Ok. So it seems as though we're going to emphasize building our curriculum via concepts. In a sense--at least as far as I understand it so far--to provide the students with the proper schema in which to categorize information/events.
My initial question came after reading "Ernie's Big Mess" to my little boy. I realized that the premise of the book was the same as in the classic "Puddle Duck." (you'll have to read for yourselves to discover the connection:)
"So," I said to myself, "why is it that students aren't able to do that?" I mean why do we have to deliberately provide them with these critical thinking skills? I read stuff and incorporate it with the other stuff I know without anyone providing me with the proper schema...
Why does it not work to simply teach the content and allow the thinking to ride on top of that wave of increasing knowledge? Is it because of the changing economy--global competition? Is it lack of interest/motivation on the behalf of the students? Is it poor home education--parents relying too much on the state for their children's education?
Related: one of the suggestions was that in teaching about African Nations one could enhance the learning by changing the focus to Changing Perspectives on African Nations. Why do teachers not already bring in more than one perspective? These latter thoughts need more refinement--of course don't they all.
This should be an interesting journey through the ebbs and flows of educational theory.
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