Section+1.2

Learning Objective = = =Section 1.2- Future Trends and Personal Strengths=
 * Analyze future trends to evaluate the individuals’ strengths

So “life marches on” (oops, there’s another cliché rearing it’s literary head!) and “the times they are a changin’ “-OK, I’ll stop now!- but how do you deal with it? How will you know what field to enter if it’s all going to change? Here’s the thing, change happens in stages and we can always make predictions that will prepare us. Being a Dental Technician used to involve creating: using hands and eyes to match shades, using moulds and wax, to make impressions and then carving porcelain into pearly whites that would withstand years of chewing, talking, and smiling. Today the end product is still the same; however, it takes a four-year degree and a fantastic knowledge of digitalization, figure computation, and still some of that artistic handiwork. The Dental Technicians of 20 years ago could see the changes coming. They knew that in order to keep up in their profession they must learn new skills. =**We all do this, it’s human nature. Not just the adjustment to a career but that of life.**= Your Grandfather probably didn’t have a remote control for the T.V. as a kid; I bet he does now! It’s called //Life-Long-Learning//, even if it’s just learning to use the remote! How has your education prepared you for future success? Are you a life-long-learning? You have already completed your educational biography, so you have thought of the impact of your prior learning on your life, but how well has it prepared you for the ever-changing workforce? Well, hopefully you’ve been given the “bones” or building blocks to learn and experience new things in life. Learning to read is one of the biggest! (One of the telltale signs of a society’s development is its literacy rate.) Encouraging open mindedness and excellent communication skills are other important skills to prepare you for a variety of situations. I’m sure that as you go through your day, you notice a lot of things that aid in your ability to stay focused and learn new things, you may have just not thought about it. Well, I want you to think about it!

Assignment 3
Keep a five-day journal or log noting all the things that contribute to “life-long-learning” and the idea of “change” or “growth”. Go from class to class, before and after school, and jot down anything you can think of that strikes your interest or that you would use in the future. //Example :// You discuss Environmental issues in Biology, that makes an impact, right? You might recycle more or discuss the topic with friends. You might understand now how pollution can promote certain cancers or why the weather seems to be going through radical changes. You WILL use that information.

Assignment 4
One of the essential skills that we require in life is the ability of knowing where to go when we need help. Complete the chart below and identify where you have gone in the before, where you go now and where you will go in the future for advice in dealing with these situations. What general observations can you make about the trends?
 * Event || 7 years ago || Now || 7 years from now || In 20 years ||
 * Someone is threatening me at school/work ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * I am failing in my responsibilities at school/work ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * I want to change my assignment at school/work ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * I want to improve my personal image ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * My relationships at home are stressful ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * I think I deserve better grades/pay than I get ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * There is a lot of wasted resources at work/school ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * I want to change jobs/schools ||  ||   ||   ||   ||

Post a synopsis of your journal and a copy of Assignment 4 in the Dropbox.

Return to Unit Overview or go on to 1.3