Picture an assembly line where experts install different components as a product moves through a tightly controlled manufacturing process. The assembly line approach to education is much the same—with experts teaching core curriculum as a student moves through a system that doesn’t take into account different learning abilities and styles—and while it might have served us well in the Industrial Age, it is archaic in today’s global world of technology and innovation.
The fact is 21st century skills like creativity and divergent thinking are more important than ever to a students’ success. In college and in the workplace, they will be doing work that calls on their artistic, creative-thinking abilities. They will be working in teams and will need to find information, understand its context, communicate around it, collaborate and problem-solve to find solutions.
So how do we bring out creativity and divergent thinking in students? It starts with schools giving teachers opportunities to connect with educators around the country and the world to discover new, innovative techniques so they can turn their classrooms into thriving, connected communities. It also happens at home where parents understand that 21st century skill sets are priceless for their children and then partner with teachers to develop skills like:
• Curiosity by questioning the world around them
• Imagination by giving them the ability to dream, invent and think outside the box
• Flexibility by teaching them that there is never one right way or answer, and that it is okay to seek out new answers
• Originality by encouraging them to create and combine information in new ways
• Elaborating by taking a basic idea and adding onto or building off of it to be able to clearly communicate their thoughts
• Fluency by taking a single idea and expanding on it to generate a large number of different ideas to a solution.
• Risk-taking by trying new things and letting go of fears
A K-12 tuition-free public charter school, Santa Clarita Valley International’s (SCVi) mission is to inspire lifelong learners with the skills to thrive in the 21st century. They learn the curriculum they will need to graduate from high school and the social-emotional skills they will need to succeed in college through individualized, non-traditional learning methods and hands-on, engaging, self-directed education.
To learn more, visit www.scvcharterschool.org. To schedule a school tour, call 661-705-4820.