid change where new technologies are developing rapid pace. At the same time, there is now a need for career that did not exist ten years ago. Who would have ever predicted in the 80s that the fastest way of sharing information or making your thought known to others would be via a tweet or post on social media platforms? Or that companies and businesses would be employing social media managers?
If the world does not know what the future holds then how can we as parents or guardians prepare our kids for the unknown future. Is simply giving them formal education enough, or do we need to change our approach to teaching and learning? Foe the past few generations, we have seen large shifts in education opportunities and the labour market. We need to move beyond the usual way of learning that majority of us grew up with and it takes more than just computer and technology skills to face the increasingly competitive society.
It is important to help our kids think of learning as life-long and life-wide process. We are to encourage them to embrace right opportunities for learning and self-improvement at home, schools, on the internet and in the community as well as help them build analytical, creative, social and emotional and practical thinking skills. Another vital thing to focus on is their communication skills. As past generations did, today’s kids will need to effectively express their thoughts and questions, but they will need to be effective in more modes of communications and with a large variety of audiences.
The challenge of the future is real, but now is not the time to let despair set in. To prepare our kids for the unknown future, we need to arm them with skills that will enable them face the future headlong and confidently without fear. Such skills include: Learning skills which involves; critical thinking, creative thinking, team work and communication. Literacy Skills – information literacy, media literacy and technology literacy. Life skills – flexibility, leadership, initiative, productivity and social. With the accelerating pace of change, these critical skills empower kids to secure information-age jobs, establish businesses, survive challenges of a highly uncertain future and protect themselves in unfiltered environment. In other words, these set of skills will our kids grow up to be confident, well-rounded individuals empowered to learn and change as they need and desire and ready to embrace or adapt to the inevitable waves of changes that comes along with the unknown future.