It’s not about what you know, it’s about what you can do….

This week Thomas Friedman wrote an interesting editorial about the hiring process that employers and job seekers have seen in recent years.  The piece called, How to Get a Job, highlighted the need to show the ability to apply knowledge effectively vs. the traditional method of showing (typically by a degree) you have knowledge.

Mr. Friedman notes,

It is best summed up by the mantra from the Harvard education expert Tony Wagner that the world doesn’t care anymore what you know; all it cares “is what you can do with what you know.” And since jobs are evolving so quickly, with so many new tools, a bachelor’s degree is no longer considered an adequate proxy by employers for your ability to do a particular job — and, therefore, be hired.

The issue highlights the need for us to provide our students with opportunities to apply knowledge and develop skills – which is a far cry from the standardized tests we are using to “assess” our students.  I am thankful we are continuing to explore and push for more ways to provide our students with project based learning options.