With the impending arrival of the common core, we often hear the rationale for the accompanying shifts in teaching and learning as “preparing students for college and career.” I have no issue with this idea. In fact, I think it is a very good one. But are we all in agreement what “college” and “career” looks like? I think not.
Let me share two resources I’ve recently found that make me wonder if “preparing students for college and career” is just a bunch of hot air and not really different thinking. First, check out this infographic about the future of higher education and explain to me how our K-12 school systems are preparing students for the “substantial change” scenario of college.
From TheBestColleges.org.
The second resource is a video from The Teaching Channel. The Teaching Channel is an excellent resource, particularly for the Common Core, largely because it contains many video examples focused on the common core and good instructional practice. Visit the site and check out some of the videos, paying particular attention to the learning environment. Or you can take a few minutes and watch the example linked below from the site. How is the learning environment, void of any technology tools, preparing our students for college and career? Is it possible to have a learning environment (one that prepares students for real world work and challenges) that does not provide the access to technology to identify, research, question and collaboratively develop solutions to those problems?
Example: Start with a “Do now”
- A silver lining - January 22, 2022
- Is our use of tech working against us? 🤔 - September 8, 2021
- What’s NOT going to change in the next 10 years? 🤔 - September 7, 2021