Transforming Our Schools- One Century @ a Time
Posted by Heather Sullivan on February 25, 2009
What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “21st Century Schools”?
I immediately think of the following quote (often attributed to a variety of people):
21st Century Schools strive to prepare students for their future, not our past.
So, what kind of “skills” do we still insist (some of us fighting tooth & nail in the process) need to be “taught”, but in reality, are not helping to prepare our students for their fast-paced, information-driven, digital lives? Here are a few that come to mind:
- Cursive handwriting
- Rote/repetitive memorization
- Memorizing historical facts/figures
- Memorizing just about anything for that matter!
- Pencil & paper note-taking
- Outlining text book chapters
- Sitting still at a desk by yourself for 45 minutes
- Keeping you work to yourself
- Running from classroom to classroom on a “bell schedule”
I could go on, but in the interest of moving this conversation in a more positive direction, I’ll stop the “old-school” list here. 
Now, on to a fresher list. A list of skills/attributes that actually FIT our modern students. The following is a list of what Don Tapscott refers to as the “Eight Norms of the Net Generation”:
- Collaboration
- Innovation
- Scrutiny
- Flexibility
- Freedom
- Customization
- Integrity
- Speed
What do you think are “old-school skills” that we need to stop “teaching”, or at least stop emphasizing so much? More importantly, what skills do you think we need to START “teaching” more of? Please comment
