The Generative Question: What curriculum will prepare students for the 21st Century? What skills & values will be required?

The New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce

• creativity and innovation• facility with the use of ideas

and abstractions• self-discipline and

organization to manage one’s own work and drive it through to successful conclusion

• leadership• ability to function well as a

member of a team

Howard Gardner

• disciplined mind (expertise in a field)

• synthesizing mind (scanning and weaving into coherence)

• creating mind (discovery and innovation)

• respectful mind (open mindedness and inclusiveness)

• ethical mind (moral courage)

The National Leadership Council for Liberal Education and

America’s Promise (LEAP)

• cross-disciplinary knowledge

• communication skills• teamwork• analytical reasoning• real world problem-

solving skills

Educational Testing Service (ETS)

Graduate Record Examinations (GRE)

ETS’ new Personal Potential Index 1-5 scale for rec letters to accompany candidate’s GRE scores to graduate school:• knowledge and creativity• communication skills• team work• resilience, planning and organization• ethics and integrity

Six Aptitudes for the 21st C. • 1. Not just function but also Design. We must be able to create

things beautiful, whimsical, or emotionally engaging. • 2. Not just argument, but also Story. The essence of

persuasion, communication, and self-understanding has become the ability also to fashion a compelling narrative.

• 3. Not just focus, but also Symphony. What's in greatest demand today isn't analysis but synthesis-- seeing the big picture, crossing boundaries, and being able to combine disparate pieces into an arresting new whole.

• 4. Not just logic, but also Empathy. What will distinguish those who thrive will be their ability to understand what makes their fellow man or woman tick, to forge relationships, and to care for others.

• 5. Not just seriousness but also Play. Too much sobriety can be bad for your career; in the Conceptual Age, in work and life, we’ll need to play.

• 6. Not just accumulation, but also Meaning. With material plenty, we have been liberated to pursue more significant desires: purpose, transcendence, and spiritual fulfillment.