The Global Achievement Gap, a new book by Tony Wagner examines the U.S. education system in the 21st century, considers why American students are falling behind their international peers, and proposes methods to begin to correct the downward slide. According to Wagner, The global achievement gap is the gap between what we are teaching and testing in our schools, even in the ones that are most highly-regarded, versus the skills all students will need for careers, college, and citizenship in the 21st century.
Wagner presents seven survival skills he deems the most important to adapt to a rapidly changing world. He argues these are not just the skills one needs for work, they are also the skills all of us need to be engaged and effective citizens in a 21st century democracy, as well as to be life-long learners.
According to Wagner, the seven survival skills are critical thinking and problem solving; collaboration across networks and leading by influence; agility and adaptability; initiative and entrepreneurship; effective oral and written communication; accessing and analyzing information; and curiosity and imagination.
After researching the ISTE standards and reading about Wagner's seven survival skills, what similarities and differences can you identify between the two documents.
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Creativity and innovation are stressed in both ISTE's Standards, and Wagner's Seven Survival Skills. We can't be trapped in the past anymore, shut off from the rapid pace of the world. We need to be open, participating members of the new, ever-growing technological community. This means reassessing how we teach--new technology and engaging studies as preparation for life are essential. Some obvious differences are that ISTE's standards are geared exclusively towards technology, while the survival skills are more general, reaching across all areas of communication and critical thinking. But both stress being open to change, adaptable, and looking toward the big picture. The world is more connected now than ever before, and we need to become a part of this global community, capable of keeping up.
Laramy Applekamp-- C&I 306.03
The ISTE Standards and Wagner's Seven Survival skills are striving for essentially the same thing, but the ISTE Standards is specifically involved with technology in the classroom. I feel that the ISTE Standards are simply ways in which we as teachers can apply the Seven Survival Skills. For example, teachers are utilizing networking and leading by influence when they strive to teach their students, colleagues, and themselves how to effectively use technology. Teachers also are stressing good citizenship by teaching their students to acknowledge and respect the work of others. Creativity and innovation can be manifested a million ways through the exploration and access to technology. These are just a few ways that the standards align with the seven skills. Now, it is our job as teachers to take these guidelines and encourage our students to grow as students, teachers, and better people. If we embrace these skills, we can help create a better connected world, a better learning environment where questions are encouraged and wondering is seen as a window to the world, and a better life as we help foster better students, and eventually, better people.
Although both Wagner and the ISTE standards deal with the transforming vision of American education, I feel that the ISTE standards contain much more important ideas that Wagner’s seven survival skills. The main point that I feel Wagner missed is the part of the standards that stresses a digital citizenship and responsibility. To me this is one of the most important issues about technology that can be taught. However, I do like how Wagner’s skills include adaptability and effective oral and written communication. And although both stress the important of creativity and imagination, I liked how the ISTE standards put student learning and creativity are placed first, and I did not like how Wagner places curiosity and imagination last. I feel that with all the technology that is available, American’s should focus on what has made them world competitors in the first place. With a creative and imaginative attitude I think that students will be able to better complete tasks and fulfill the rest of the standards and the survival skills.
Both the ISTE standards and Wagner's Seven Survival skills both aim to achieve technology skills those future generations will need. The ISTE are more specifically designed to meet most of the Seven Survival skills. The survival skills are more of a broad set of guidelines of what we need to see the next generation achieve. The ISTE standards are standards that will guide students in the direction of achieving those goals. In both the ISTE and Seven Survival Skills I see an importance in networking with other people in the world of technology, as well as keeping current on technology. Wegner's Seven Survival Skills are things the future generations will need to keep up with the direction of the future economy. The ISTE standards are made to help teachers guide students in the right direction as far as technology goes.
While the seven survival skills are geared toward all aspects of learning versus just learning about technology like the ISTE standards, they both stress creativity. I do agree with them both in the sense that they both stress the importance of innovative and forward thinking. I think that it is important to teach skills that will help our students solve any problem they may have instead of only showing them specific ways to solve specific problems. With the world changing as fast as it is, creative problem skills are much more beneficial to our students.
The Seven Survival skills and the ISTE's Standards are mostly trying to strive and accomplish the same things, but the ISTE's Standards are more about technology skills in the classroom and the teachers responsibility to help the students. And the Seven Survival skills are more of a wide range of skills needed in changing world. I agree that the world is rapidly changing and we need to keep up with it and not be set in our old ways. So as teachers we need to be up on the new technology and ways to communicate in the world.
The ISTE skills are geared towards technology, while the Seven Survival skills are aimed at all areas of learning. Both stress the importance, that as a teacher, it is our responsibility to help students in all areas of learning because the world and technology continues to change and evolve.
The ISTE Standards address many of Wagner's survival skills including collaboration across networks, accessing and analyzing information, curiosity and imagination, critical thinking, etc. However, Wagner's survival skills pertain to more than just technological knowledge and achievement and may be applied to all areas of life and learning. Basically, the ISTE Standards may be viewed as a subcategory of things teachers can do to help children work towards the larger category of Wagner's seven survival skills.
Both the ISTE Standards and Wagner's seven survival skills are geared toward shaping students and making them into competent, well-functioning citizens. They are both guides for teachers; they outline how to convey the necessary information to students. However, the ISTE Standards are geared specifically toward the use and demonstration of technology. Wagner's survival skills are very general and applicable to nearly all aspects of life and education. However, the bottom line is that as teachers, we need to be able to model for our students the skills outlined in each set of guidelines. We need to lead the way by adapting as our world changes.
-Sofia Tanberg
I love how curiosity and imagination are stressed in both documents. The ISTE standards don't specifically state it, but these are essential tools in integrating the standards into our everyday teaching. What I get from both documents is how things are changing from when we were in school. We have to be creative thinkers if we need to survive in the 21st century, and we really need to keep up on new technologies and resources in order to be effective teachers.
Both the ISTE's standards and Wagner's Seven Survival Skills aim at improving the education of students. However, I feel that Wagner's Survival Skills are driving home the point of what needs to be taught in schools. Technology is great, but it can never take the place of a person's thinking, emotions, and capacity to learn. ISTE standards focus on technology, as opposed to the actual skills that a student can physically posses. Both introduce great skills that will make the teacher, classroom, and students more productive in the workplace.
Seven Survival Skills and the ISTE tests are both covering the same thing, the ISTE covers more technology. Basically we can't be focusing on the past anymore, we need to open ourselves and our minds up to the new rapidly developing world.
Lindley Couser
ISTE's and the Wagner's seven survival skills basically cover the same thing. With the ISTe being more technology focused. With the world being more connected now then ever before. It is going to help the world in all aspects.
ISTE's and the Wagner's seven survival skills basically cover the same thing. With the ISTe being more technology focused. With the world being more connected now then ever before. It is going to help the world in all aspects.
Rob D
I agree with the global article that something needs to be done about how we assess our students. That we should go away from the standardized, multiple choice tests into more subjective tests that incorporate writing and even oral componenets. What they are saying goes along with ISTE's Standards for sure: broadening their creativity, establishing a solid foundation for understanding (not memorizing) technology, making learning for fun. These ideas can also be translated into all subjects in a cirricula, not just technology. The catch is, funding. Schools concentrate on these standardized tests because if their students do well, then the more funding they will recieve. Not to mention top administrators are breathing down teachers' necks about not going away from the already set cirriculum.
But since something is being said about this, this meaning our poor testing and even teaching methods, then hopefully as more people, teachers, adminstrators become aware of it, something will be done to change it. Hopefully during the time we all begin teaching. Or maybe we will be the instigators......
ISTE's Standards and Wagner's Seven Survival Skills both stress collaboration among community. Americans are very independent compared to other countries and collaboration in different areas would benefit all of those involved. Both also talk about how individuals must develop leadership to open up new opportunities and to excel in our environments. The main difference between the two is that ISTE is talking about collaboration and leadership in the technology realm while Wagner wants both of these qualities in our students as part of their overall way of life. Either way, when the rest of the world is moving on, we as teachers and our students need to work on collaboration in our communities to keep up with everyone else.
-Kasey Austin
The ISTE's and Wagner's Seven Survival both are trying to improve the skills of the children of the 21st century, but the ISTE are pointed toward the technology aspect. Even though both are directed toward different aspects of learning both have the same idea of changing the old ways of learning into a better system for the newer age children and young adults. Times are changing and so we need to change with them.
Wagner's Seven Survival Skills are for everyone to use and get ahead in life; now. The ISTE's Standards are used to get teachers and their students to change with the times. Technology is what literally connects the worlds people. I order for America to play in that arena she has to be able to talk the talk and walk the walk. The ITSE's Standards, if pursued, gives the youth of America the tools needed to succeed. Wagner's Seven Survival skills shows how to use the tools that we are given. The best case scenario is to go to school where the ISTE's standards are followed and bring in Wagners skills to enhance the students, the teachers, and ensure survival in the future.
There are definitely similarities between the seven survival skills and the ISTE. First, the collaboration across networks and leading by influence can be compared to the professional growth and leadership in the ISTE. Collaboration is a big part of being able to grow in knowledge. It is important that everyone is at the same level of awareness for us to grow together as a society. Also, Student learning and creativity of the ISTE can be compared with the curiosity and imagination. To have the ability to imagine things can create a sense of creativity in the fact that you are using your mind to go further than just reality. Effective oral and written communication is also a huge factor between the two documents. To be able to share knowledge with a wide spectrum of people, the information needs to be relayed in a recognizable manner. Although the ISTE is based more upon technology, they both are skills that can help the society stay on the same level of familiarity.
ITSE and Wagner are thinking synonymously as to the evolution of education among people. ITSE and Wagner encourage creativity and innovation, but ITSE is solely focused on the creativity and innovation using technology and Wagner's ideas are on a much larger and general spectrum. We can see that the standards and ideas of both are leading towards a new era of globalization and educational evolution.
I dont know what will happen in the 21st century, but I do know teaching will be changing at a rapid pace as technology grows. This is why as teachers we must develop standards in ISTE's to help be up to date to teacher not only our students but also our peers as much as we can. We also must have the Seven Survival skills that will help develop communication to better relay ideas and keep up in the world that today is as global world.
tj
I feel that both Wagner’s survival skills and the ISTE standards are very insightful and similar, with the major difference lying in how the ISTE standards are more focused on just the area of technology, and Wagner’s skills can be applied to almost any aspect of education or life. I feel that both of these are extremely important to keep in mind as a skills-based education will be much more beneficial in an age when the rote memorization of facts and data is being outmoded by technology that keeps all that data a mouse-click away. What will be and often already are more important are the skills that allow one to access that information and put it together in a meaningful way. While the ISTE standards seem to deal with this in a literal way that emphasizes technology skills, Wagner’s survival skills seem to indicate applications like making students media literate and able to apply critical thinking to, for instance, a commercial that distorts feminine body image, and realize what is the advertisers are actually trying to do in that advertisement.
I think that there can be many comparisons drawn between the survival skills of the Global Achievement Gap and the ISTE standards. They both illustrate the need to be well rounded and open to new technologies. These documents show that the emphasis is on the person and not just the curriculum, to change and adapt. Where I believe that they differ is that Wagner’s book is not only focused on the education system, but as a society as well.
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