The way we teach kids has not changed very much over the years. Yet all around our schools, society has changed in astounding ways. We are able to put humans into space, and yet, students in America’s urban schools couldn’t explain how a vehicle put into space is able to orbit the earth. The curriculum of our schools is designed to keep kids thinking inside the box, and discourage innovative thinking. Yet, there are currently calls for finding ways to bring our schools out of the 20th century. Time Magazine’s lead article this week addressed this issue.

In today’s schools, the major concern is preparing students for the annual barrage of testing to make sure “no kid is left behind.” Unfortunately, many kids are being left behind, and will be in the future if our schools do not change. As long as we continue along the path determined by the endless lists of standards (objectives, major concepts, call them what you wish), thinking will be discouraged in favor of time on task in preparation for the “test.”

Skills required by students in a global society will be very different than what was required in the past. Global thinking will require abilities to solve problems, to think out-of-the box, to be innovative, to work in teams, to possess powerful communication skills, and have the confidence to work with people from various cultures. The way we have organized schools and curriculum tends to mitigate against these goals, and instead fosters passive learners who are not very good at problem solving.

Recently I wrote about the lack of scientific literacy of students in the Atlanta school district, even though is resides within one of the richest science communities in the Southeast. Here are nested several major universities, science centers, museums and other science related institutions. Yet, science plays second fiddle in the school district’s curriculum, and the superintendent really doesn’t care since there is little accountability required in science, but instead in reading and math. There is no way to encourage thinking out-of-the-box when the superintendent is stuck in the box.

In spite of this, there are vistas of possibility on the horizon. A new report is due to be released which will call upon the schools to think differently about the kinds of thinking skills that ought to be fundamental to school. To be issued as the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, it will chart a very different course for education in the U.S. The report will issued very soon, and you will be able to find it on the previous link.

Thomas Freidman, in his most recent New York Times article made reference to the report cited above, and indicated that education in our country (or any for that matter) ought to be focused on “producing” workers who can think creatively. They also ought to be able to work in teams, and solve problems using out-of-the-box abilities.