Technical Skills

Thomas Friedman’s best selling book, “The World is Flat” discusses the reality of our time. "Flat" is our shrinking, increasingly connected world. The elimination of trade and political barriers coupled with technical advances enable us to do business instantaneously with the rest of the world. This reality brings us to the first necessity of a “good” education – technical skills.

“It is a truism, but the more educated you are, the more options you will have in the flat world.” – Thomas Friedman

Technical Skills

Myriads of studies tell us how the U.S. is behind the rest of the world in science, reading, and math. I will refer to these subjects as technical. Reading, math, and science are core competencies that lead to academic success. If we want to remain competitive and maintain a healthy economy it will be paramount for us to have the best educated people in several fields. Technology is transforming our world, both in the electrical and biological sense. For our country and children to thrive in the future, they must receive world class instruction in these technical areas.

“Offshoring is when a company takes one of its factories that is operating in Canton, Ohio, and moves the whole factory offshore to Canton, China.” – Thomas Friedman

Geographical barriers continue to erode and if we can find a less expensive, more proficient person in a foreign country, we will lose that job. Our technical skills will have to lead the world to ensure a bright future for our children.

Globalization and the shrinking world have also brought about the necessity for another skill: cultural awareness.

Goal Setting in Education

2007 is Well Underway

We’re very excited about 2007 and have a lot of projects in the planning stages. E-mail messages will be sent for big news, but some of the other topics will only be discussed on the blog so visit often!

By now you’re all back in the routine following the holidays. I thought this would be a perfect time to talk about two important topics that will serve as the foundation for the next several articles/blog posts.

Goal Setting

In almost everything we do we have a desired outcome or goal in mind at the start. When we don’t have a goal the end result is often something we're not happy with. Education is no different. Have you ever sat down and really thought about the education you want your child to receive? I don’t mean in a vague sense, but very definite. Saying a “good” education is not “good” enough.

Do you want your child to go to college?

Are you looking for a vocational oriented program?

What do you expect and desire out of elementary versus high school and college?

Without an answer to these questions our children’s education is left to the prevailing winds, and like a feather in the breeze we can’t be surprised when they arrive at a very different place than we imagined.

Over the next few weeks I will be discussing a couple of core areas that comprise an "educated child." I will be posting every couple of days, so please visit the blog and join the discussion.