Do students in America have the sisu to rise up to a crisis? Do they have the fortitude to compete internationally? Do they even know they are in a fight for their lives as we know it? I find myself losing sleep over questions like this as we trudge forward trying to gain an additional 4 points on our state tests to make AYP.
How long will we aim at a target that has very little to do with preparing our students for a 21st century world? Who will be responsible for stepping up and changing the target? Who will help our students understand The World is Flat and our eyes should be squarely placed on how we fit into this global community? Isn't it time for another Sputnik movement? Aren't we in the same spot as we were in the 1950s?
What will it take for us to turn in the proper direction? Could a national curriculum be designed to open our eyes and stare at the global issues that should be a vital part of our students' education today? Could we find a way to assess students that shows their abilities to think with rigor without it being a paper and pencil (now computerized) test?
My belief is that we can rise to the challenge. We can get it right and change the targets. We can redevelop sisu. But we better do it soon.
I have heard from several educators that the Finnish system is a model that should be replicated. I think the American school curriculum need to stop focusing on the tests and include more necessary and relevant content related to international problem solving and collaboration. This is the world our students already live in and many know we have failed at foreign policy for such a long time. I've been living in Germany for the past 4 years and traveled to 15 different countries and this is the impression all I have spoken with have of America. I think there is definite truth. I think it is because global collaboration is not part of the curriculum even though majority of jobs require international collaboration. Without know this our students fail to see other viewpoints and communicate effectively to solve problems like the financial crisis, war, and environmental issues.
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