All Modules 1-Module 1 - Philosophy | Page 34

34 with the declaration made by Dr. David Perkins: “We are educating for the unknown, that doesn’t mean we can’t be intelligent and prepare for the future.” The needs for the 21st century can’t be denied. Individuals must have a new set of abilities in order to be successful in this new age: an open mind, teamwork skills, creativity, understanding and familiarity with communication media, empathy, and ethics are all crucial. There is an urgent need for deep changes in the way education is teaching our children; that is the reason why we believe, at Education First Inc., that we have the enormous responsibility of promoting a different way of teaching our children, and consequently, of training our teachers. Education is no longer just a way of spreading knowledge, today educations is must provide the student with the abilities and tools to help him or her adapt to life, prepare for the future, and enjoy the present. 4. Knowledge and thinking can not be separate We believe that thinking and knowledge are inseparable. People usually take for granted their ability to think. For many years, education has been devoted to implanting the memorization of concepts; however, once access to information is readily and easily available to everyone, the information itself is no longer a decisive factor, and knowing what to do with the information becomes the main concern. Edward De Bono, author of The Six Thinking Hats, compares intelligence with a car, and explains how knowledge is the vehicle and thinking is the driver. As with any other driver, the individual must learn to drive the car to get the best possible result from the car, because just having a good car is never enough to win the race. Knowledge needs useful thinking