Charts like these either get one of two reactions from me: an eye roll or a vigorous shake of the head in agreement. Well, this one received both of those reactions!
The first time I looked at it, I eye-rolled. My immediate reaction was that there was a lot of hubris in trying to predict what future skills will be needed.
The second time I looked at it (a few days later), I realized my first reaction was MY HUBRIS kicking in. As a school leader, it is always useful to look at a chart like this and try to glean good information from it.
With that in mind…
There is a cluster in the upper right quadrant of creative thinking, curiosity, lifelong learning, Talent management, leadership, and social influence. As I have talked about before, these are skills that the system of education is not only not geared to impart on students, but (at times) work directly against these types of skills.
Hmm..
As you review this chart with your team, ask them what surprises them. What skills are in the quadrants that they don’t agree with? What skills are missing entirely from the chart? All of these questions can start a robust discussion about the skills needed IN YOUR CONTEXT FOR YOUR STUDENTS!
