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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David Coleman – Hope for the SAT? Let’s Hope So! Good Luck, David!
Todd Balf’s article “The SAT Is Hated By . . . .” in the March 9 issue of the New York Times Magazine sheds some light on the problems created by high stakes standardized testing – specifically the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). The article is excellent and offers some hope… More⇢
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The Critical Skills Journey – Déjà vu All Over Again?
The Critical Skills Journey – Déjà vu All Over Again? I don’t know whether or not to be encouraged and optimistic or depressed. They’re back . . . . Critical Skills . . . . this time hidden within what are now called Common Core Standards. I was encouraged this… More⇢
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Needed: The Information Skill! These Days, “More” Might be “Less!”
How can anyone NOT notice that we are becoming flooded with easy-to-access information in a technological blur! No longer do we need to spend endless hours in a library mining data for hard to find information on virtually any topic of interest. All we need to do is “Google it!”… More⇢
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Education Week – Excellent Article on Common Core Standard Implementation
Check out this Education Week article about the implementation of Common Core Standards. Excellent and promising. More⇢
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Advice for Graduating MBA Students . . . .
If you are a newly-minted MBA graduate, you probably have already had some business experience and have had an opportunity to see the real world in action (for better or worse). Your decision to return to the academic world for awhile most likely resulted in either a first job disappointment… More⇢
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OUR WORKING FUTURE – GETTING THE MOST FROM TRAINING
This is a good article that captures why work-based learning actually “Works!” Worth reading and pondering. ~ CCJ More⇢
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National Academy Foundation – Let Practice Drive Policies!
This article is authored and posted by the National Academy Foundation (NAF). The National Academy Foundation (NAF) is a leader in the movement to prepare young people for college and career success. For 30 years, NAF has refined a proven educational model which includes industry-focused curricula, work-based learning experiences, and… More⇢
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The Change in the Original “Analysis” Skill – Today’s Technology Requires TWO Skills . . . “Information” and “Analysis”
Alvin Toffler warned us long ago in his 1970 book, “Future Shock.” In that book he said, the “future shock” will be “the dizzying disorientation brought on by the premature arrival of the future. It may well be the most important disease of tomorrow”. Toffler was correct – and he… More⇢
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Progress On Career Readiness Programs in High Schools!
According to a recent article in Education Week, steps are being taken by school systems around the country to inject career readiness programs into the academic curriculum. The focus is on enabling students to experience the “career world” – NOT to steer them into any particular career. The article highlights… 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.
