There is ALWAYS more ‘stuff’ we could be teaching. There’s an estimate that web content increases approximately 3000% every year. That’s a lot more stuff every year! Even if that estimate isn’t accurate, the fact that world-wide content is expanding exponentially should tell us that schools are unable to teach all of what’s ‘out there’. So, deciding on WHAT to teach is becoming more difficult. Should ‘survival in the wild’ or ‘changing a flat tire’ be on top of the wish list?

To be fair, some of those items I’ve listed seem reasonable — children should know how to ‘do stuff’ that they need to lead a successful life. And, we actually do teach lots of things such as basic sewing, manners, and some financial literacy.

Without question, students should learn some stuff, but more importantly they need to learn HOW to learn and be critical about the stuff. In a world filled with opinions instead of facts, where Artificial Intelligence is blurring the lines between ‘reality’ and ‘it looks like reality‘, and where intolerance towards others seems to be on the rise … the importance of teaching the HOW is more important than ever.

How to:

• think critically
• think creatively
• be socially aware
• be accepting of others

We are preparing our children to be healthy, productive global citizens — young adults who can critically question information, be open to new possibilities, and build their capacity to be caring and compassionate – all in a world that regularly devolves into chasms of misunderstanding, intolerance, and fake news.

It is impossible for K-12 education to teach everything that is useful — nor should we be trying. We have rethought education. We prepare students to be inquisitive, creative and open-minded so they can discover more about themselves and the world around them. Facts can be interesting, but they lose their value if not attached to broader skills or competencies. This is where BC has been exceling and is garnering world-wide attention for its efforts.

Use facts and content to teach the broader topics of how to learn, how to be a critical thinker, how to effectively collaborate and communicate, and how to be inclusive of everyone in our community. These are the skills that will provide our students with so much more to conquer the world ahead of them. This is the path forward. This is the way!

But, please learn how to take care of your dog as well. One of the best people I know is my dog — his love for everyone and his joy for life are insatiable. I’m a better person because of him.