Welcome to the Critical Skills Blog, home to over a thousand human-generated articles—never AI—on topics that matter to continuous education. To find articles of interest, use the “Search” tab. Please feel free to comment, and please subscribe. All content on this site is free.
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Seventh Graders Conduct Sophisticated PBL Project To Practice Critical Skills
The seventh grade science class at Briggs Middle School in Eugene, Oregon provides an excellent and highly creative example of learning and practicing the critical skills through a project involving their school’s environment. During the winter months from December 2011 until March 2012, the seventh grade students were faced with… More⇢
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“Houston, we have a problem!” Critical Skills at their finest!
It was just a short transmission. “Houston, we have a problem,” Captain James A. Lovell, commander of Apollo 13, said calmly. That was an understatement; and it set in motion one of the most dramatic examples of application of the critical skills in history. It was April 1970 and the… More⇢
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The Time Management Skill
The Time Management skill is pretty simple in concept, but is often a struggle for us all. The Time Management skill enables an individual to determine what tasks are most important and how to devote the appropriate amount of time to accomplish those tasks to a high level of quality.… More⇢
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From the Business Perspective . . .
Much has been written and discussed about core competencies and how they are used to define the uniqueness of a company or organization. Core competencies, however, are not critical skills – even though a particular company will have its own set of critical skills that are similar to or even… More⇢
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A Brave New World
At the middle of the twentieth century at the end of World War II, the United States was near full employment, Europe, Japan and China were devastated, and the US had virtually no competition in the world. Whatever the US made would sell – domestically and internationally. As the decades… More⇢
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Commencement Address . . . Some Time Ago . . .
I gave a few high school commencement addresses – typically they were as follows The student body president was eloquent in her remarks reflecting on the students’ experiences in high school and her call for her classmates to become active and productive citizens as they prepare to enter the real… More⇢
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Field Studies – The BEST Way to Teach Critical Skills
The Field Study is the most powerful method of enabling students to learn, practice and manage critical skills. A detailed description of the field study process along with specific examples of field studies conducted and suggestions for field studies can be found at the following website: http://highschoolfieldstudies.com. The field study… More⇢
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Authentic Assessment . . . Work Based Learning Agreements and Academic Learning Agreements
Authentic assessment is somewhat like singing for your supper. You sing poorly, you don’t eat; you sing marginally well, you get pasta; you sing very well, you get steak; you sing superbly, you win a Grammy. Authentic assessment is measurement through performance and/or demonstration of a relevant intellectual task. It… More⇢
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For Teachers – How to Teach the Critical Skills
My admiration for those who have chosen a teaching career is high. Many of my own teachers – K-12 and through college have been lifetime role models for me. Nearly all were very good and dedicated to their profession. The challenges faced by teachers these days are enormous, • The… More⇢
Meet Your Host – Charles Cranston Jett
Charles Cranston Jett is an author, civic educator, and Professional Certified Coach based in Chicago. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy (Class of 1964) and Harvard Business School, he served during the Cold War aboard the nuclear submarine USS Ray (SSN 653), where his tactical innovations helped inspire Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan character. He developed the Field Studies methodology to teach “Critical Skills” and was endorsed by the Department of Labor in 1994. He is the author of six books, including Super Nuke!, hosts three podcasts, and writes across his Critical Skills Blog and Civic Sage platforms on history, leadership, and the health of the American republic. He and his wife, Dr. Nancy Church, co-host the Chicago Salons at Water Tower Residences.
