I found there was much to ponder and question in the refreshing documentary
Most Likely to Succeed. by American filmmaker Greg Beck Whiteley. A few notes I wrote while watching the film included:

  • Soft-skills ~ Big push into inquiry based learning to focus on communication, team work and problem solving to prepare students for today’s work environments. The difference being that the current education system was built during the industrial revolution and was focused on creating a work force that would conform to factory time clocks and a specific skill set.
  • The parent factor ~ How do we talk to parents who are skeptical about new ways of learning or unsure about switching from traditional methods of teaching.
  • Grit and perseverance ~ both were mentioned in the film and point to resourcefulness, resilience, and a growth mindset that tie into being a lifelong learner who will succeed at times and fail at times. The filmmaker showed this by highlighting a San Diego high school High Tech High, and its students who were working towards a final year-end collaborative project.
  • It’s all a gamble ~ Or is it? I liked how the filmmaker left the big question of will schools like High Tech High succeed in producing a new generation of learners who will carry our society into the future.

Fall in Mystic Vale