Mike Falick's Blog

The Video of Daniel Goleman's Speech from the Building a Coalition for the Children of Texas Conference

On December 10, 2008, my American Leadership Forum Class held the Building a Coalition for the Children of Texas Conference.  In putting on this Conference, the intent of our Class, which included business leaders, educators, non-profit leaders, and community leaders was to create a coalition of people and organizations to bring social and emotional learning on par with academics in every classroom in Texas and to recognize the critical impact social and emotional learning has on academic achievement and workforce readiness.

One of our speakers was Daniel Goleman, the well-known author of Emotional Intelligence.  Mr. Goleman's presentation included approximately 25 minutes of prepared video, which I am including below.  Mr. Goleman truly captures the critical importance of social and emotional learning for today's students.

Bill of the Day: House Bill 1281 Would Infuse Social and Emotional Learning into the Texas School Curriculum

Today's Bill of the Day is House Bill 1281 which was filed today by Representative Ruth McClendon (D-San Antonio).  House Bill 1281 would add "adult responsibility education" to the foundation curriculum in Texas.

The Bill provides that the Texas Education Agency "shall establish an advisory panel under this section to develop the required foundation curriculum to teach students skills in social, emotional, and behavioral interaction to prepare students for adult responsibility. A primary purpose of the adult responsibility curriculum is to teach students advanced methods of thinking, speaking, learning, and reasoning, including methods for:

(1)    effective, nonviolent communication;
(2)    problem solving;
(3)    setting appropriate boundaries and priorities; and
(4)    creative decision making.

Regular readers of this blog know that I am a very strong believer in the value of exactly the items included in this Bill.  Indeed, my American Leadership Forum Class held a Conference last December focused on the need for Social and Emotional development of students.  For additional posts on Social and Emotional learning and its importance to student success, please click here.

The full text of the Bill appears below after the jump.

Animoto Video from Today's Building a Coalition for the Children of Texas Conference

Enjoy this Animoto from today's Building a Coalition for the Children of Texas Conference.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills Issues Its Call to Action: Policy Recommendations on Preparing Americans to Triumph in the Global Skills Race

Today I came across The Partnership for 21st Century Skills which I think has accurately stated one of the main things missing from today's high stakes testing regimen, the lack of focus on 21st century skills. 

The Partnership has issued a Transition Brief for the incoming administration of President-elect Obama entitled Policy Recommendations on Preparing Americans to Triumph in the Global Skills Race which is a call to action on this issue.

Here is how the Partnership's website describes the issue with one of the best graphics I have seen (click on the graphic to enlarge):

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has developed a unified, collective vision for 21st century learning that can be used to strengthen American education. The key elements of 21st century learning are represented in the graphic and descriptions below. The graphic represents both 21st century skills student outcomes (as represented by the arches of the rainbow) and 21st century skills support systems (as represented by the pools at the bottom):

21ST CENTURY STUDENT OUTCOMES:

The elements described in this section as “21st century student outcomes” (represented by the rainbow) are the skills, knowledge and expertise students should master to succeed in work and life in the 21st century.

1. Core Subjects and 21st Century Themes

2. Learning and Innovation Skills 

• Creativity and Innovation Skills
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills
• Communication and Collaboration Skills

3. Information, Media and Technology Skills

• Information Literacy
• Media Literacy
• ICT Literacy
  

4. Life and Career Skills

• Flexibility & Adaptability
• Initiative & Self-Direction
• Social & Cross-Cultural Skills
  
• Productivity & Accountability
  
• Leadership & Responsibility

Building a Coalition for the Children of Texas: A Must Attend Conference on December 10, 2008

For the past year and a half, I have been part of the American Leadership Forum's Education Class I.  This group of business leaders, educators, non-profit leaders, and community leaders has come together to create a coalition of people and organizations to bring social and emotional learning on par with academics in every classroom in Texas and to recognize the critical impact social and emotional learning has on academic achievement and workforce readiness.

On December 10, 2008, the Building a Coalition for the Children of Texas Conference will take place at Rice University to make this mission a reality.

Conference speakers include the following:

Albert Myres (Bio)
Senior Vice President, Government and
Public Affairs
Reliant Energy

Dr. Uri Treisman, Ph.D. (Bio)
Executive Director, Charles A.
Dana Center, University of Texas

Daniel Goleman, Ph.D. (Bio)
via Teleconference
Author of the N.Y. Times bestsellers
Emotional Intelligence
Social Intelligence: The New Science of
Human Relationships

Carol Comeau (Bio)
Superintendent of Schools, Anchorage
Alaska

Sign up to attend today by visiting www.coalitionfortexaschildren.org.

A New Study Shows the Importance of Developing Social Skills: High-School Social Skills Predict Better Earnings than Test Scores

A study released last month demonstrates the importance of socialization skills.  The study found that "ten years after graduation, high-school students who had been rated as conscientious and cooperative by their teachers were earning more than classmates who had similar test scores but fewer social skills."

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Ten Years On, High-School Social Skills Predict Better Earnings than Test Scores

Last Updated: October 16, 2008 | Related resource areas: Parenting

"Good schools do more than teach reading, writing, and math. They socialize students and provide the kinds of learning opportunities that help them to become good citizens and to be successful in the labor market," a University of Illinois assistant professor of human and community development said.

Released October 15, 2008

URBANA, Ill. - Ten years after graduation, high-school students who had been rated as conscientious and cooperative by their teachers were earning more than classmates who had similar test scores but fewer social skills, said a new University of Illinois study.

The study's findings challenge the idea that racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic gaps in educational attainment and earnings can be narrowed solely by emphasizing cognitive skills, said Christy Lleras, a University of Illinois assistant professor of human and community development.

"It's important to note that good schools do more than teach reading, writing, and math. They socialize students and provide the kinds of learning opportunities that help them to become good citizens and to be successful in the labor market," she said.

"Unless we address the differences in school climates and curriculum that foster good work habits and other social skills, we're doing a huge disservice to low-income kids who may be entering the labor market right after high school, especially in our increasingly service-oriented economy," Lleras added.

Here's a Must Watch Video in Which Daniel Goleman Moderates a Panel of Experts on the Value of Social and Emotional Learning

Here is a really good video from the CASEL Forum in December 2007 in which George Lucas joins a panel of national experts moderated by Daniel Goleman that explores the value of social and emotional learning.

Maurice Elias, the Director of Rutgers University's Social and Emotional Learning Lab, Talks about Why Social Emotional Learning Should be an Integral Part of Academic Life