I found that this article was very interesting. Of course, in our modern era, Google is the slide-having, scooter-riding, self-driving-car-building ideal of employment (the fat paychecks probably also contribute to the appeal). There was a lot of interesting content in there as well. I thought that it was interesting to see the emphasis they put on learning ability. This tied into what I’ve learned about computational thinking. It’s not about having the right answer; it’s much more about being able to find the answer even if your first attempts fall flat.
Another area of focus that I found interesting was their emphasis on humility. As the article says, “without humility, you are unable to learn”. This is something that i have definitely found to be true. Both as a student and a teacher, I try to always be honest about my own shortcomings and open about my process of improving my understanding.
Their lack of focus on expertise was interesting as well. The interest in ability to learn over having a lot of knowledge already is a valuable focus. Many of the skills and pieces of knowledge students will need to know in their adult lives are non-existent now, and it is important to ensure that they are able to adapt to those changes instead of filling their heads with knowledge that will soon be obsolete.
I also liked their emphasis on the universality of these principles. While Google is something of a niche company (an elite high-tech firm that recruits from all over the world), many workplaces live by the same principles. To that end, i also try to ensure that my students are able to connect the skills they’re developing to the real world and their potential careers after school.
Their lack of focus on expertise was interesting as well. The interest in ability to learn over having a lot of knowledge already is a valuable focus. Many of the skills and pieces of knowledge students will need to know in their adult lives are non-existent now, and it is important to ensure that they are able to adapt to those changes instead of filling their heads with knowledge that will soon be obsolete.
I also liked their emphasis on the universality of these principles. While Google is something of a niche company (an elite high-tech firm that recruits from all over the world), many workplaces live by the same principles. To that end, i also try to ensure that my students are able to connect the skills they’re developing to the real world and their potential careers after school.