The discussion was between Mark Zuckerberg, focused on coding and scalability, and Michael Bloomberg countering with suggestions for retraining for more practical skills. Since Bloomberg was speaking at an energy conference, he says “you’re not going to teach a coal miner to code.” The author of the article, Tony DiBenedetto, has an opinion that falls in between, as do I. Yes, people can learn new things. It doesn’t matter what they did before, though having something knew that is somehow tethered to previous knowledge helps. But connections can be made, and people can learn entirely new skills. Everyone is different, not defined by their job. People need to learn how to learn, and make the connections that work for them.
Great article about personalized learning for the workforce. “How do we provide a safety net to help American workers transition from the old economy driven by physical labor to the new economy driven by intellectual property? And how do we help our troops coming home do the same?”
via Why Mark Zuckerberg and Michael Bloomberg Are Having the Wrong Debate Over Job Training | Inc.com.
New Images of Education 