By Tammie Mulvey
Houlton Rotarian
The Houlton Rotary had a very exciting meeting April 1. Some of us do not like change or have difficulty adjusting to it. Well, if you have children or are in the education system at all you better hold on.
There are many changes coming our way, and they are due. The last major change to the education system was in the late 1800’s – early 1900’s, so yeah it is time. Mike and Ray both spoke about how the technology that we have today are great tools to help educate our youth, but they are not what we are educating them on. The focus is student centered. As most of us know we all learn differently. Some learn faster or slower or just simply in different ways and ages.
Contributed photo/Michael Clark
ROTARY GUEST — Speaking to the Houlton Rotary Club at its April 1 meeting were Mike Hammer and Rae Bates of RSU 29. The two spoke of the changes in the education system. Welcoming Hammer, left, and Bates, middle, is Rotary President Ryan Bushey.
Now they will be looking at whether they are learning not when. That may sound like some do not learn. No, that is not the case – learning is a constant and time is the variable – all will learn but what does that youth need at this time? The education system really needs to reach more students in a specialized way. Another way to look at what is planned for teaching our students is that it is not about how much you learn (today) but what matters is how long you retain and use the information that you learned. This collaboration, currently among 40 states, is a core state of standards.
Critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration across networks and leading by influence, agility and adaptability, initiative and entrepreneurship, effective oral and written communication, accessing and analyzing information, curiosity and imagination are all part of Tony Wagner’s Seven Survival Skills as defined by business leaders in their own words.
This is where we are headed, not that “we” are taking one mans beliefs and changing the entire education system. It is where employers and our communities need students to be in order to be more valuable employees. Some of the above listed things sound like common sense to many of us, but it is sad to say that currently in today’s society many of our youth do not have many of these or they have one or two that they really shine in but can’t seem to figure out the rest.
It is critical that your students get the chance to do better. Too many are falling through the cracks. It is not OK, and even those that are excelling in the current system are lacking many daily “work” skills that employers are looking for. So hold on and get ready for the exciting changes that are going to take place. It almost makes me wish I was back in high school.
For more information, speak to your local school board, and be on the lookout for town meetings. You can also visit www.maine.gov/edu for more information. One bill that is being looked at is LD1422 to prepare Maine people for the future economy.
