18 JANUARY 23, 2020 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
EDUCATION
Preparing kids for jobs of the future
Today’s technology evolves so
rapidly, it’s impossible to predict
what new inventions are
coming.
How can parents and educators today
prepare children for technology
and jobs that may not even exist yet?
A recent education study by Harris
Poll reveals that hands-on, collaborative
learning experiences increase
children’s confi dence and ability to
learn new things.
The study showed that children
worldwide who are confi dent learning
STEAM subjects (science, technology,
engineering, arts and mathematics)
feel more confi dent about their
ability to learn overall.
And that confi dence translates into
a willingness to try new things - an
essential trait in education and business,
where changes occur at a rapid
pace.
LET CHILDREN
TRY - AND FAIL
Children build confi dence when
they’re given the opportunity to try
new things, even if they feel unsure
of themselves.
Experiencing trial and error,
and learning from setbacks, means
children can also fully own their
successes. If kids are free from the
pressure of needing to achieve constant
success, they are more willing
to learn from their failures.
The Harris Poll found that most
parents, children and educators from
several countries acknowledge the
role of failure as a necessary part
of learning. And overcoming that
failure is the foundation for genuine
confi dence.
As Maurer describes, “When
something doesn’t work and kids
have the opportunity to troubleshoot
and make it work, you can see their
confi dence light up.”
ENCOURAGE HANDS-ON
EXPERIENCES
While the study found that the
vast majority of educators worldwide
(95 percent) highly value
hands-on learning, teachers said
their schools did not provide enough
hands-on learning experiences, due
to time limitations and curriculum
constraints.
What do children gain by engaging
in concrete learning experiences,
as opposed to passive activities
like listening to a teacher or reading
a book?
Maurer explains, “Hands-on
learning - learning through building,
through trial and error, through
collaboration - has the power to
engage kids in a way that lectures
and worksheets simply don’t.
Getting hands-on with a challenge
or a task allows them to explore and
realize there isn’t just one answer.
It allows them to experience failure
in a healthy way and realize that
failing at a task is a natural part
of the learning process and does
not mean a subject is out of their
reach.”
Parents wanting their children
to experience more hands-on learning
may want to seek after-school
classes and clubs, or games and
activities to do at home that foster
more hands-on experiences in a
variety of subjects.
For example, parents can find
after-school clubs such as a FIRST
LEGO League, which lets kids
of all ages work out solutions to
real-world problems in a fun team
environment.
ENCOURAGE
DEVELOPMENT
OF SOFT SKILLS
While we can’t anticipate every
technological advance that may occur
in our children’s lifetimes, one
thing doesn’t change: Communicating
and collaborating with others is
a vital part of any job, in any field.
How can you help children develop
these skills? Provide opportunities
where kids work together
to solve problems, create - or just
play together.
Try a sports team, music group
or social club. Any opportunity
to interact with others positively,
working toward common goals, can
boost their confidence and ability to
be part of a team.
Future jobs may be hard to predict,
but helping kids develop confidence
and their ability in STEAM
skills - and soft skills - will provide
a strong foundation to tackle future
challenges.
For more ways to boost your
children’s confidence in learning,
visit LEGOeducation.com. Celebrate
National Computer Literacy Month
this October by helping children
learn skills for the future.
— BPT
/WWW.QNS.COM
/LEGOeducation.com
