Ken Kay argues that in order to succeed in the world today, you must have 21st century skills. The world is changing everyday and if you don't keep up with what is going on in society, then you are going to have a difficult time contributing to your work field. Kay states that, "only people who have knowledge and skills to negotiate constant change and reinvent themselves for new situations will succeed." Without these skills people are going to have to settle for low paying, low skill jobs. He believes that the public education system right now is not preparing all students for the economic workforce or citizenship opportunities in general. It is skills such as adaptability, critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity that are included in the 21st century skills. Right now only 70% of students and only 50% of minorities are graduating on time with regular high-school diplomas. Kay says that, "even if all students earned a high school diploma and mastered traditional academic subjects, that they still would be ill prepared for the expectations of the new economy."
I agree with what Ken Kay is saying. Students in society today need to learn how to think, learn, solve problems, communicate with peers, collaborate, and contribute to society as a whole. When I read this article I automatically thought of the changes that are being made to eduction now. Common Core is trying to teach students how to think critically and solve problems on their own. But as I read more into the article, I realized that the 21st century skills are more than what common core stand for. These skills are looked at as "good to have" skills instead of "must have" skills, which is really what it should be. Overall, students should be taught knowledge for college and career readiness but also need to be taught these 21st century skills so that they can take the knowledge they have and transform it into creative and purposeful learning.
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