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Defining Great.
By dorothy.bialke | March 4, 2008
This past weekend I spent time with people who are from the Greatest Generation and I listened to them complain that nothing is made in the Great United States of America anymore. They went on to say that maybe our country is not so great anymore. This made me reflect on a few things.
- First, is the number of products made in the USA a benchmark for defining great?
- Second, if it is not products what defines great?
These are two very tough questions and I firmly believe there are many answers.
As an educational leader these comments and questions make me reflect on my work. I need to be aware of the world our current students will be working in eight or more years and the skills they will need.
- Should they be prepared to “make products” or to “develop products”?
- What will these “products” look like?
- Will they be concrete items such as cars, appliances, medical equipment or will they be abstract products that will help speed communication, transform medical evaluations, or help meet the basic needs of people throughout the world?
The potential answers to these questions should be influencing what is happening in the schools.
Former Maine Governor Angus King introduced the idea of a 1:1 laptop initiative state wide in Maine. Here is his reason, ” For more than 100 years, Maine has always been in the bottom third of states- in prosperity, income, education, and opportunity for our kids. In my 30 years of working on Maine economic issues, no idea has had as much potential for leapfrogging the other states and putting Maine in a position of national leadership as this one- giving our students portable, Internet-ready computers as a basic tool for learning.”
This governor was analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of his state. The greatest economic strengths of Maine are the forests and waters, yielding wood products, water power, fisheries, and ocean commerce. Currently, the largest industry is paper manufacturing. However, since the 1980s manufacturing employment has dropped. Maine’s greatest current economic weakness is its limited access to the national transportation network that links major production and manufacturing centers with large metropolitan markets. By facing these realities, the governor took a bold stance and made a change in how things are being done in Maine so the future can look differently. This governor knew that by educating the students of Maine in a different way with different tools it would open up new paths for employment. This type of courageous leadership should be applauded.
How would our schools look if all educational leaders had courageous conversation about how to educate the students? I have attended many workshops that have told me to have these conversations:
- Will the current way of doing things maintain the quality education of your school?
- If you continue to do the same thing will your children be prepared for their future or for the current work force?
When I look at what we are doing at St. Raphael’s I know we have started having those courageous conversations and we are changing how we are doing things. The staff is dedicated on helping our students grow in their skills so they will be prepared for the future. To accomplish this we are using technology to help deliver instruction, to help students learn and demonstrate their learning. We are asking the students to work in partnerships, to look for more than one answer, and to reach out to the world beyond their classroom. We are excited that the students are embracing this challenge.
It is through this hard work and making changes that the United States of America will continue to be great. I am excited each day to be a part of an educational environment that is willing to tackle the unknown future and help prepare our students for it.
Topics: 21st Century Skills, toolbox for learning, technology, core 6 |