FROM DILIP MUKERJEA

"Genius is in-born, may it never be still-born."

"Oysters, irritated by grains of sand, give birth to pearls. Brains, irritated by curiosity, give birth to ideas."

"Brainpower is the bridge to the future; it is what transports you from wishful thinking to willful doing."

"Unless you keep learning & growing, the status quo has no status."

Friday, November 19, 2010

CHAMPIONING STUDENTS: FOCUSING ON FUTURE-READINESS

[continuation from the Last Post ~ in connection with the recent launch of a series of new programs intended for parents as well as their school-going kids/teens, under the auspices of 'The House of Creative Brains'.]


Understanding "life skills" must always come first before one can really excel in "study skills".

Our rationale is that, once a student is exposed to "life skills" training, whereby he learns to exercise self-responsibility for his own personal life ["Do not lay blame"; 'Do not justify"; "Do not whine & wimp out!"], & also learn to take control of the future to make it happen for himself or herself, he or she is then more inclined to view "studying" as part & parcel of the journey of life.

The necessary "study skills" which he is expected to acquire will, thus fall in place very nicely, within the larger picture of his overall skills repertoire.

In his myriad programs, Dilip's "life skills" training incorporates developing future-readiness, building personal resiliency & understanding the imperatives of "Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail' philosophy.

A broad spectrum of '21st Century Learning Skills' as defined by leading educational experts & thinkers with the support of several large corporate sponsors (including Apple, Dell, Microsoft) permeates all Dilip's programs.

In a nut shell, it encompasses:

i) Learning & Innovation Skills;

[(a) Creativity & Innovation: thinking creatively; working creatively with others; implementing innovation; (b) Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: reasoning effectively; using systems thinking; making judgments & decisions; solving problems; (c) Comunication & Collaboration: comunicating clearly; collaborating with others;]

ii) Information/Media/Technology Skills;

[(a) Information Literacy: accessing & evaluating information; using & managing information; (b) Media Literacy: analysing media; creating media products; (c) Information, Comunication & Technology: applying technology effectively;]

iii) Life & Career Skills;

[(a) Flexibility & Adaptability: adapting to change; being flexible; (b) Initiative & Self-Direction: managing goals & priorities; working independently, being self-directed learners; (c) Social & Cross-Cultural Skills: interacting effectively with others; work effectively in diverse teams; (d) Productivity & Accountability: managing projects; producing results; (e) Leadership & Responsibility: guiding & leading others; being responsible to others;]

Learning the mechanics of the above will help you to understand better why you should always take an investment approach to your own education:

~ Your Future is in Your Hands;

I like to share with readers an axiom which I had picked up - I can't recall from whom - during the early years of my career in the corporate world. It goes something like this:

"There is no future in any job out there; the only future lies in you."

I think it sums up very well what I want to say here.

Nonetheless, I also like to throw in another axiom from American statesman Benjamin Franklin who once shared his wise thoughts about the value of investing in one's own education, as follows:

"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."

~ Your Habits Determine Your Future!

Frankly, I can't seem to find the source of the following adage, but it sums up very well what I want to say here too:

"Watch your thoughts, for they become words; choose your words, for they become actions; understand your actions, for they become habits; study your habits, for they become your character; develop your character, for it becomes your destiny."

In his wonderful book, 'Unleashing Genius', Dilip shares a fascinating technique - he calls it, 'Thought Streaming'. Go & read the book.

[to be continued in the Next Post.]

[For more information about the series of new programs under 'The House of Creative Brains', please get in touch with Ms. Faye Yeoh via her email faye_yeoh@yahoo.com.

Readers can also pop into the US-based 'Partnership for 21st Century Skills' for more detailed information about 21st century readiness for every student.

Additionally, I recommend readers to read '21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in Our Times', by Bernie Trilling & Charles Fadel.]

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