Tuesday, August 28, 2007

21rst Century Skills

Please answer all the following questions. You must read at least five other people's responses and comment or question on at least one other student in your own reflection.

Seeing that you, as a whole group, are considered the "Net-Generation", what real world skills do you need in order to succeed in the global scheme of life? If public education must prepare you for the "real world", what should we help to prepare you to do? When you think about the inevitable future, what concerns you regarding your place in a vast, competitive, innovative global market?

31 comments:

Rachel_F said...

In the scheme of things in life today we need more than ever the smarts of the streets. We can't have just book smarts too survive. You have too know how too get ahead and force your way ahead as well. In this global market we as the "net generation" living in America are not too great off. Our biggest rivals for jobs are across seas. The people across seas can do our job for a lot less money and they don't complain like we do.

We need too be taught better ways too run a business or learn better trademark skills so that we are able to perform jobs that must be hands on. I think in the future that will be all that is left for us Americans too do as a job.

As a school that is supposed too teach us for the real world. That is simply impossible. You can't be taught how too handle the real world you have too learn from experience or simply living it. Real world lessons can't be taught. Our generation is stubborn and driven towards what we want. "we want it we get it." That is how our generation works.

What worries and concerns me about my future is the lack of jobs available. With how much the world is beginning to revolve around technology it can almost all be done by computers and someone that doesn't even live here in America. We don't need the labor because, we have computers and programs on machines too run a business almost entirely with out a person. The other thing is is that technology is moving faster than that can be taught.

Amy B. said...

After reading the “Net-Generation” article, shocked would describe what my emotions were. It opened my eyes to some things that never crossed my mind. To start off with, I think that experience with technology is one thing that N-Geners need in order to succeed in the global scheme of life and to prepare students for the real world. Communication, news, bulletins, notices, and just about everything that used to be seen on television and in the newspaper, is now on the web. Also, as technology becomes more advanced, the workforce and jobs are going to look for possible employees who have kept up with all of the advancements. Employers are not going to want to teach someone the technological part of the job; it will be an expectation that they know it. Next, many things scare and concern me about where I am personally going to fall in a vast, competitive, innovative global market. What if a four-year degree is no longer impressive to an employer? What if the job or area of work I am majoring suddenly becomes insignificant in the world? No one knows where this world will be in ten years, and that is extremely intimidating because at that time, I will just be entering it.

LouiseT said...

Nowadays, in order to succeed in the global scheme of life, you must know how to use a computer (to keep it simple). Our society is becoming more and more dependent on them that almost everything you do (shopping, studying, looking up a word, getting directions) is done on the Internet. In “The Student’s Perspective”, Carie Windham states, “…technological understanding is a necessity for current life and future existence.” Also, in order to succeed in this generation, you must know how to balance different items at once, meaning, getting involved in different things and multitasking is key. You can’t just play soccer to get a scholarship anymore…you must play soccer, be apart of student council, and have a high GPA.

I agree with r-field’s comment on the fact that schools or teachers can’t really teach us how to handle the real world. We must find out on our own, through experiences, how to interact in life. They can give us hints and teach us lessons on things we might run into, but as a whole, it is purely our job to figure out through experience the difficulty of the outside world.

What worries and concerns me about my future is the competitiveness of jobs these days. My Biology teacher, Mr. Wallace once stated that a majority of the kindergarteners and younger out there will end up with a job that hasn’t even been created yet. It’s scary to know that everything were learning in school may not even apply to the job we end up taking up. Does everything we need to know lie beyond a computer screen? Scary.

Stacey B. said...

What real world skill we really need is just being able to think deeper. We really need to be trained to think on a higher level.

To prepare us for the real world public education really needs us thinking for ourselves. We need to state our opinions more. We need to atart getting our thoughts out in the world.

After reading the "N-Gen" it made me realize just how much we need to learn for our future. We do have other people wanting our jobs and other people our age are realizing that. We really need to take advance courses, help the community, and just work out butts off to secure our future in the businees world. After reading the response below from my other classmates they understand as well on how much we are fighting for jobs.

Parker C said...

It is without doubt that one’s ability to use technology is an essential skill in the global scheme of life. The “Net- Generation’s” ability to tie the many aspects of our lives through a cell phone for example is quite the advancement. However, it is important to evaluate the “Net-Generation’s” ameliorations in relation to the ever evolving society they live in. In a society that has generated high standards of academic achievement and a social responsibility of community service, would it be suitable to expect anything less from the Net-Gen then a constant evolution of growth and advancement? While one could easily become overwhelmed in the stress and pressure of such demand, it is what adds to the glorification when the final goal is reached. The Net-Gen’s ability to constantly raise the bar is not something that should be feared rather embraced. The rigor of such standards may hinder the weak, but it pushes the leaders to their utmost potential.

In the Net-Gen’s pursuit to become increasingly technologically savvy, a personal aspect to communication has been lost. The inconvenience the Net-Gen has avoided by the speed and simplicity of email has also stripped the personal aspect from the Net-Gen’s communication. Carie Windham openly addresses the issue in “The Student’s Perspective” by stating “Email is less personal and less frustrating…. It’s much easier to take risks and push the envelope without hearing disapproval or confronting anger.” In this respect, the Net-Gen has stumbled backwards in a coward, unwilling manor that enhibits them from gaining face to face experience due to the lack of face to face confrontation. Instead, the Net-Gen has choosen to hide behind 12 pt. Time New Roman font. Thus eliminatinating essential skills such as a person’s ability to be personable and spontaneous in their interactions. In a generation that is so focused on getting ahead, these skills are essential tools to a person striving to reach the top. While there is a time and subject manor for communicating through email, it should not be a resource when dealing with subject matters of substantial importance.

katie s. said...

Since our generation is one of technology and speed, in the real world computer knowledge is essential. Kindergartens know how to use a computer. By the time you are in high school you are completing tasks on the computer that entry level programmers are paid to do. We must be prepared to compete with the out sourcing labor forces that most companies use today to cut costs. High School traditionally requires certain hours of math, English, science, etc. However, today to succeed one has to be an entrepreneur. You have to find something that fills a need and that you have a passion for. That combination creates success. High School must teach us those skills. My thoughts on going out into the "real world" are not concerned with finding a job however, finding one that I can flourish in. Working for the sake of just working scares me.

Rick Maestas said...

In the global scheme of life, the most useful skill we can possess will be adaptation. As evidenced by the 2006 "Shift Happens" presentation by Karl Fisch, the world is advancing so quickly, there is absolutely no way we can keep up. What we need to do to increase the effectiveness of public education is not to teach information, but teach ways it can be obtained. It will no longer be important to know who discovered what on what day, but what impact the discovery had on us, how it made the present what it is now, and how a similar discovery will affect the future.

With information so accessible, how it works won't be as compelling as how to work it. The upcoming generation shouldn't be taught solutions, but research and troubleshooting instead.

Teaching methods should also be adapted to cope with the warped learning methods of this generation. In the past, humanity was good at focusing on a single thing, but anymore students, in their most comfortable environment, are surrounded by different forms of media. Since their brains are used to this environment, it would be highly effective to emulate this in the classroom.

When I think about the future, I don't sit and cower thinking about how somebody overseas is going to get my job, but I strategize a way to use what assets I have to give myself a one-up on them.

In response to Rachel's opening comments regarding street smarts, I think we're going to need a whole new class of "smarts" in the future. It will be as essential as ever to be assertive in your actions, but employers are going to recognize new and different things in their applicants. For instance, you may know the trick of sending in your résumé with a box of donuts to get a company's attention, but if you can't display a robust and solid technological background, you'll no long be as appealing of a candidate.

Christina E. said...

We need the skills to make ourselves stand out from others and have the skills with technology to compete with other countries.

I think there should be more required classes of math, science, and computers. This is because other countries like China and India are surpassing us and taking potential jobs for Americans.

I think that we are becoming too dependent on technology and that one day technology will take control of us, in some way shape or form. My place and oporitunities are being taken away by other countries and by more technology. I feel that the human-connection and bonding is being lost little by little thanks to technology.

HaileyM2009 said...

I think that self-control is a very valuable real-world skill that many, especially in my generation, need to learn. With self-control you can make decisions that keep your life running smoothly, from something as little as studying when you need to, to keeping your mouth shut when your mad. Many of us don’t consider the consequences of self-indulgence, or we shove them to the back of our minds. Showing restraint is a big step towards being successful.
I think many teachers are very good at realizing how they need to help us prepare for the real world. It benefits us, as students, to be graded harshly, tested, and stretched, even though we may disagree at the moment. Arapahoe High School does an excellent job of building us into college through many of the teachers’ different teaching styles.
However, I partially agree with R Field when she says that it is impossible for school to prepare us. I think that many things can only be learned through experience and many lessons are only remembered if you learn them “the hard way”.
The future scares me because every field I am interested in is so competitive. There is no way to know if I am “good enough” unless I try, but putting myself onto the playing field like that leaves me open to failure. I wonder if I will ever be able to have a job I love, and still earn enough to support myself. But I also realize that if I work hard and persevere, many options will unfold for me.

Austin F. said...

In order to succeed in this day and age you have to be able to keep up with growing technology and all of the education reform that occurs. You need both street sense as well as books smarts in order to keep up, and stay ahead of all of the other people in the world. You also need people skills. If you cannot talk to other people and learn how to deal with problems and conflicts then you will be left behind in this fast paced world. You have to be able to come together with other people and create things to advance together in todays day and age. In order to prepare us, as students, for our futures in the "real world" schools must make attempts at getting their students more real life experience before they actually go out and live on their own. We can't just sit in classrooms all day because we aren't getting the experience we need to succeed without going into the world and figuring things out for ourselves. I'm not scared for the future. When you think about wheere all of the inventions that have become things that we use everyday in our lives came from you realize that most of them were American idaes. America has been one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world for an enormous amount of time. I don't think that Americans could settle for being second to another country as far as power and technology. I think that if a challenger ever arises we, as Americans would find a way to adapt and in the end win over whatever country that may be.

kelseyh said...

Real world skills that we need to succeed in the global scheme of life mainly have to do with technology. Technology is our future and if you don’t know all about it, you will not be as successful. But not only is the skill of technology important but the skill of understanding and thinking things deeper then what’s on the surface. Everyone is always looking for the easy way out and people need to start understanding everything and knowing exactly what’s going on. Public education should have more classes required that aren’t just having to do with math, science, hasty and English. We need to be prepared for more then just the basics. I’m not scared of the future but there are some aspects of it that do concern me. More and more places are catching up or blowing past us in the work and technology forces. However, America still is growing and staying strong and I do not feel like anything terrible is going to happen anytime soon but if we don’t watch out and continue with out success, the future of America could start to decline and become worse. I agree with a lot of what parker was saying. She makes a lot of good points about our future.

Anonymous said...

I don't think that school or any teacher can teach real world skills because you can't learn this from reading a book, or doing a lesson plan. In my opinion, the only way to learn real world skills is by experiencing them. Just because you are successful in school doesn’t guarantee your going to be successful in life. One thing that concerns me about the future is that technology is moving fast and we don’t know how the world will be in 12 yrs or what type of jobs will be available.

scuuuuuba said...

Since we are part of the Net-Generation, I think over all technology is the biggest real world skill we will need. From the time I was born, I’ve seen many things change like going from tapes to CD's to i-pods. From videos to DVD’s and movies on command and on the internet. From film cameras to digital cameras. Everything seems to be changing very fast and we all need to become familiar with the new technology. I’m sure technology will play some role in our future jobs so we need to stay up to date with the newer things. We should be helped with getting to know the latest types of technology so we will know what type of things to expect when we are on our own and are responsible for using it for our careers. The main thing that concerns me about the competitive global market is the trust I have in computers. I’m afraid the whole world will be ran by computers and at any time something could go wrong and mess everything up.
I agree with H. Moore’s blog where it says that teachers make us more prepared for the real world by grading us harder. I think that’s true because in the real world you usually don’t get second chances so you need to learn how to work hard and try to get it your best the first time.

Amanda B. said...

In order to live in the real world you havae to be able to communicate face to face and not just by the internet. For example, in a global market it would be a good idea to speak a foreign language. A foreign language can be learned on the internet but there is no substitute for person to person communication.

Our education must include both technological studies as well as hands on experiences. For example, in science yo can learn the parts of a frog and see pictures of disections, but you won't get the full experience until you have actually disected the frog yourself. Also public speaking would be an important hands on class because no matter how well you communicate on the internet or the cell phone you need to be able to support your ideas in person.

What concerns me about the future is the ability for our generation to not only learn these technologies but to discover and invent new ones.



i agree with rfield in away that you need more than book smarts and that you get education from school but there is aslo much more and hands on kind of things that will make you learn it not just from writing it down but from interacting with that subject.

KyleL said...

After reading the articles I was very surprised and some what scared to say the least. This article added on to and somewhat confirmed what I have already herd and pondered. The fact that much more things will all be accessed via the web, such as news, bulletins, notices, and pretty much all communications brings me to the realization that if you don’t keep up with the technology your going to be lost. On a personal note I know this to be true because my dad owns a blackberry and pretty much testifies that his company would not be half as efficient if it were not for the blackberry. Also it brought up the fact that the market is just getting more competitive. With all the college graduates and amazing minds a sometimes wonder how I’m going to make it in life. However I agree with s. birlson when she says, “What real world skill we really need is just being able to think deeper.” That comment struck me because it’s really true. As long as people come up with great ideas other people will come up with amazing ideas and so on. So in essence the world is not really changing from what it was, it’s actually just advancing. If you look at the big picture we may think we have a lot of technology, but I am sure the cave men did as well when they created the wheel. We truly have so much more to discover, and on the other hand there is so much more to be discovered we just have to find. So, even though the world may seem so much different it’s really the same and if you want to end up near the top of it all you really have to worry about is out working the person next to you.

AmyL said...

"Net-Generation" was a very interesting article that opened my eyes to realize the generation that I am living in. It's hard to realize what it is like until you read about it and the opinions of the earlier generations before us. There are several real world skills that we must learn never the less teach ourselves. Basically, the skills we must develope seem to be completely technology related. In order to survive in what is to come we must be prepared in that way. Carie Windham states "The next generation of learners, therefore, will only raise more question on college campuses. Their lives will be more reliant on technology, their attention spans that much shorter. (pg9)" That is interesting to think about and in a lot of ways very true. We require so much more of a fast pace world and we seem to not be able to wait around for things. I think it is unfortunate because of all the technology nobody knows how to be friendly to your face it has to be over face book. Therefore we need to learn people skills as well.

Public education can prepare us by teaching us more things then just technology. I think it is important to look back on what was important during our parent’s generation because that would just make our generation that much better. For example good reading and writing skills as well as computer skills.

When I look into the future I have to be honest it freaks me out. The competition these days is insane and I can't imagine what it might become. The amount of people choosing college as there step after high school has increased immensely so in turn that makes the requirements go up so much. These days being confident in yourself is everything and can take you far.

I really liked LTimboes comment on how getting into college has changed. Not only does it require being good at sports but having good test scores, having lots of money. There are just so many more requirements then before.

kirstiea. said...

The real world skills the “Net-Generation” needs in order to succeed in the global scheme of life has a lot to do with using technology. We must first be able to have full knowledge of using the internet and computers. Everything now days everything is online, communication, entertainment, and even job interviews, Although I am part of the “Net-Gen” I believe it is still important to have good people skills because at the end of the day you will always end up dealing with people in some way so being able to communicate effectively is still important.

When being prepared for the “real world” by public education, I think it is very important to be fully educated in technology and business. As our world becomes more dependent on technology employers need workers who have more then enough technological skills to keep up.

When I think about my future in the vast and competitive global market, it honestly is a little nerve-racking. I’m scared that the new generations will pass us by with their knowledge of technology. Also, it is a lot harder to get into college these days and that could affect my future considerably.

I also agree with r. fields in that it is very important for us to learn not only book smarts in school but also street smarts by doing hands on activities.

brittanyd said...

Today, in order to suceed in the scheme of things we must have the ability to use technology. Technology is an important key to suceed. Todays teens have put this "technology" to good use. For example cell phones and computers are the main way of communication. We also must have drive. Drive is a very important aspect of life and is highly needed in order to get even the simplest tasks done.


Public education needs to prepare us for the "real world" by teachings us not only valuable learning material but also teaching us valuable skills required to help us achieve goals in the real world. But i also believe that alot of "real world" skills cannot be taught, but we must expirience them firsthand.


My future is something i think about constantly. What am i going to do, where am i going to live, how much money will i make, where will i go to college? These are all questions i ask myself quite often. But my worries about my future are not so high. I think that whatever happens will happen. Yes, ocasionally i think, What if i dont get a descent job? This questions pops in my mind because at the rate science and technology is moving, the lack of jobs becomes a big concern of mine. I think Rachel has a good point to this concern also. The fear of computers taking our jobs needed to provide income is a very high concern.

Anonymous said...

The real world skills that I believe, us "Net-Generation" people should acquire would be to have respect. Respect is a key aspect in our lives, no matter where we turn; we can be tested by the way we act or talk. With respect come great achievements because, when you respect someone, then it will always come back to you.

I believe that in school or daily life teachings we need to learn the intense details of how this world runs because without knowledge of how our planet runs, you won't know where to begin.

When I think about the future, I try not to imagine myself as a pressured and stressed business man. The way I see it is to be known in your town, go through life having the most fun you can possibly have while providing yourself a wonderful work environment. As for me, I want to move to a coastal region, for photography and marine biology. Having stress free jobs will help you achieve great success in the future. If you can study or travel abroad it will help you create culture diffusion throughout your life giving you greater advancements towards goals you may set for yourself. I know that either next summer 08' or the summer of 09' I'll go to work in Sweden to learn about their culture and embrace it with all my learning and accepting capabilities.

I want to disagree with Christina E's comment about how we need to become more advanced in mathematics, sciences and computers because other countries are surpassing us. I don't believe that America needs to become more intellectual in those areas. Instead of trying to compete with countries, embrace one another and we can all learn from our findings and mistakes.

Nick_E said...

For the whole net generation, it is mandatory that they know how to use a cell phone and a computer. These two things are essential to normal day to day life and will be mandatory for getting a job in the future. As Far as the computer goes, net-geners will have to know how to use the internet and send emails, along with being able to make word documents. Also, net-geners will need to be very skilled at keyboarding in order to make their businesses and personal lives go smoothly.

Public education should start preparing Net-geners to do all the basic computer skills along with making documents such as power point and excel. Schools should also offer a full range of different computer and technology classes in order to fully prepare students for all real world opportunities.

It's a little frightening to think that we as humans are starting to lose are jobs to robots and computers. Another inevitable part about the future is the fact that jobs will start getting very competitive and only the most qualified in modern technologies will get them leaving a vast majority of the world unemployed. This is bound to happen seeing as technology keeps expanding and improving.

I agree with L-Timboe's comment when she said, "Also, in order to succeed in this generation, you must know how to balance different items at once, meaning, getting involved in different things and multitasking is key." This is very true; many of today’s children must multitask in order to keep their head above water. I know first hand, I have ten different things going on around me every night when I sit down to do my homework and yet I've adapted so well to this chaotic environment , that I can now perform quite well with it all. Later in life this will help me further when new technology and different jobs become available.

anna_c said...

In the real world, you need to know how to take care of yourself and manage your life because knowone is going to do it for you. Being in the "net generation" I realize that there is a large amount of competitiveness in the career field so if you can get ahead and become sucessful early on in life, you will have a better chance of prospering in the future.

You can't be taught how to live life, you have to live it but, the public education system needs to be teaching us more about business and finance. With these already aquired skills, we could actually have a chance out in the world. We also need to be taught how to be confident and unique in our work. When applying for a job, the people looking for new employees aren't going to want the same kind of people, they'll want someone who is confident in their work, hardworking, and who stands apart from the other applicants, someone unique.

The future in itself worries me because I don't like not knowing what will happen; I have no control over the future. All I can do right now is work splendiferously hard and try to get myself heard and stand apart from the crowd. The market is extremely vast and competitive so there is no way of knowing where I'll end up. What if I get into a field I don't like? How am I supposed to know what I want to do for the rest of my life? I have to go to school for how many more years?! These are just a few of some questions that enter my head every single day. This, to me, is scary.

anna_c said...

Almost every response I read contained something about technology and I think that just demonstrates how big a role it plays in our society in this day and age. When r_field mentioned that technology is "moving faster than can be taught", I agree. Look how we've advanced in just thirty years. First we had the huge bulky computers, then we had the ginormous bricks referred to as cell phones, and now we have ipods, cable, and computers all over the world. How did we achieve this all so quickly? Some people in the older generations don't know what to do because we've advanced so fast. I dare you to ask my mom to send you a text message. Watching her attempt it is hilarious and although I've taught her numerous times, she still can't grasp why it wouln't just be easier to call the person.

Maryanne E. said...

The global scheme of life is on a fast track. In order to be successful, one must be focused, determined and have a will to adapt to an evolving environment. New technology comes continuously, and everyone is on their toes to keep up and stay connected. For example, the cell phone created only years ago has gone from a brick to the size of a baby’s fist. Not only has size changed but there are picture devices and access to internet, not to mention the ever so popular text messaging. The key to success is to be technologically educated. It can and will work to ones advantage, keep up with it and the fast track won’t swallow you whole. Most importantly, technology is meant to make things more efficient. Although artificial intelligence has proven to be reliable, a computer doesn’t have an opinion. Another essential step to success is fighting for what you believe in and voicing your opinion about things you‘re passionate about. Always still to your guns, educate yourself and stay connected to the world around you, it’s no lie when they say the world is your oyster.
Public education and private education are one in the same when it comes to preparation. It’s the individual that chooses whether or not to be prepared to take on the world. Our educational system can guide us through the basic lines of where success may begin, but it’s up to the student to make that final push and attempt to be the best they can be. Being exposed to a competitive atmosphere, and showing students they must work for what they want in life is the best preparation one can give. Of course, educating is also a critical roll.
My concerns are unlimited. I understand technologies advancements, jobs can be replaced and I would hate to go through college to find myself staring at a wall. I’m interested in nursing, and technology does heavily effect that career field, however I have faith in emotions. There’s a comfort zone that a machine can’t tend to, and on a personal level human to human is crucial in a medical environment. I believe I need to jump head first into the world, no matter what my concerns are. I’ll peruse happiness and attempt to change the world and help others. If I find myself staring at a wall, I’ll be sure to remember our society has a great way of creating opportunity.

Rachel_F said...

I think that l timboe has a very good point. We are worried about the jobs we may have in ten years or even five. But, the generations younger than us will most likely have a job that is not even created or thought of for there to be. That is a crazy thought.

Kyle M. said...

The net-generation is moving faster and faster. If something is not immediate then we think somethings wrong with it. This has caused a huge change in society and I think that it is for the better. Information is what civilization is built on. Without it civilization crumbles and dies. The kids of this generation are going through new experiences and problems so its hard for the baby-boomers to understand. I think that is why parents and kids are having more and more problems getting along. I'm noty saying that this is all bad either. I'm just saying that its becoming harder for adults to relate to there kids.

There are many positive things that come from the flow of information. People are brnching out and showing what there made of better. I like what a. barczuk said we don'y know what is going to be important and what isn't but i think that that is exciting. All in all I'm proud to be a net-gener

Mandey K. said...

I think that a real world skill that you need to succeed in the life right now is the basics of technology. Knowing how to use a computer, check e-mail, use your phone, text messaging. All of these are important in our society right now because so many people use them. Technology is advancing everyday and if you can't keep up with you, you won't be able to keep up with society.



I agree with r_field in the ways that we need to be taught more about businesses and trademark skills. As technology advances jobs do too. So the more we know about technology the better we can perform our jobs.



What worries me about the future is that technology is taking over too fast. The simple jobs that teenagers need will soon be taken over by more complex computers, or possibly even robots. It seems hard to believe but technology is on its way to that extent. Many of us have read that PowerPoint that Mr. Fish I think? (Sorry I don't know how to spell his name) has made about the statistics of the world right now, and the comment about how technology is increasing faster than we can keep up with or learn is true.

Nick D. said...

In the real world I think that someone needs to have all knowledge on how to work the "21st Century" technology, i.e. cell phones, computers/laptops, printers/fax machines/scanners and mp3 players. I think that people also need to have the ability to adjust to sudden change, becuase I feel that the world changes a lot on a day-to-day basis more than it used to awhile back. Public Education is important to many people in todays "Net-Generation" so I agree with most comments above that schools should teach more business skills and have more technlogy in schools than they do because I feel that would prepare students for the "real world", for example, working in a professional envioirment. Public schools, I think, should offer more business related classes in hopes to improve students people skills in business and hands on learning involving technology. Slowly jobs are being filled by others over seas, and therefore americans are losing their jobs. Another example of jobs and careers being replaced is machines replacing workers in car factories. This is the cituation for Ford and other car companies.

Patrick.R. said...

As the human civilization progresses, it seems to be getting harder to make something out of yourself. College requires more, employment requires more, and even high schools and grade school require more to pass. We as the “net-generation” however are learning some of these pre-requisites at a younger age. As Amy B. said, technology is one thing our generation needs to have a slight grasp on to succeed in the global scheme of life. Records are now being backed up in computers and even school work is turning to technology. School’s should keep up with these changes and offer a variety of different technology class’s but, since the “real world” is so vast, should teach a variety of different class’s. No one knows what their future will hold, all we as students can do is plan for the possible and hope to make it in life. The future is a scary place to us students. It is so vast and unknown that we could go in any direction and potentially make it big, but not be happy. Happiness is a world wide goal, and technology brings some of us closer to that goal. All we as the “net-generation” know is that technology will bring us farther and will help us get through life, but we have now clue at all what else we will need.

JakeF said...

Well being the net-generation I think we need lots of technology skills. Also we get those from growing up around all of it and that is why we are the net-generation. I agree with Rachel in that we need lots of street smarts and things like that.\

I believe that the best way that anyone can be prepared for anything is with experience. So is education is going to help us at all it will need to give us live experiences so that situations don’t feel so foreign and new.

For me I get nervous that I will not be prepared because of the effort I have put forth so far. The net-generation article talked a lot about colleges and employers looking for ap classes and honors classes. And Being on the honor roll just isn’t good enough. As I read that I got a little worried because I am not in any honors or AP classes.

Anna P2009 said...

Outside of our little bubble there is the real world and it is nothing like what we see in the movies or on tv. We can't depend on book smarts to get us through life. We need common sense and that isn't something school can teach us. School may be able to help with our problem solving abilities but when trying to decide what is right from wrong we can't look through a text book and expect to find the answer.

Our school offers us computer apps. classes and desktop publishing classes and I think that the people that are taking those classes will be better off in the world than those of which are taking foods classes. It is true that they both will help in the future but in different ways.

For the future that is quickly coming upon us I say, "Bring it on!". Yes the thought of finding a job and making a living are scary thoughts but when I think about the future I don't worry about expenses or global warming, I worry about my personal life and whether I will be happy or not. Making a million dollars doesn't matter if you aren't happy with the job that you are doing and if you don't have a family of your own.

Devin E. said...

Today, there is no better way to succeed than by using technology to the best of your advantage. With technology, it is easier to teach. easier to learn, and easier to get things done. Techonology is helping us survive in ecnonomics, trade, education. I agree with christina. We need the skills to make ourselves stand out from others and have the skills with technology to compete with other countries.