21st Century American Students: What do students really need to attain?
Educators can teach 21st century skills. The country lost an extraordinary American when Charlie Kirk passed away. This post is not whether I agree with Charlie’s ideology on all issues he brought to our attention and every issue he bravely debated. However, his sharp critique on higher education has strikingly similar parallels in how the universities are not effectively preparing young Americans for the 21st century. I agree with him and I would also agree that the American educational system is not in alignment with the 21st Century. My focus is on utilizing our current human capital into creating schools that are intentional, evidenced-based, and aligned to the skillsets of the 21st century. We need highly qualified students who are college and career ready, who have the skills, grit, and creativity to pursue their chosen path.
We must provide the necessary structures and foundation that is critical in order to create and strengthen 21st century skills in ALL students. All schools need to provide systematic phonics instruction in grades K-2 so students arriving at third grade are proficient in reading and writing. The evidence is in, the data is in, the research is overwhelming. Systematic Phonics works for ALL students. Literacy lays the foundation for 21st century skills that need to be developed and honed. Young students need to have stamina and the internal desire to pursue their ideas in the face of opposition or resistance. Developing grit is a central standard in the 21st century American School.
More American students must leave their K-12 experience with the will \and the unstoppable American disposition of never giving up and pushing through even when failure presents itself. 21st century American Schools must develop their overall curriculum and courses to with the focus on what the essential ingredients of what a true American warrior is. They must posses the grit to keep improving and learning to hone their own skills. American history is steeped with men and women who had the grit to keep going even in the face of personal loss and triumph. There are hidden examples of individuals that had that grit that moved the country forward. We are now in the 21st century and that grit is now a necessity trait that American schools need to cultivate among ALL of its students. When 21st century schools reimagine the “how” to instill grit into our students that will unleash the pinnacle of what we want 21st century American Schools to produce, the result will be unbridled dominance of American creativity.
21st century schools need to produce students that have the ambition and the audacity to create and innovate. To challenge the status quo in moving themselves and the greater good forward. Our K-12 schools must reimagine what those systems and processes look like, feel like, to redesign the experiences that students need in order to thrive, not survive in a 21st century global economy where American ideals and ideas dominant our great land. Charlie Kirk challenged American higher education and sharply eviscerated the actual intent of what their actual responsibility is to America. K-12 education needs to adapt and align into true 21st century American Schools. The return on investment not to change will have disastrous consequences while the return on investment to align is immeasurable to The United States of America.
