The Oct. Technology and Learning contains an interesting article addressing whether the recently published vision of 21st Century Skills and the core skills forming the focus of NCLB are compatible or contradictory. I have been waiting for the Technology and Learning web site made this article available to promote this article (Judy Salpeter).
One core challenge is the designation of “essential skills.” NCLB may have identified some, but not all of what is necessary. Another challenge concerns understanding the connection between “the basics” and “meaningful applications.” Is it necessary to assure that the basics are in place before more meaningful activities are attempted or is it more useful to learn what basic knowledge is needed in the context of meaningful learning tasks. How does the emphasis on “essential skill” testing influence the distribution of classroom experiences between “the basics” and “meaningful applications? If a balanced approach is recommended, what will encourage teachers to take the risk of developing activities that are not directly related to those objectives emphasized on tests?
