Critical thinking needs to be placed at the heart of educational reform. (Paul and Binker, 1990). What is critical thinking? Critical thinking is the ability to be in control of one’s thinking. “It includes the ability to consciously examine the elements of one’s reasoning, or that of another, and evaluate that reasoning against universal intellectual standards: clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, and logic” (Eichhorn, 2006). One way teachers can foster critically thinking skills is with online tools and discussions (Macknight, 2001).
Binker, R. (1990). Critical thinking: what every person needs to survive in a rapidly changing world.. Rohnert Park, CA. Center for Critical Thinking and Moral Critique, Sonoma State University.
According to Project Based Learning Resources Website (2010):
Project Based Learning is an instructional approach built upon authentic learning activities that engage student interest and motivation. These activities are designed to answer a question or solve a problem and generally reflect the types of learning and work people do in the everyday world outside the classroom.
Project Based Learning is synonymous with learning in depth. A well-designed project provokes students to encounter (and struggle with) the central concepts and principles of a discipline.
Project Based Learning teaches students 21st century skills as well as content. These skills include communication and presentation skills, organization and time management skills, research and inquiry skills, self-assessment and reflection skills, and group participation and leadership skills.
Project Based Learning is generally done by groups of students working together toward a common goal. Performance is assessed on an individual basis, and takes into account the quality of the product produced, the depth of content understanding demonstrated, and the contributions made to the ongoing process of project realization.
According to the Buck Institute for Education (2010) Project Based Learning is more effective than traditional instruction in increasing academic achievement on annual state-administered assessment tests. It is more effective than traditional instruction for teaching mathematics, economics, science, social science, clinical medical skills, and for careers in the allied health occupationsand teaching. It is more effective than traditional instruction for long-term retention, skill development and satisfaction of students and teachers. It is more effective than traditional instruction for preparing students to integrate and explain concepts. It improves students’ mastery of 21st-century skills. It is especially effective with lower-achieving students. Lastly it provides an effective model for whole school reform.
Project based learning. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://pbl-online.org/
Do you remember where you were? 11 years ago, I remember. I was a RA for Concordia University Wisconsin. I was sleeping in, when I heard one of my residents yelling we are under attack. Mad that he woke me from my sleep, I got up and went out to yell at him to be quiet. Quickly I realize he was playing around. Turning on my tv, I saw the second plane hit. What was going on? Seriously was this some sort of joke. Then it became really personal to me. My father was flying from California to Wisconsin for a business trip, but also to visit. My dad didn't have a cell phone at the time, and there was no way for me to get a hold of him. I quickly called my mother, but she didn't hear from him either. I didn't know if his plan left already. Then the Pentagon was hit and the plane crash in Pennsylvania. Watching, listening, trying to comfort my residents as best as someone could, report comes out of more planned attacks from other major cities. One of those being from LAX, where my father was flying out of. I was suppose to have archery class in a few hours. I made it to my prof, to let her know, there was no way I could shoot a bow until I heard from my father. Have you ever felt that helpless? That hopeless? In the Bible, there are many stories that people have felt helpless and hopeless. The Israelite wandering the desert for forty years. The Israelite captives in Babylonia, where Jeremiah reminds them they will have to suffer another 70 years. And so on.
Later that afternoon, I finally got word, my father was ok. He was on the plane, they were about to take off when they got word about the attacks and the air ports were closed. I was relieved in the sense my family was safe, but what about everyone else. The people in the buildings, the people in the planes, their families. Every year on 9/11 I took a lot of time to remember and watch the news and shows. I even taped 16 hours worth of broadcast 1 year after 9/11 (which I still have on VCR in storage). I was never going to forget. It was a sad day. When I began teaching, I made sure my students remembered also (or taught about the events, as I began having students born after 2001).
Then 7 years ago happen! 7 years ago I was sitting in a hospital room, being the supportive role I could be as my wife gave birth to our first born son. September, 11 2005 at 5:35am in Fullerton, California. Each year that has past since the birth of my son, the sadness of what 9/11 once was is replaced with happiness of what to come in my Son's life. This year, I will never forget 9/11 I will always remember the day America was attacked, but it won't be a sad day as my son was way too eager to go to bed last night so he could wake up early and be his birthday. This day is about my son.
What is 21st century education? According to Scott Mcleod Blog(2008), “It is bold. It breaks the mold. It is flexible, creative, challenging, and complex. It addresses a rapidly changing world filled with fantastic new problems as well as exciting new possibilities.” 21st Century education is a shift in the teacher, the learner, and the space the learner is in. Christopher D Sessus (2009) states, “21st century teaching and learning is about developing skills and habits of mind that allow people to actively participate in society using all forms of media available. It stems from the need to teach people how to think and reflect critically on what is happening around them and to develop creative solutions that serve personal and social needs.” To “bridge the gap between how students live and how they learn,” P21 has identified six key elements for 21st century education including, core subjects and learning skills as well as 21st century tools, contexts, content, and assessment. These six elements shape an educational reform agenda that P21 argues will enable young people to develop a wide range of skills (e.g., media, communication critical thinking, creative, problem solving, interpersonal, collaborative) while using information and communication technologies in real world contexts. To help education leaders and policymakers implement 21st century teaching and learning, P21 recently launched Route 21 (P21, 2007), an online, one-stop shop for 21st century skills-related information, resources and tools. Daniel Pink in A Whole New Mind, (2005) boldly claims that “the future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind—creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers, and meaning makers. These people . . . will now reap society’s richest rewards and share its greatest joys.”
What does the word mean? To some it just means what textbook are you using. Usually that is the easiest way to define what our Curriculum is. I would like to share with you 5 other definitions of the word curriculum:
A course of study (derived from the Latin "currere" meaning "to run a course")
Course content, the information or knowledge that students are to learn
Planned learning experiences
Intended learning outcomes, the results of instruction as distinguished from the means (activities, materials) of instruction
All the experiences that students have while at school
I really like that last definition. All the experiences. When I was a teacher, some of the best time to learn was in between classes or while at recess. As a teacher and educator, we must look at four different type of curriculum.
The explicit curriculum - what schools list and document as their teachings through course work and school activities, including goals and aims, courses and lessons, knowledge, skills, and attitudes
The hidden curriculum - the behaviors, attitudes, and information that schools many unintentionally teach students such as outlooks toward authority, ideas about "success," and internalized beliefs about works righteousness.
The null curriculum - what schools do not teach or make available to students including certain courses (such as anthropology or architecture) as well as certain outlooks, attitudes, and beliefs (such as concern for assorted social issues or political perspectives)
The co-curricular program - already acknowledge in the explicit curriculum above for schools who view curriculum in a holistic way; but sometimes distinguished from formal classroom work. (Consider whether or not you want to make this distinction.)
As a Christian school we must have essential Biblical imperatives. We must blend intentionally faith and Scriptures into our daily lives.
Source: Planning for a Lutheran High School, The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. 1997.
