And in today's world which of those skill sets are more beneficial to the person and the community in general? I know which I encourage in the kids in my class!!!
The mistake you are making, is that you are preparing your students for today's world by encouraging skillsets that apply to today. Today's world will not likely exist tomorrow.
Kids always need skills that allow them to see a big picture and visualise complex global organisational structures instead of only a sequential logical convergent style. Todays students are trained in a way that produces compliant workers and soldiers and not divergent thinking entrepreneurs or problem solvers
IMHO
Wow ... big words Dude. Students need a variety of skillsets in anticipation of a changing world, which is exactly what the Canadian system emphasizes. Not all students are alike and thus those skillsets may vary, as the role individuals play in future society also does. In simple terms, teaching students to think and be able to adapt to change is the goal for most. Being able to anticipate change or (even better) initiate change, is for the very few.
Beautifully said, operaman!! The Education system here in Ontario has changed drastically in the last 15 years since I started teaching,
let alone since my own two were in school. Not only do we have a "differentiated learning" model of teaching, whereby each child brings
its strengths to the table when working in a small (3-4 students) group setting with peers who have different strengths.
What a lot of people don't realize is that the teacher's role is one of being a "facilitator" and not of teaching at our youngsters!!
Another thing people don't realize is that the education of a child does not occur only in the "institution of learning" it attends!!
Education is a responsibility ALL of us share, including those that don't have children of their own.