COLUMN: The Basics of Education

Being highly skilled in the three Rs -- reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic -- is basic and important, but what other necessities are needed to prepare students for their 21st-century lives?

Without understanding the fundamentals beyond the three Rs, educators and parents often fall victims to believing false reasons for failure; develop lowered expectations; and implement ineffective, and sometimes harmful, solutions. Students far too often fail, become disruptive and bored, fall short of their potential and, perhaps worst of all, lose hope that school can inspire and help them find and achieve their goals and purposes.

So what are these fundamentals beyond the three Rs? This is my partial list, in no particular order of importance. What would you add or change to this list?

• Students are able to be self-directed, independent lifelong learners. The idea is for students to understand the barriers to learning and, with this understanding, to prevent study difficulties or diagnose why they are having problems, then to solve the issues on their own.
• Students develop unique skills and talents. Educators must help students understand their natural abilities and skills. Few students identify their talents for themselves, and the majority of students, in my experience, don't recognize that they have special talents -- and they all do.
Students have the ability to use their imagination. The ability to imagine is fundamental for creating solutions to problems students will confront in school and life. Far too little time is spent helping students improve their imaginative ability. The arts, which directly massage a student's imagination, have a vital role in education, and are as important and basic as the three Rs.
• Students develop the skills to know how to evaluate what they are studying and learning. Today's mass media is ripe with opportunities to pick up false data and ideas. It is more critical than ever to be able to evaluate the important from the unimportant -- truth from lies and facts from opinions.
• Students know their true purposes. The ideal for students is to be motivated by a purpose for what they are learning. It is imperative students understand, know and agree with their purposes.
• Students develop a belief in their ability to overcome obstacles and achieve their dreams. Students are a pool of potential resources to resolve problems and fulfill dreams. Helping them do real activities that make a difference in the quality of their, or someone else's, life has a powerful effect on them. They develop the sense of security that comes when one believes in his or her ability to overcome obstacles and achieve goals.

It is important to understand that technology is a basic tool that must be used to motivate students; however, educators must help them understand what is fundamental and gain the skills needed to achieve the success they want. It is only at that point that technology can help students rejoice in what they can accomplish.

*This story is from Converge magazine's Fall 2008 issue.