--- title: Friends School Blog | STEM description: STEM | Friends School of Baltimore’s private school blog provides thought-provoking ideas and trends in Pre-K-12 education. The Thinking Cap focuses on a wide range of topics, from the importance of play in problem solving and the maker movement, to technology in the middle school classroom and the A.P. curriculum. Friends School of Baltimore – the world needs what our children can do. --- ![ThinkingCapHeader.jpg](https://blog.friendsbalt.org/hs-fs/hubfs/ThinkingCapHeader.jpg?width=4000&name=ThinkingCapHeader.jpg "ThinkingCapHeader.jpg") # Friends School of Baltimore Private School Blog ## [Preparing Our Children for the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”](https://blog.friendsbalt.org/preparing-our-children-for-the-fourth-industrial-revolution) Posted by [Matt Micciche, Head of School, Friends School of Baltimore](https://blog.friendsbalt.org/author/matt-micciche-head-of-school-friends-school-of-baltimore) on Dec 5, 2018 4:11:07 PM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://blog.friendsbalt.org/hubfs/MM-12-5-18-Humanities.jpg)](https://blog.friendsbalt.org/preparing-our-children-for-the-fourth-industrial-revolution) Recently [edsurge.com](https://www.edsurge.com/) published a fascinating[article](https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-10-06-the-most-important-skills-for-the-4th-industrial-revolution-try-ethics-and-philosophy) by Tony Wan that introduced me to a term with which I had been unfamiliar; “the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”  The gist of the article is that as we enter this next stage of human development (“a time when new technologies blur the physical, digital, and biological boundaries of our lives”), the skills most in demand will not merely be those focusing on the STEM fields and computer programming, but will include philosophy, ethics and morality as well. To illustrate this point Wan cites the “[Moral Machine](http://moralmachine.mit.edu/)” dilemma proposed by MIT professor Iyad Rahwan: “(A)n autonomous vehicle is in a situation where it must make one of two choices: kill its two passengers, or five pedestrians.” Wan then poses a critical question: “If we are leaving these choices in the hands of machine intelligence … (who)are the ones that are going to be setting up the frameworks for these machines?” Wan would argue, and I concur, that this exciting and complex new age of smart machines demands heightened levels of the qualities that are most inherently *human*, and that the humanities are, therefore, *more* important and relevant than ever before; this despite what the plummeting rate of college humanities majors would suggest.  (See also Nicholas Kristof’s 2014 *New York Times*[editorial on the continuing need for the humanities in the 21st Century](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/14/opinion/nicholas-kristof-dont-dismiss-the-humanities.html?ref=todayspaper), in which he points out that it is only in the marriage of "hard skills" like computer programming with "soft skills" such as philosophical discernment that civilizations flourish.) Having spent many years hard at work with my colleagues crafting an environment that fosters such vital traits as reflection, resilience, critical thinking, empathy, curiosity, and creativity – key elements of Friends School’s [Teaching and Learning Paradigm](https://www.friendsbalt.org/page/academics/academics-at-friends/teaching--learning) – it is thrilling to see how these softer skills are informing the way we prepare young people for the complexity and fluidity of this new era.  Bring on the (Fourth) Revolution!   # # #   [Read More](https://blog.friendsbalt.org/preparing-our-children-for-the-fourth-industrial-revolution) 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.friendsbalt.org/preparing-our-children-for-the-fourth-industrial-revolution#comments-listing) Topics: [STEM](https://blog.friendsbalt.org/topic/stem), [Humanities](https://blog.friendsbalt.org/topic/humanities), [4th Industrial Revolution](https://blog.friendsbalt.org/topic/4th-industrial-revolution) [All posts](https://blog.friendsbalt.org/all) ## Considering an Independent School?  ### Download Friends School's "15 Important Questions to Ask when visiting an independent school."  - Learn *the right questions* to ask when evaluating school options.  - Gain confidence in making the important decision of where to send your child to school.  [![15 Questions to Ask](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2241609/557274a3-d5bd-483e-b05a-38749edfaf21.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2241609/557274a3-d5bd-483e-b05a-38749edfaf21) ### Subscribe to Email Updates ### Other blog posts ## Experience Friends  ### Experience our culture and campus like never before.  [![](https://blog.friendsbalt.org/hs-fs/hubfs/experience%20friends%20crop.jpg?width=390&height=195&name=experience%20friends%20crop.jpg "experience friends crop.jpg")](http://experience.friendsbalt.org/) [![Inquire at Friends](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2241609/bc7b32da-058b-4329-963b-f235b0318869.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2241609/bc7b32da-058b-4329-963b-f235b0318869) ![Site-Footer-Wordmark.png](https://blog.friendsbalt.org/hs-fs/hubfs/LogosSeals/Site-Footer-Wordmark.png?width=320&name=Site-Footer-Wordmark.png "Site-Footer-Wordmark.png") Friends School of Baltimore is a private coeducational Quaker school founded in 1784 and serving students in Pre-K through 12th grade. Learn more about Friends School by visiting our [website](https://www.friendsbalt.org/page) and [virtual viewbook](https://experience.friendsbalt.org).   \[fa icon="phone"\]  410-649-3211 \[fa icon="envelope"\]  [admission@friendsbalt.org](mailto:admission@friendsbalt.org) 5114 North Charles Street Baltimore Maryland 21210 \[fa icon="chevron-up"\]Back to top