| As we engage the 21st century, insure your | | | | much business content becomes obsolete every |
| children learn critical thinking skills during the K-12 | | | | few years. This means companies and |
| years. Otherwise, they may be functionally | | | | corporations must continuously change, adjust and |
| illiterate in the evolving 21st century workplace. | | | | integrate new information and new content into |
| Just as your children must learn the basic building | | | | their business processes. Otherwise, they cannot |
| blocks of reading, writing and math, as we engage | | | | compete in the evolving global information |
| the 21st century, they must learn the basic | | | | economy. |
| building blocks associated with critical thinking. | | | | Employees of the future must adapt as well. |
| Society and public educators are completely | | | | Employees of the future are children today. |
| ignorant to this fact. In this article, I will offer you | | | | Therefore, children must have the skills necessary |
| a comprehensive overview as to why this is true. | | | | to advance beyond the tell-me-what-to-do type |
| Once you are informed, you can help educate and | | | | jobs. It is easy to say companies will simply |
| inform others as to the criticality and urgency of | | | | re-train their employees when necessary. This |
| the situation. | | | | may be true today; however, in the future |
| Critical thinking is an essential set of reasoning and | | | | workplace, corporate sponsored re-training may |
| communication skills required to operate | | | | not be an option. |
| effectively in society. The basic concept of "don't | | | | Think about it. By the time corporations pay for |
| believe everything you read" comes to mind. It is | | | | and establish formal training programs to train |
| an essential reasoning skill. The word "skill" is key | | | | employees on new processes, the processes |
| here because it is more than just common sense | | | | may be obsolete. So, as workers, our children |
| or something that children learn as a natural | | | | must be able to train themselves. They must |
| course of growing up. It is a skill that must be | | | | know how to access raw information, process it |
| taught and learned. Proficiency in critical thinking is | | | | and apply it real time on the job. There will be no |
| essential to lifelong learning and to dealing | | | | books, no manuals, no teachers, no corporate |
| effectively with a world of accelerating change. | | | | training programs === just a vast sea of raw |
| To get a better feel for this, consider the | | | | information. To be functional, our children must |
| following: For starters, compare how we think | | | | have critical thinking skills. They must have the |
| about the job market today to how your children | | | | skills necessary to access this vast sea of raw |
| may have to think in the future. | | | | information, critically evaluated it, weed out what |
| For example, today we think: here is my resume; | | | | is not applicable and effectively apply information |
| hire me; tell me what to do and then pay me an | | | | in ways that add value to the business processes |
| hourly wage for doing it. This thinking evolved out | | | | of their employers. |
| of the industrial revolution. It assumes stable | | | | For this reason, for years, academia and |
| business content, stable business processes and | | | | education researchers have tried to incorporate |
| established companies and corporations who | | | | critical thinking in early K-12 education. Now, as we |
| capitalize on the content and processes, produce | | | | enter and engage the 21st century, it is even |
| products, hire people, etc. This basic thinking still | | | | more imperative that we incorporate critical |
| exists today. | | | | thinking in early K-12 education. |
| On the other hand, in the future, companies will | | | | For information regarding this article, contact |
| be faced with a rapidly changing world in which | | | | Dwight Chestnut at . |