Crawford is introducing the GoLab programme into its schools this year to help learners thrive in our rapidly changing world
We are becoming more and more aware that our students will be moving into a world of work that will be defined by jobs that don’t currently exist, using technologies that haven’t been invented, to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.
Five years from now, over one-third of skills (35%) that are considered important in today’s workforce will have changed.
According to the World Economic Forum, by 2020 the Fourth Industrial Revolution will have bought us advanced, automated robotic processes and autonomous transport, as well as advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, and use of advanced materials, biotechnology and genomics.
These developments will transform the way we live, and the way we work.
As stated by Harvard University: “Put simply, preparing our students to participate fully in today’s and tomorrow’s world demands that we nurture their global competencies.”
After extensive research, conversations and exploration of global educational approaches to these evolving workplace requirements, CrawfordSchools™ defined the global competencies they would develop in their learners, from preschool through to matric.
They identified five key focus areas in this core skill continuum, namely:
Thinking skills (critical, creative and reflective thinking)
Research skills (inquiry learning and media literacy)
Communication skills (participating in discussions/sharing of understandings)
Social Skills (collaborating with others/learning how to interact with others)
Self-management skills (reflection, growth mindset and self-regulation).
Together with the global competencies, CrawfordSchools™ introduced their GoLab programme into all their colleges from 2018. “This programme will advance our curriculum and offers a solution that exposes our learners to cutting-edge technologies that develop Steam (science, technology, engineering, arts and maths) related skills to better prepare learners for their futures,” says Joao Luis, head of academics at the ADvTECH schools division.
The GoLab programme offers Crawford learners an interactive, practical-based learning environment and Steam-integrated curriculum that promotes the development of higher order thinking skills such as collaboration, research, communication and technological skills, as well as design, critical and creative thinking, self-evaluation, self-management, curiosity, and innovativeness.
As CrawfordSchools™ continue to explore and expand their approaches to teaching and learning, the core skills as global competencies continue to be a fundamental curriculum component included in all their schools, across all disciplines, for all learners of all ages.
All Crawford staff are engaged in regular training and conversations that support them in making authentic connections within their subjects, to develop these skills in a variety of contexts.
Continual communication and discussions around the development of these global skills and competencies continually take place between the academics department at ADvTECH, leadership teams and staff at all CrawfordSchools™, as well as with the parent communities of each school.
For more information, please contact 0860 (SCHOOLS) or visit www.crawfordschools.co.za
Traci Salter is a strategic development advisor for the ADvTECH schools division