Learning and Life Skills

"Above And Beyond" - new animated video highlights 21 Century skills

via www.youtube.com

There are so many questions raised by this video from FableVision and the Partnership for 21 Century Skills. 

My interest is on parent involvement.  How can we, as parents, encourage and develop these skills in our children?  How can we reduce, if not eliminate, the eradication of these skills once children begin attending formal schools? 

According to P21, "...the 4Cs -- communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity - complement and strengthen traditional school instruction."  How can parents play a role in making sure that these skills are recognized and valued in their child's life at home and at school?

Does your child's school talk about, reinforce, heighten these skills?  Do you know whether they are deliberately and directly taught?  If so, how?  What are you seeing?

 

 

Why Don't the SAT, ACT, and GRE Include a Spatial Ability Measure?

 

"...over a half century of research on spatial ability has uncovered the significance it plays-in addition to math and verbal ability-In educational and occupational settings where it is essential, such as engineering, physics, math, and computer science.  Therefore this clearly begs the question: why is there no spatial measure included in these standardized tests?  Do we miss identifying a group of individuals who might be spatially talented but less mathematically and verbally talented?"

via www.psychologytoday.com 

Great article discussing this unmeasured talent so important to engineering and science.  Read to understand the definition, importance and the research examining whether spatial abilities can be improved with training.

Anyone in your family show an uncanny ability to manipulate shapes and images in their head? What gender is that individual?