Author: edtech

The documentary Most Likely to Succeed (2015), by Greg Whiteley, put into question America’s educational system. A concept developed over a century ago that doesn’t quite fit into our modern 21st century. Across the country, whether public or private schools, there is one primary curriculum: test preparation, particularly test preparation for the SATs. But this factual recall testing does not teach students about work learning or citizen readiness in the 21st century. And one of the roles of being a teacher is to prepare students for the real world and how to be good citizens. With the increasing advancements of technology, the requirement to retain this factual knowledge is not necessary. We have access to information easily and readily. High Tech High is, therefore, taking on a different approach and looking at an alternate curriculum. One that focuses on projects and creative thinking while not conforming to the traditional textbook and grades framework. Having “soft skills” – confidence, time management skills, ability to think critically, ability to collaborate, ability to learn from criticism – are all things students should be learning in this modern world. I believe that is a step in the right direction when thinking about learning for the future. Any jobs that don’t require critical thinking or human creativity are getting replaced by technology, and eventually, they will be gone. We are at a pivotal moment where we are transitioning into a technology-driven world, and therefore we need to experiment with different curriculum/learning methods. I admire High Tech High for stepping outside the box to try something new. But this documentary doesn’t have a follow-up, so we are left with a very preliminary idea, with no in-depth concept on the work being done in the school. I think the education system needs to be revamped. Perhaps a traditional blended model with the innovation being done at High Tech High would be beneficial. I feel like it would coincide with what we are learning in my Secondary PDP classes – multiliteracies, Socratic Seminars, critical thinking, etc. while stepping away from the standardized testing. We want students to enjoy learning and be able to retain what is essential. We want students to know how to access information correctly and contribute with their peers because that is how it is in the real world.