"Digital Ecosystems" issue (October)

A newsletter (for adults) about career readiness (for kids).

Dear Readers,

Some of the very best learning happens when we: 1) have a desired outcome or end-result in mind; 2) know where to go to get the knowledge we need, and; 3) enjoy the process. This is informal learning, in a nutshell, and today’s kids are doing TONS of the stuff. Does your kid want to carve the spookiest pumpkin on the block? They will probably head to YouTube — tools and pumpkin in-hand — and get started immediately; fine-tuning and pausing intermittently until it’s just right. Next year, they’ll know how to do it.

Today’s kids are doing these things time and again, and they’re using digital ecosystems to achieve their goals. If you’re a parent, a teacher, or even if you just know a teenager, you probably know this to be true. Kids are making and learning incredible things and becoming competent self-directed learners in the process. Yet, juxtaposing this reality, so many kids today are also (somehow) not leaving school ready for what comes next. They’re not confident in their paths.

To me, and given the tools at our disposal, this seems like a truly pointless disconnect. Digital ecosystems hold so much promise for letting kids learn about their options, helping them visualize what success can look like, and connecting them to the resources and tools they need to make it happen. Most importantly? Digital ecosystems let them do all of that in a way that’s fun and that doesn’t feel like a chore.

Nearly all kids in America today have access to — and already spend time on — digital devices. Connecting these dots will not only help millions of kids, it will alleviate an overburdened education system and the stress facing so many teachers. This month I’m including stories in my roundup that focus on direct digital experiences that give kids a voice and choice….even beyond the classroom.

Sincerely,
Jean Eddy

Introducing Next Voice™
The Story: Research shows that today’s young people are socially aware and want to take a more active role in the conversations happening today that will shape their futures. At the same time, with information and opinions coming at them from every direction, teens often feel that their voices aren’t heard. So, ASA set out to listen to them. Gen Z middle and high school students told ASA they’d like a digital exploration tool that teaches them how to advocate for themselves and the causes they care about.
The Bottom Line: At ASA, we listened…and then we built Next Voice™, a free digital platform that gives teens the chance to gain valuable advocacy skills that are shared, taught, and introduced through the lens of the world issues that matter most to them, while providing opportunities to test and apply in real time what they’ve learned along the way. With Next Voice, teens ages 13-18 can explore topics like racial justice, mental health, climate change, and LGBTQIA+ issues. They can learn to write and speak powerfully about the causes they care about, while finding allies and organizations who have the power to help them amplify their voices. We’re excited to share more with you about Next Voice in the months to come.

Toward Equitable, Quality Education for All: The Importance of Recognizing Learning and Skills
The Story: Last month, world leaders came together in New York City for the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Access to quality education following COVID-19 learning losses was high on the agenda, and attendees rallied around a goal of addressing the “lack of progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), which aims to ensure access to quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” Skills development, the spaces in which learning occurs and the tools with which education is delivered were among their top considerations.
The Bottom Line: The learning losses sustained — globally — during the pandemic were incalculable. Yet, it’s time for all of us to acknowledge that even irrespective of a global crisis, American schools look much the same as they did two centuries ago. So many of our teachers are exceptional, yet they’re limited by systems that are badly in need of transformation. Our kids need to spend time in places of learning that are inspiring, motivating and effective places for discovery and skills-building. To make that change, it’s time to rethink how our existing digital infrastructure can support education’s transformation. It’s so encouraging to see digital learning and a focus on different types of credentials and skills on the UNGA agenda. I hope this momentum continues. I share the author’s hope that all stakeholders will “continue to work with partners in this area to explore how principles of sovereignty, equity, and mobility can be designed into the education technology ecosystem.”

Gen Z Interest in and Behaviors Around Activism (Research from ASA)

Coalition Says Achievement Gap has Widened (A report from the Massachusetts Education Equity Partnership)

Academic Recovery for K-12 Students to Cost $700 Billion (New findings published in Educational Researcher)

Elementary School Kids Need More Online Safety Training (Research from North Carolina State University)

A Third of Parents Say Their Child Struggled in School in 2020-2021 (Findings from a Child Mind Institute survey)

Parents Agree Play is a Form of Self-Care for Kids (Research from OnePoll and The Toy Association)

Has College Become Both out of Reach and out of Touch? (Psychology Today, October 1, 2022)

New Report Finds Bipartisan Support for Increased Federal Funding for Non-Degree Pathways (Yahoo News, October 18, 2022)

KIRKBI A/S Acquires BrainPOP, A Leading Educational Technology Platform for Kids, Educators, and Families (BusinessWire, October 11, 2022)

Hispanic Heritage Foundation Announces Collaboration with IBM to Upskill Latinos Through IBM SkillsBuild and Meet America's Workforce Needs (IBM Newsroom, October 11, 2022)

For Some, Online Learning is Just the Right Fit (MPR News, October 12, 2022)

Career Readiness: How Can We Impact Millions of Gen Z Teens Immediately? (ASA Newsroom, September 22, 2022)

ACT Test Scores Drop to Their Lowest in 30 Years in a Pandemic Slide (NPR, October 12, 2022)

College is One Way to Get Ahead. It Shouldn’t be the Only One (WBUR, October 5, 2022)

NFTE Names 18-Year-Old Josh Kreuger of St. Louis Top Young Entrepreneur of 2022 (PR Newswire, October 17, 2022)

Jobs for the Future (JFF) Asks Congress to Expand Apprenticeships, Youth Workforce Development (Small Business Trends, September 22, 2022)

Below you’ll find recaps of recent thought leadership events and panels featuring experts from across the education and career readiness ecosystem. The events below cover such topics as Gen Z career learning, professional development for educators, and non-degree pathways.

High School Work-Based Learning: An Essential Tool for Career Readiness and Workforce Development - Find the event recap and takeaways here

How We Can Scale Gen Z’s Entrepreneurial Spirit into Fruitful Careers - Find the link to the session recording here

Virtual Panels Identify Best Practices & Considerations for Career Readiness Learning - Find the link to the session recording here

The Critical Need for Career Exploration Beyond the Classroom - See the session recap here

The State We’re In: Career Readiness in America – Watch the presentation here

Unbundled Learning and How to Rebundle Pathways – Watch the presentation here

”Amplifying High-Quality, Non-Degree Pathways” - Watch the presentation here

“Gen Z Career Learning is About Agency, Voice and Choice” - Watch the presentation here

“Educator PD: Key to Increasing Student Achievement” - Watch the presentation here