New math. Digital literacy. Executive function. Soft skills. None of these things were “things” when we were in school. Education seemed straightforward to us. We were taught something, memorized it, shared it on the test and moved on to the next topic. Most of us had no clue as to how rules of language, math or science came to be. We accepted what we were taught. The end.

Fast forward to 2017… or even 2000. Life has changed. Yes, there are still things that are taught today that were taught when we were in elementary or middle school and will continue to be taught forever. We learned to read, to compute and to write. We all have to memorize facts and figures. However, some things have changed. Are we to teach children the skills needed to function in the world or do we need to teach them the concepts that build those skills? What will serve them in the long run? Continue reading →