A monumental challenge for our schools. (Like, really big!) – SCN Encourager

But Dr. Mohamed El-Erian has faith we’re up to it

Clearly.

The good doc is more than a leading economist.

He’s probably one of the few scholars at his level who still has enough faith in us to believe that we have what it takes to rise to the challenge and be world-changers.

But Dr. El-Erian doesn’t mince words.

He foresees stormy economic weather ahead so we better be ready.

Here’s what he believes educators should gear up for.

And it all has to do with responding to the age we live in.

To do this, I guess it helps to understand how we got to where we are.
(So says the guy who can’t find his car when leaving Target.)

Briefly, the age we live in today was preceded by –

•  the Stone Age
•  the Agricultural Age
•  the Industrial Age (18th century version)
•  the Industrial Age (the 19th & 20th century sequel)
•  the Information Age
•  the Creative Age

And just for the record, the Creative Age unofficially began in 1996-1997 and existed until last Thursday, the very day Dr. El-Erian convinced me that we are now living in a brand new age – an incredibly exciting one that we as educators have immense powers to shape.

How cool is that?!?

Anyway, Dr. El-Erian states that we are now living in the Age of the Empowered Individual.

No longer should we be responsible for just helping our kids acquire a few core competencies before we send them down the path of higher education and a “career” – we must ensure that our kids are resilient enough to successfully handle set-backs, work through disappointments, and create their own income-generating opportunities in ways most of us can hardly imagine.

Living in the Age of the Empowered Individual will require us to direct our talents and resources toward empowering our students… empowering our parents… and each other.

Now mind you,  Dr. El-Erian says rising to this challenge does come with a downside.

Empowered individuals have the capability of doing both the wondrous and the horrific.

Don’t we know it.

But it’s an amazing challenge, just the same.

Thank goodness we’re ready for it.

You know, Dr. El-Erian’s reasoned ideas and perspectives surprised me in a number of ways.

If he wasn’t already chairing President Obama’s Global Development Council, I’d invite him to NSPRA in Chicago next month.

With a little coaching up, he could make a pretty fair school communicator!

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