Downtown Indy
Several
weeks ago HSE administrators drove to the IUPUI campus and met with an
interesting group of higher education people on their home turf in downtown
Indy. HSE and IUPUI are developing
connections and exploring options of how we can help each other. This kind of relationship-building is
happening with other colleges and universities as well, but the IUPUI people
were especially warm, welcoming, and excited about the possibilities.
Their
Executive Vice Chancellor said something right at the beginning of our meeting
that has stuck with me. I’m paraphrasing
here, but he said something similar to this: “We are getting students who have
all the necessary content knowledge.
They know the material, but they don’t always know what to do with the
knowledge or how to handle the unfamiliar demands, freedoms, and choices of
college life.”
As
secondary educators (and sometimes as parents) we recognize the Vice Chancellor
has a point. We do a remarkably good job
of preparing students for the academic side of college life, but we also know
that not all students are ready to handle life outside of the classroom.
Southern California
This
week I ran across a blog entry, “Another Take on ‘College and Career Ready,’”
by John Warner, author and professor of Composition 101 at the University of
Southern California. In this blog, he
takes issue with the use and overuse of the term College and Career Ready.
Warner makes the argument that success at the university does not call
merely for mastery of content; rather he cites the following traits as most
important to success in college—and in life:
- Self-Regulation: Warner points out that many students are not used to managing their own time and freedom and their inexperience causes problems.
- Passion: “It doesn’t matter what the passion is, and it need not be academic.” They need to care about something in order to care about school.
- Empathy: Students must be able to see from another’s point of view. Part of the learning process is gaining a new perspective.
- Courage and Skepticism: Warner argues that student must be willing to ask tough questions, “stick their noses into a discussion,” and believe they can contribute.
The
good folks at IUPUI would, I think, agree with John Warner. College
and Career Ready is more than simply academic content.
Fishers, Indiana
We are
in the process of opening the College and Career Academy at HSE. I know we are equipping our students with the
content knowledge they will need at the next level of education and in careers,
but I also believe we must continue our work of teaching the traits listed by
John Warner and desired by our colleagues on campuses and in the
workplace.
We do
this kind of teaching when we require critical thinking, incorporate inquiry
learning and engaging performance tasks, ask and have students answer essential
questions, and require students to apply their knowledge and skills in new and
different ways.
We must
avoid the trap of thinking that College
and Career Ready is all about content knowledge. Without question, the content knowledge is
essential, but by itself may not be enough to prepare our students.
Panamanian Jazz
I ran
across these words of wisdom from Ruben Blades, a Panamanian jazz singer and
songwriter, and perhaps not someone you might expect to be quoted in this memo:
I think we risk becoming the
best informed society that has ever died of ignorance.
Admittedly,
Blades had other topics in mind than being College
and Career Ready. His words,
however, resonate, both in his music and on this topic. We must give our students the opportunities and
support to develop the character traits listed above by John Warner. All the knowledge in the world does little
good if it can’t be put to use in positive ways.
Ready or not, the week is coming, and students soon will be walking through your doors. I hope it is filled with
curiosity, courage, questioning, passion, and empathy. That, HSE, would be a very good week.
Phil
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