Thank you to the Deep Cove Parent Participation Preschool and Brentwood Park Elementary for recently inviting me to speak to their parent communities about Parenting and Emotional Intelligence.
I also love to attend presentations, and this week, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing, Oregon-based, international educator, university professor, and author- Dr. Yong Zhao speak about the future of education and the fourth industrial revolution – World Class Learners sponsored by the West Vancouver School District Parent Advisory Council.
Are You Aware that We Are Entering the Fourth Industrial Revolution? Do You Know What It Is?
Do You Know How This Will Impact Our Children’s Education and Future Jobs?
We are entering the fourth industrial revolution – the era of artificial intelligence (robots, self-driving cars etc), neuro-technological brain enhancements, and genetic editing, which is all building on the third industrial revolution, known as The Digital Revolution. Did you know that Google plans to have their self-driving cars, which are already driving in four different states of the US, available to the public by 2020!?
How Does Education Need to Change to Keep Up with The Fourth Industrial Revolution?
What will be the most required skills to thrive in the fourth industrial revolution?
The World Economic Forum is predicting that these will be the most required skills, necessary to thrive, by 2020:
- Complex Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Creativity
- People Management
- Coordinating with Others
- Emotional Intelligence
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Service Orientation
- Negotiation
- Cognitive Flexibility
(*Interestingly, emotional intelligence didn’t make it on the top 10 list for top skills required in 2015, so this is a very positive shift to see it included here, as a #6 skill required by 2020.)
When I look at this list, I feel excited because it aligns with the recommendations for the best parenting practices in the 21st Century. Instead of parenting through external control, we are realizing that returning responsibility to children, (at the appropriate age and stage) is the best way to set our children up for success, by encouraging them to:
- Problem-solve
- Think critically
- Be creative
- Interact with others
- Be emotionally intelligent
- Collaborate
- Be of service (and)
- Make good decisions
- Take responsibility for their actions
*Cautionary Note: As much as our parenting now involves increased collaboration with our child(ren), this also means that we have to be even more aware of balancing collaboration with maintaing our parental Alpha position. Children still need limits and boundaries; this is essential for the new style of parenting to be successful in raising resilient kids.
Being Unique Is An Asset
Dr. Yong Zhao used the story or Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer to illustrate his point, that being different and having a unique gift, may be dismissed at first (such as red nose to light the way for Santa) but is indeed an asset. He shared the work of Dr. Steven Reiss, who has identified the following 16 different human motivators and their corresponding desires:
Motivator Object of Desire
Power Influence
Curiosity Knowledge
Independence Self-Reliance
Acceptance Being part of a group
Order Organization
Saving Collecting things
Honor Loyalty to one’s parents, community etc.
Idealism Social Justice
Social Contact Companionship
Family Raising Children
Status Social Standing
Vengeance Competition, Getting even
Romance Sex and Beauty
Physical Activity Exercising the body
Tranquility Emotional Calm
*The bottom line is that people have different basic instincts, and we can’t all be put in a box.
Currently, our education system tries to homogenize, although there are positive steps being taken toward making education more personalized.
Dr. Yong Zhao states that we wrongly compare kids by averages – we don’t look at what they’re good at. We take their individuality and narrow it down to “prescribed outcomes” – the Ministry of Education requirements.
Across continents, the youth unemployment rates are at record highs, and young adults who’ve moved back home with their parents, have been named, The Boomerang Generation. (Dr. Yong Zhao commented that many young adults, with university degrees, may be employed as coffee baristas, but they are over-qualified for these positions.) Many jobs have been replaced by machines and technology – search engines have taken a lot of jobs. Traditional jobs are on the decline.
What Is The Good News?
The good news is for the creatives. Nowadays, everything is about design and being creative. What can be invented that is unique and different?
Dr. Yong Zhao talked about the hundreds of shampoos to choose from in the shampoo aisle – all with a slightly different spin on how their product is best for your particular hair type. Grocery stores have become a place of art and design. Designer clothes and accessories are in abundance.
When I think of the successful entrepreneurs such as the founder of Saxx underwear, the founder of Soma water filter jugs, and the founder of Stonz baby booties, these people took ordinary products and made them extraordinary, by thinking outside of the box as to how to make these products exceptional through design and solve a problem for people. Saxx underwear are luxurious and provide superior comfort, Soma water filter jugs are beautiful and an item you would be happy to use when serving water to guests, Stonz baby booties are adorable and stay on little one’s feet, even when you’re taking them for a hike in a baby backpack!
Dr. Yong Zhao explains that up until recently, our current education system has stifled creativity. We all start off as creative, but many people lose it as they go through school because being creative hasn’t, in the past, given rewards in the school system. However, we’re now entering the solo work world where our children will need to find problems that need to be solved, and then create the solutions. It is positive to see our schools valuing and encouraging critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, research skills, creativity etc.
The coming of the fourth industrial revolution will also be an advantage for many children with Dyslexia. As Dr. Yong Zhao pointed out, there is a lot of research demonstrating that children with dyslexia are also high in creativity.
This is Dr. Yong Zhao’s vision for the model of future education:
Dr. Yong Zhao states that we should treat children as entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurs are risk takers and capitalize on their strengths.
He states that our education system should not be standardized and should not be focussed on deficits. We should be starting with every child’s strength.
Want to see an inspiring school, in Vancouver, that is changing the model of education? To give you a hint, their motto is: Learners at the Centre, their art classes include digital design courses, and they have portfolio assessments. You can watch the video below:
As parents, we need to help our children find their uniqueness. We need to nurture their passions (not ours). We can all be great at something. We need to support their strengths.
Take-Action Tips:
- As parents, what can we do to provide an environment that supports our child’s strengths? From toddlers to teens, everyone has his/her passion, and as Yong Zhao says: “Relax. Stop trying to fix kids. If you don’t give a child a chance to motivate him/herself, how will he/she learn this.”
- For older children and teens, talk to them about the coming of the fourth industrial revolution and the top ten skills that will allow them to thrive in this new workplace.
For more information on Dr. Yong Zhao’s work, you can read one of his many books or view his Ted Talk here:
Have a wonderful week nurturing your child’s passion(s),
Warmly,
PS. Registration is now open for my summer “Brain Science” camps – teaching children about anxiety and how to manage anxiety. These groups are for boys and girls ages 7-9 years and 10-12 years. For more information and to register online, please click here. To view the flyer please click here.
PPS. Did you like this article? Please show your “like” by joining me on Facebook here. Please forward to your friends and family. Thank you! I really appreciate it!
PPPS. To receive a copy of my free video training on Raising Resilient Kids! click here.
Thinking About Summer Camps? Here’s a couple of my favourites:
Blueridge Chamber Music Camp for intermediate – advanced musicians ages 13+. Application Deadline: June 1st 2016 Youth have fun playing music together with the most dedicated and talented faculty.
Camp Fircom and this year for the first time ever they are also running a… Dads and Kids Weekend Camp! Plus they have week long camps for kids to attend on beautiful Gambier Island.
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