Download a PDF of the Key Takeaways
More than half of the educators who responded to a survey by the Education Week Research Center—51 percent—said that updating curriculum to get students ready for the jobs of the future is a top priority.
- But what exactly are those skills and how are schools changing their curricular offerings to meet them?
- How do they address the tension between traditional academics and businesses’ demands?
- How are they overcoming entrenched ideas about what school should look like?
Join Education Week reporters and their expert guests for a lively summit designed to explore these issues and more.
Event Video
What to Teach Today to Prepare Students for Tomorrow’s Workplace: In Conversation With Education Week
Agenda
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET | Discussions Open
Education Week journalists and their special guests provide practical takeaways on getting students ready for the jobs of the future.
Education Week journalists and their special guests provide practical takeaways on getting students ready for the jobs of the future.
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
What Are Schools Doing Now to Bridge the Gap Between Career and the Classroom?
In Education Week’s survey, 39 percent of respondents said their districts were already taking steps to better connect students to future careers. Learn more about these and other survey findings and the challenges schools face as they reshape their curricula.
Holly Kurtz is the director of the EdWeek Research Center.
Mark Lieberman is a reporter for Education Week who covers school finance.
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
Nurturing Creativity in the Classroom
When asked to name the most desirable skill for the workforce of the future, employers inevitably point to creativity. And educators, for their part, give it a lot of lip service. But educators and business experts have different ideas about what creativity looks like.
Sarah D. Sparks covers education research, data, and the science of learning for Education Week.
Megan Fasules
Research Economist,
Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
Taking School to Work
Internship and job-shadowing and apprenticeship programs proliferate, but a handful of schools and districts are taking these initiatives a step further and bringing classes to business sites. Learn how these new arrangements work.
Stephen Sawchuk is an assistant managing editor for Education Week, leading coverage of teaching, learning, and curriculum.
Colleen Viggiano
Deputy Superintendent,
Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES, Cortland, N.Y.
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
Learning to Wrangle ‘Big Data’
In California and elsewhere, a few high schools have begun to teach a blend of statistics and computer science that is known as data science. The classes are designed to help students understand and use the “big data” that shapes modern life and position them for a labor market hungry for skilled data wranglers.
Catherine Gewertz was a writer for Education Week who covered national news and features.
Monica Casillas
Associate Director of Professional Development,
Introduction to Data Science, University of California at Los Angeles, Center X
Suyen Machado
Project Director,
Introduction to Data Science, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Center X
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
Equip Students for Success with Critical Thinking
Content provided by Mentoring Minds
Learning how to think is an integral part of academic achievement. Students who are empowered to think critically have the skill set to succeed in the classroom, to perform with confidence on assessments, and to face the demands and complexities of the future. Join Mentoring Minds to discuss how students can become more effective critical thinkers and problem solvers when they apply the 9 Traits of Critical Thinking™: Adapt, Examine, Create, Communicate, Collaborate, Reflect, Strive, Link, and Inquire. By modeling and teaching the 9 traits across the curriculum, educators can build a thinking culture that supports student growth and achievement.
Learning how to think is an integral part of academic achievement. Students who are empowered to think critically have the skill set to succeed in the classroom, to perform with confidence on assessments, and to face the demands and complexities of the future. Join Mentoring Minds to discuss how students can become more effective critical thinkers and problem solvers when they apply the 9 Traits of Critical Thinking™: Adapt, Examine, Create, Communicate, Collaborate, Reflect, Strive, Link, and Inquire. By modeling and teaching the 9 traits across the curriculum, educators can build a thinking culture that supports student growth and achievement.
Charles Fuhrken
Vice President, Curriculum Development,
Mentoring Minds
Sandra Love
Managing Editor of Educator Resources,
Mentoring Minds
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
How Schools Can Realign Pedagogy, Curriculum, and Teaching Practice for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Content provided by Learning.com
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is reorienting the global economy and the future of work. New jobs in STEM, a growing prevalence of technology, and a need for interpersonal competencies are placing greater emphasis on digital literacy and computer science skills as well as critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration.
How can educators adapt teaching and learning to ensure students graduate with these career-ready skills?
This discussion will offer insights, resources, and conversation to assess the Fourth Industrial Revolution's impact on career readiness initiatives and programs and equip participants with strategies to effectively realign pedagogy, curriculum content and skills, and teaching practices.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is reorienting the global economy and the future of work. New jobs in STEM, a growing prevalence of technology, and a need for interpersonal competencies are placing greater emphasis on digital literacy and computer science skills as well as critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration.
How can educators adapt teaching and learning to ensure students graduate with these career-ready skills?
This discussion will offer insights, resources, and conversation to assess the Fourth Industrial Revolution's impact on career readiness initiatives and programs and equip participants with strategies to effectively realign pedagogy, curriculum content and skills, and teaching practices.
Ann McMullan
Education Leadership Consultant and former Executive Director,
Educational Technology, Klein Independent School District, Texas
Anna McVeigh-Murphy
Managing Editor,
equip Magazine
Naomi Veak
Lead Training Manager and Former Middle School Math and Science Teacher,
Learning.com
2:30–3:00 p.m. ET
Final Reporter Wrap-up
What to Teach Today to Prepare Students for Tomorrow’s Workplace: In Conversation With Education Week
Led by Assistant Managing Editor Debbie Viadero, the Education Week newsroom will close out the day with insights from the discussions they’ve had with you, the readers.
Led by Assistant Managing Editor Debbie Viadero, the Education Week newsroom will close out the day with insights from the discussions they’ve had with you, the readers.
