Skills for 21st Century

The article Rigor Redefined written by Tony Wagner presents how the current schools are failing to teach and develop some skills that will be primordial for the students in the future. Based on some researches, the article analyzes which skills and acquirement are most required nowadays from the employers in the world of work. The main points are about critical thinking and work with other people. Employers want a person who asks questions and search for their solutions, who knows how to work in teams and have an easy adaptability. After observing how is the education students are receiving in classrooms for many years, Tony Wagner could conclude that, in the majority of the classes, students are not motivated to work on the "7 skills" the world of work is looking for today; they are "feed" from their teachers, and just get prepared to pass on the tests. Wagner presented how the schools are failing nowadays in prepare the students for the future, but also showed the solution: push them, creating situations that can engage their thinking, that will prepare them not just for their careers, but for their role as citizens. 

 The labor market is increasingly rigorous and demanding, and the 7 skills Tony Wagner presented in his article are the minimum a student should be developing today, to be a great and successful professional tomorrow. A huge majority of the students are not so engaged in their learning, and it is not 100% their fault. They grew in a system where they are supposed to get ready to get a score, which is a number, not learning. The technical skills they "learn" can be memorized during school time, but when they get in the world of work, many other skills are fundamental to survive in a good career. Their employers look for someone who is going to make the difference in their company, someone who asks questions and seek for their solutions, and will bring innovations and make the company grow. They have to be challenged everyday in the classrooms, and it is probably what the teachers don't know, or don't know how to do, because it is easier to just feed the students with books and lessons, and also, answers. It is something we should be more concerned about, because the students today are the leaders tomorrow, and if they are not well prepared to face the world and its changes, we will have a problem.