21st Century Learning a Fad?

Wow, some powerful stuff going on in the educational world and I, for one, am excited, nervous and curious as to where this all leads.  Teaching methods have come and gone over the course of human history and it seems to the experienced teacher, there is a new fad each and every year.  This gets both tiresome and frustrating.  Tiresome, because we know that our Superintendents, however well meaning, will be jumping all over this new trend and “force” change among  their ranks.  It is frustrating, that maybe, just maybe, one of these new trends will actually be the “holy grail”, but will be missed, because teachers are ignoring this latest trend as just a fad.  That worries me and honestly, makes me pause when I hear something, that one its surface, sounds exciting and spot on, but hasn’t really had a vetting process.  21^st Century Skills sounds like a nice phrase, but is it really “different” from what good teachers have been doing in the past?  I am not convinced that it is.  It does have a nice catchy title though.  Something struck me as I was reading the proposal from Mr. Kay’s organization and it is something that I have been discussing and frustrated with for many years:

 

“Increasing the average number of years of schooling attained by the labor force

boosts the economy only when increased levels of school attainment also boost

cognitive skills. In other words, it is not enough simply to spend more time in

school; something has to be learned there.”

Agreed.  Here is my dilemma, does doing a full scale, frontal attack on current educational practices and replacing them with this new paradigm unto which all would be tied to going to address this statement?  I am not sure it does.  Foundational content is absolutely vital to a person’s understanding of the world around them.  Yes, working in small groups is important.  Problem solving is critical.  Interpreting information is paramount.  None of these are relevant though if a student does NOT have learned content unto which they can pull from.  Mr. Rotherham states:  “While students should leave school with more than just facts in their head, facts do matter, too. Content undergirds critical thinking, analysis, and broader information literacy skills. To critically analyze various documents requires engagement with content and a framework within which to place the information.”

How many times has a teacher in a classroom had a collaborative project in class and all the children are “working” together in an honest effort to accomplish the task only to have at the end, 1 or 2 individuals that really got anything at all from the task?  I venture to say, if we speak honestly, this happens a lot.  Now, was that assignment a waste of time?  NO!!!!  But, it could have been so much more if the unmotivated in the group would have spent more time learning the content of the project more and contributed in a more sustentative manner, instead of “riding the coattails” of others in the group.

Mr. Matthews shares a personal story that is very similar to the previous point in his past:

“My final exam would be applauded today by promoters of 21st-century skills. We had to plot a course on a Boston Harbor cruise ship, strategizing, analyzing, collaborating. I don't recall understanding any of what was going on, but I turned something in. As I expected, I got a good grade and a bachelor's degree, despite learning no science.”.

This is not out of the norm unfortunately, and as an educator, what I want more than anything else is a commitment from the students to give me their all, and I will promise them the same in return.  This, to me is the crux.  We have coddled young people for so long that they no longer take responsibility for their learning.  Instead, it has to be presented to them in some manner or fashion that is all but impossible to keep up with.  I am a huge proponent of technology within the classroom, but I also understand that a digital world is not the “be all, end all” in life.  I do believe there is a place for the analog in the world and that our young people need to be able to utilized that as well.  We need to round our children more and not specialize them more. 

Is the “21^st Century Skills” movement something that is here to stay?  Yes, the general principles behind the movement most certainly will be around for years to come.  I believe all these skills are necessary for the future, but how it is incorporated into the overall development of the young person is paramount.  Will the label “21^st Century Skills” be around for a long time?  Doubtful.