21st CENTURY SKILLS v. ANY CENTURY SKILLS?

As I approach 40 years in public education I realize that bashing public education is national sport. Over the years I have seen, heard and read about the “crisis in education”.

In 1958, Life Magazine published an article that stated, “The facts of the school crisis are all out in plain sight and pretty dreadful to look at. People are complaining that the diploma has been devalued to the point of being meaningless… It is hard to deny that America’s schools, which were supposed to reflect one of history’s noblest dreams and to cultivate the intellects of our youth, have degenerated into a system of coddling and entertaining the mediocre.”

A few generations later, Education Secretary T.H. Bell created the National Commission in Excellence in Education. One of the Commission’s reports talked of a “rising tide of mediocrity” for America’s students that put our nation at risk in regard to our global competitiveness.

Now, almost 10 years into the 21st century, our students are still in a “crisis in education” with regard to global competiveness. The fact is nothing has significantly changed in education throughout the course of my career. When students across the county are asked what they know, even in international comparisons, they do well. Their responses when asked what they understand do not reflect the same result. When asked to use what they know and understand in real world situations, the response is mesmerizingly poor.

So what’s my point?

My point is (and what prompted this blog) is a recent article I came across by Andrew Rotherham, 21st Century Skills Are Not a New Educational Trend but Could Be a Fad.

• Educators , now more than ever, need to unite around the idea that there are new skills students must have to be successful in today’s economy;
• They should build upon blending the past pedagogies, teaching of content and values with 21st century skill sets;
• So that our children will be locally and globally competitive at a new level of past and present expectations, and more successful than we can dream in a time we will not see.

Kevin Castner, Ed.D.
Cambridge Educational Planning Strategist