One of the recurring themes in the contemporary discussions of education reform is the notion of “21st century skills”. What is not always so clear is exactly what these skills are. I think that most of us who have been around for a while would readily admit that our lives have become increasingly complex. For some this complexity is overwhelming, for others empowering, but few can deny that technology, telecommunications, and globalization alone have drastically changed our lives.

In these discussions of the purpose or role of public education, I often think back to my own school days growing up in the Boston area. The high school I attended had its mission carved in stone above the entrance to its most prominent building - Dedicated to the Preparation of Youth for the Responsibilities of Life. Interestingly enough this building was the gymnasium. We could easily make an argument that many of the skills necessary for survival in the new economy could be nurtured in the gym - teamwork, cooperation, the self-discipline necessary to acquire and hone skills both physical and mental. We could, and probably should, talk about that, but I was more focused on the notion of “preparation of youth for the responsibilities of life”, and how we meet this commitment when confronted with revolutionary societal and economic change.

If you think about these things at all, particularly as an educator, I have a book to recommend. In 2006, Howard Gardner, the distinguished cognitive psychologist who gave us the theory of multiple intelligences, published his latest work, Five Minds for the Future. The book is a new tack for Gardner since he shifts from descriptive to predictive. Or as he describes it in the introduction, “I concern myself with the kinds of minds people will need if they - if we- are to thrive in the world in eras to come.” In his previous work, as a psychologist, he identified and described a series of distinct congnitive abilities or “intelligences” that humans have in varying degrees. In this effort he describes five broad uses of the mind, each of which may require use of multiple intelligences or computational capabilities. He believes that we could cultivate the uses of these “minds” at school, in the professions, or at the workplace.

The five minds he describes are: the disciplinary mind, the synthesizing mind, the creating mind, the respectful mind, and the ethical mind.

I think you would find this very accessible and provocative book a worthwhile read. Beyond that you might agree with me that Gardner’s five minds for the future would provide an excellent framework for a more authentic look at where we should be placing our focus in public education for the 21st century.