Marie+O’Brien+for+President+of+Connecticut+Development+Authority


 * Marie O'Brien**

http://www.ct.gov/governorrell/cwp/view.asp?A=1793&Q=277126

email here: http://www.ctcda.com/staff/default.asp


 * 1) What skills/abilities do you feel students need to have to be successful in the 21st century as employees and business owners?
 * 2) Will these skills/abilities change as the world becomes more globally-interconnected?
 * 3) What do you think is the best way for students to acquire these skills?
 * 4) Looking at the people you currently see entering opening businesses in CT, what are their strengths and what are their weaknesses?
 * 5) There is a lot of discussion in K-12 education about the importance of content knowledge (knowing a lot of “stuff” about math, science, social studies, language arts, etc.) versus the importance of learning skills and students being able to construct their own understanding of material/ideas that are new to them (being able to “learn how to learn”). What are your thoughts regarding how much we should focus on content knowledge versus focusing on students’ ability to learn/adapt/grow? Which would lead to a CT economy that is more entrepreneurial?
 * 6) In schools some classes have their kids world in groups and some individually -- some classes both. How important is it for kids to be working in groups in school? What do you think the balance should be?
 * 7) Tell us a little bit about any changes you foresee for the workplace in the next 5-15? What do you think this means for students currently in high school and for K-12 education in general?
 * 8) What types of technologies should our students be proficient at using?
 * 9) What was the best learning/educational experience you have had? Why?
 * 10) When we're done today, what's the one most important "take-away" message you'd like our listeners to hear?