What are the skills we need to flourish in the 21st century?
Question 1: As a parent of a student at Living Faith, what qualities or skills do you hope your child/ren will have developed significantly by the time they graduate?
Recently the Living Faith staff team spent some time workshopping what we would like to see as the ‘learner dispositions’ of a graduate at Living Faith. The workshop was led by Derek Bartels who is an education consultant with 40 years of experience (30 years in Lutheran Education). As part of the session, together we viewed the short film ‘The Adaptable Mind’. The Adaptable Mind is a documentary that attempts to respond to the question ‘What are the skills we need to flourish in the 21st century?’ Staff then spent time working in groups of five or six, robustly discussing our views and then coming up with a group decision of attributes that we shared back with all of the staff.
Some of the agreed learner attributes that were generated by staff included the following: adaptability, connectedness, courage, creativity, curiosity, empathy, service etc.
Question 2: Why focus on attributes and skills?
In our contemporary model of education, like we have at Living Faith, we emphasise attributes like adaptability, connectedness, courage, creativity, curiosity, empathy and service to enrich student learning and development.
Adaptability equips students to navigate new challenges with resilience. Connectedness helps them build meaningful relationships and work collaboratively. Courage empowers them to take risks and overcome obstacles. Creativity encourages innovative thinking and problem-solving, preparing students for a rapidly changing world. Curiosity drives students to explore and question, fuelling a lifelong love for learning. Empathy fosters understanding and cooperation, essential for building strong, supportive relationships, while a focus on service instils a sense of responsibility and community engagement.
Together, these attributes create a well-rounded, educational experience that prepares students for both personal fulfilment and societal contribution. Importantly, the emphasis on learner attributes and skills aligns with our mission and vision: Inspiring minds, illuminating hearts, igniting service…founded on the love of Christ.
Peace
Andrew Kelly
Principal