Education in the Twenty-First Century

Introduction

Plant closings, department outsourcing, corporate downsizing. These terms have become a daily intruder into our lives. The days of our fathers, when you joined a firm at twenty-one and retired at sixty-five, have melted into the past. At no time in human history has so much changed in such a small time frame. Employees who do not change do not survive. Education is no longer critical for advancement. Education is critical for survival.

Changes in the work place

Fifty years ago an accountant used a ledger, pencil, and adding machine. With those three tools it was possible to perform any accounting tasks that an employer might require. Functions ranging from forecasting to foreclosing were all possible with a lined sheet of green paper and a number two pencil. Today that same accountant uses a high performance PC, the latest in software tools, an internet connection, and a laser printer. You would have to dig through the desk drawers to find a pencil, and there probably isn’t a multicolumn ledger anywhere in the building.

Fifty years ago a retailer had a manual cash register, price labels (with a marker), a supplier catalog, a telephone, and a sales book. Today that same retailer has a fully integrated POS cash register system, scannable bar codes, automated ordering and replenishment systems, online shopping capabilities, and customers that may never step foot into the store.

Fifty years ago a top mechanic would listen to the engine, look at the oil, and maybe even smell the exhaust. A short period of time later your car was running like new. Today that same mechanic plugs the car into a diagnostic computer, calls a tech support line, and replaces a variety of computer sensors.

The workplace has changed in ways unforeseen a short period of time ago. Virtually no job is untouched. Employees who refuse to change are left behind.

Changes in the real world

As residents of the United States we are still riding the crest of a technological wave unlike any ever seen before. Cell phones, wi-fi internet access, digital cameras, and laptop computers are so much a part of our lives that we don’t even notice them anymore. Visit the public library for the first time and you may be hard pressed to find a book. Cashiers are disappearing out of grocery stores as we are encouraged to self-scan. The world of the uneducated and uninformed is fast disappearing.

Learning to live

The skills that we need to survive today are not those that were taught in school thirty years ago. The techniques for rebuilding a lawn mower engine or building a bird house have little marketable value in today’s economy. Low-tech, blue collar jobs are being sent to third world countries as fast as the contracts can be signed. The worker in demand has skills that can be adapted to the high-tech workplace. The worker of choice can adapt a solid base of skills into jobs that can meet any performance standard.

Messin' With the Real Thing

Approximately 25 years ago a manufacturer messed with a classic. Coca-Cola changed the formula. Market shares were lost, there was panic in the streets. Cats and dogs were sleeping with each other. Parents were sacrificing their children. You get the point.

The wizards at Warner Brothers somehow feel that they can succeed where Coke did not.



WB recently announced that Bugs Bunny will be reborn as Buzz Bunny. The classic character that has delighted millions for decades will be remade "making him fresh, cool and hip" according to a WB exec. The new Bugs will have laser eyes and will be a martial arts expert.

Maybe this is a ploy to give the old franchise new life when WB brings it back in response to popular demand. Maybe this is a plot by Yosemite Sam to undermine the wits and resources of the wily rabbit. Maybe Elmer Fudd has taken over the animators guild and is holding the real Bugs hostage.

Maybe I'm going to sell my TV and hide under my desk. Mommy, tell the bad rabbit to go away.

In Praise of Sponges

I worked with a young lady tonight. I would consider her fairly intelligent. She usually appears to understand what I'm talking about and interacts with people well. Tonight I discovered one major shortcoming that is going to plague her for the rest of her life.

She is not a sponge.

Sponges are wonderful things. They sit there quietly, absorbing all that comes within their domain. They don't distinguish and they don't discriminate. They simply absorb. And then, when you squeeze them they are able to give it all back to you.

How cool is that?

Sponges are remarkably successful. They don't have to traverse miles of ocean for a meal. They just absorb. No major sponge stress. Just take it in.

I have known too many people over the years that are really lousy sponges. They have been intelligent (or not), witty (or not), and even creative (or not). They are all just lacking that one critical element that makes life so good. They are not sponges.

So, you may ask (like all good non-sponges should) can I become more spongelike? Of course!! Here is one simple exercise that will enhance your sponginess.

Go to a store window. It doesn't matter what store. Mall or downtown. Inside or out. Just pick one. Stand in front of the window for sixty seconds. Now, look away. Even better, walk out of view. Take a piece of paper and write down every thing that you saw in the window. When you're done, go back and check. You will probably be amazed at all the things that you missed. Pick another window and try again.

If you will do this (not just windows, but anything that you see can be used) on a regular basis you will find your sponge quotient rising. Do this with audio also. When you're standing in the mall (or grocery store, or hospital, whatever) try to identify how many different audio topics (conversations, music, games, etc) you can distinguish. With a little practice you will find that you can hear conversations around you without actively listening. Then, when one of the participants asks you a question you already know the answer!!!

In closing, Long Live the Sponge!!!

Pieces of Heaven

Scattered throughout the countryside, in communities large and small, there are portals. These gateways rest dormant for much of the year. Quiet and discreet, these posts maintain their silence, waiting for the opportune moment to open.

Each winter, late in the first month of the new year, the gates awaken, seeking the pathway they have opened before.

Once the paths are re-established, and the portals are functioning properly, trucks begin to line up. Thousands of these behemoths file past the portal, seeking to fill themselves with the goods from the gate. Hundreds of thousands of plain brown boxes pour forth from the entryway. Hundreds of thousands of cases filled with the stuff that dreams are made of. Hundreds of thousands of circular pieces of heaven, proving that there is a higher being, a Nirvana, a Shangri-La. Technology could not create such a treasure. Like the finest gold or platinum, these disks of treasure are made by magic.

As the trucks pull away, word goes out. Muster the troops. Inform all the leaders. Rally the people.

Girl Scout Cookies are here!

Druids in the Mall

Recently in England "Merlin" (that's his whole name) appeared before magistrates on charges that he was shopping with his ceremonial sword. He was represented by "Pendragon", who cited precedence for druids to shop with their swords. Apparently the druids do not recognize the sword as an offensive weapon, only using them to cast spells and draw protective circles. The chief magistrate declined to rule at the time, seeking additional time for research.

Sometimes there are stories that are just so fun that I don't know what to say.

Merlin was shopping in his long flowing green robe and blue cloak. Apparently his sword "alarmed" fellow shoppers who called the police.

I'm not sure, but I think I would have been more concerned if a man named Merlin was shopping in my store wearing a robe and cloak if he hadn't been carrying a sword or staff!

The next question would be, what was he shopping for?