Learning as a Core Skill
A recent Special Report of “The Economist” was dedicated to the topic of lifelong learning and new labor-market conditions that require employees to have the ability to keep learning, be intellectually curious, and develop a “growth mindset.” The report mentioned technological change, online education, and new approaches to career planning as factors affecting the demand for new skills and competencies in the workplace.
One aspect of the report resonated with AIER’s philosophy about practical education. Our founder, Col. E.C. Harwood insisted on bringing the “field work” aspect of learning to academic exercises. We continue this tradition of experiential learning, or practical, data-driven, engaged education, to this day.
One recent example of bringing a practical mindset to the high school classroom was my visit to the Lenox Memorial Middle and High School in Lenox, Mass. On the early morning of Jan. 27, 2017, I came to the accounting class of Ann Barber. This class consisted of juniors and seniors who study introductory accounting practices and who are an ambitious bunch, aspiring to participate in the Stock Market Game, a program of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Foundation. As high school students, they needed a little help to get started.
I was invited to help students understand the types of financial instruments available and answer their questions. We had a nice conversation, with me scribbling-scrabbling on the board and role-playing with the students. I was excited to bring the view of a practitioner to the classroom.
The most valuable aspect of this engagement for me was that the teacher who invited me has participated in our Teach-the-Teachers Initiative (TTI) in previous years. This is the best acknowledgment of AIER’s contribution to the community. We provide teachers with core knowledge of economic concepts and pedagogical techniques so that they can implement creative ideas in their classrooms. Teachers then draw on our expertise and our established collaboration to bring a practitioner’s perspective to their students.
Our Teach-the-Teachers program is scheduled to travel to St. Louis, Miami, and Omaha in the summer. Registration is open. Please join us!
Picture: Natalia Smirnova in Lenox Memorial Middle and High School.
