Reading+Reflection+(3)

===Article Review === ===Laura Flahive === ===11/08 === ===Call # EDUC699 === = =

[[image:wash-post-logo1.gif link="@http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/04/AR2009010401532.html"]]
= "The Latest Doomed Pedagogical Fad: 21st-Century Skills" =

By Jay Mathews Monday, January 5, 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/04/AR2009010401532.html

=** Summary of the Article: **= = **"They say changes must be made all at once, or else. In this democracy, we never make changes all at once," said writer Jay Mathews.** = === A fad is precisely what Jay Mathews is worried the new educational push behind 21st Century Skills will become if the wheels aren't slowed and greased. What he means is that too often government and so-called "experts" are calling the shots of what will be the next Holy Grail in education, health care, economics, whatever, with little regard to research, time and the reality that change takes years to even get to a point where it can be tested to be effective or not. What he means is that not many are truly taking the time to understand what it means to teach 21st Century Skills, because if there isn't an effective teacher, there certainly won't be any effective learners. It's simply a matter of cause and effect. Furthermore, 21st Century Skills can't be attained if the skills are taught independently of one another, without cooperation from parents, the community, business owner, and the school. ===

=== One faction can't teach the skills while the other refuses to translate what those skills look like as they transition out of the classroom and into the local banking industry, for example. Kids need to see the cause and effect of the very ideas/concepts we're touting as 21st Century Skills to be able to even begin to buy into the much larger concept of global literacy. Again, it's all cause and effect. And to do that takes a tremendous amount of collaboration and professional development by all parties involved before even implementing 21st Century Skills in the classroom. So, what does that mean in terms of our fast-food-nation mentality? That means we want leg of lamb in Happy Meal time frame. And what does that mean to Mathews? It means this educational movement is another bandwagon attempt at putting a band aid on our educational crisis, "But I see little guidance for classroom teachers in 21st-century skills materials. How are millions of students still struggling to acquire 19th-century skills in reading, writing and math supposed to learn this stuff?" ===

=== Mathews doesn't doubt these skills could be helpful in getting kids to think for themselves, engage them in problem-solving activities that broaden horizons or even help diversify a "back to basics" approach. No. He simply doesn't want it to be like his final project do for one of his last classes in undergraduate. He was able to manipulate what seemed to be a progressive project where he plotted a course on a Boston Harbor cruise ship into a final masterpiece that he was lauded for when, in actuality, he didn't fully understand what he did himself. He explained, "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," which is why taking a good idea and charting a true plan of action over the course of 5 to 7 years is taking the right direction in taking the "fad" out of 21st Century Skills and turning it into an educational tradition that withstands the test of time. ===

= **Reaction/Reflection** = === While the article's title seemingly demonizes the entire 21st Century Skills movement, it really is pointing out a fundamental flaw in 21st Century America as we know it. The best intentions belie the best practices. Sure, we all want a quick fix, but quick fixes only cause bigger problems and even larger attempts at covering up those festering sores. Then all seems lost because the focus is no longer on or at the heart of the issue anymore, but rather on the mess that was created by it. No one is willing to own his or her mistakes and so the good idea becomes a fad that rode out on the last bandwagon with whole language. Seriously though, I loved this article because Mathews is highlighting what I believe is the number one problem facing education, and the irony hovering around it is inescapable. Here we are, experts in education; yet, many of us just buy into the catchphrases and the hype that surround new ideas without questioning the process by which they'll be implemented and what the overall outcome might be. Let's not forget our complete disregard for research, control groups, think tanks and reflection. Mathews is asking, begging us (all parties included) to SLOW DOWN and take our time to truly make effective decisions that will promote long-lasting, positive change. We need to stop being bobble-heads to the louder voices around us and simply start asking "why?" and demand to be meaningfully prepared before we're sent into our classrooms without any collaboration time and without any real common vision. === === I found this article enlightening and disturbing because it not only highlighted the problems within education, but throughout all aspects of what is the American Dream nationwide. Whether it's Obamacare (don't even get me started), Cap and Trade or educational reform, just to name a few, we need to stop being such passive learners and exercise our right to ask why and demand to be part of the process rather than casualties of the results. Simply put, Mathews is asking us to wake-up. ===