What do you think should be taught in highschool?

Ben Yoskovitz ended his excellent post about the 10 Things They Need To Teach In Highschool with this question and I thought I pick it up for some fun. It´s kinda hard these days to blog because of all the hype going on around the One Day Blog Silence campaign and the coming launch of Supercool School but I do my best to keep the blog fresh and Ben´s post is a great help to do so.

He made some great suggestions and I encourage you to go and read the whole post here.

Essentially, what he says is that students should be taught more about...

1. Entrepreneurship
2. Journalism
3. Economics
4. Personal Finances & Investing
5. Ethics
6. Technology & Social Media
7. Personal Brand Development
8. Psychology
9. Politics & Conflict Resolution
10. Religion & Faith

Although I agree absolutely with Ben, I think he and many others
are missing a crucial point here. He writes  :

"What are kids learning these days? Is it the same stuff we were learning back in highschool? Does that make much sense any more?"

The conclusion he and others are making is that because the world has changed alot over the years, the curriculum should reflect that.

I want to bring a new aspect to this discussion.

Think about this: It would probably take years till the whole school system would have implemented these new subjects in the curriculum. Till then, many of the things that should be "new" and "innovative" would be outdated again. Not everything of course - but alot of stuff.

So here is what I think every school worldwide should teach their students:
                                                          ( LT + CS + M&I = Empowerment )

1. Learning Techniques. Isn´t this just logical? The first thing that we should learn at school is how to learn fast, effective and best-suited for our individual personality. Learn speed reading, photoreading, memory techniques, mind mapping, kinesiology etc...sharpening the saw before going to the Forrest to saw.
2. Change Strategies. In a world that changes faster then ever before our kids and students should learn how to feel good about change and how to welcome it. I know that´s a very difficult task but that doesn´t change the fact that it is absolutely crucial. Change should be a subject - and a essential part of every other subject. Talk about change in politics, physics, culture and society. We have to teach our kids how to learn change. Love change. Live change.
3. Motivation and Inspiration. After giving them the best learning skills and the right attitude about change - the only thing that is missing in the equation is motivation and inspiration. Let students study self-motivation. Let them study all the great ones in history and give them everything they need to get inspired and motivated and finally...

...get the hell out of their ways!

Ok...Ok... students would still need coaching and mentoring but not necessary teaching. Give them access to as many information and education recourses as possible after they learned how to learn, to change & how to be motivated and inspired.

I believe they would have the skill-set they need to empower their own potential and learn, change and grow no matter what happens on this planet.

I think that every positive change in our school system should be welcomed and I am a big believer of a better future in education and therefore in mankind.

What do you think? What should be taught in highschool?

Related posts:
7Lessons That You Learned @School That Could Possibly Ruin Your Life
243 Results? What we believe about learning...
Our Education System is Broken

Ohh...I forgot one thing! Taiwanese should be taught in every school too - read below why ;)
---------------------------------------------------

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親愛的朋友,

您好！

您的好友 Linda 在『104教育資訊網』查詢國內最豐富的進修課程資訊時

，透過104系統發出本電子郵件，
想要推薦您參考下列課程資訊。

好的課程想跟你分享!

Thankx.

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Comments

[Charan "CA"]

Thinking. They should be taught thinking. I know, I am repeating myself here from Ben's post - but we do not teach to think. You may want to read my thoughts on it here: "http://www.iqi-sm.com/blog/index.php/2007/04/18/creativity/you-are-intelligent-you-cannot-think/"

I did not want to leave a link, but explaining the rationale again in the comment section was tedious ;)

[Steli Efti]

Charan,

Nice post - but you know that generalization ( perception), deletion and distortion are essential parts of our unconscious thinking processes.

Without generalization you would have to stop, “think” and try out how every new door in the world opens. You wouldn´t assume that they all open in the same way.
Our brain knows that - that´s the reason why we are generalization masters. It is designed to make our life easier.

But it causes alot of trouble too - I agree. To be aware of the beast is important - but still…it´s thinking. Don´t you think?

Much power to you!
Steli

[Mard]

Very interesting! I've got a lot to learn just learning what you're proposing about learning, and teaching in schools. One thing that comes to my mind right away though: what about history? I think it's important for kids to get some idea of how we got to where we are. How to present this is a difficult subject though. Easy to bias it one way or another. Thanks, Steli! I'll need to read a lot more here.

[Steli Efti]

Hi Mard,

nice to have you here! I think we ALL can learn alot by learning more about learning, change and inspiration!

A great way to do this is by learning from one another - I´m looking forward to learn more from you!

Much power!
Steli Efti

[florence meichel]

Hello Steli,

I would like to add something : I think the most important thing we have to "teach" in every level school is a beter understanding of complexity and systemic...for me, it's the base of our world comprehension and it's the first step to learn how to learn, how to change and to be motivated and inspirated !

I'm against teaching Religion & Faith : too often, Religions teach intolerance and anger !

I believe in Humanity : that's my religion !

[florence meichel]

inspired and not inspirated sorry :-)

[Steli Efti]

Hello Florence,

interesting points.
About Ben´s suggestion to teach Religion & Faith I think it´s good to read the whole point. He wrote:

"Controversial for sure, but I’m not suggesting we teach kids one specific religion or faith. Teach all of them. Give kids an understanding of how other religions and faiths work, how they originated, how they differ. A few lightbulbs will go off in those classes and kids will realize that most faiths and religions are almost identical. You mean, we’re all kinda, like, the same?"

It´s a tricky question if this would work but I´m willing to believe that it would be better to teach all religions then just one in school.

But again - hard question to answer. Interesting to discuss :)

Much power !
Steli

[Mard]

I like Ben's point of view on religion and faith. In fact, that's exactly the way it is taught in the Sunday morning Religious Education classes of the Unversalist Unitarian (UU) church of which I'm a member. Check out the UUs at http://www.uua.org/! I'm an enthusiastic advocate as you can see. :-)

Cheers,
Mardé

[Jenny]

I have to say that I found this post very interesting, and baffling all at the same time. There are so many things that I want to say, I will try to do it in as short a comment as I can. ;0)

I think that all of the points discussed have valid reasons for people to want them to be taught to our/their children today. I just have to wonder to myself, where are you going to find these excellent teachers to teach the kids these wonderful skills in the first place? Don't get me wrong, I am sure that there are some wonderful teachers out there. But..

I can remember almost every one of my teachers all the way through high school and to be honest, they would have been lost without that teacher book/manual with all the answers already spelled out for them in the margins.

I can really only think of one of my teachers that would have been up to the task/challenge of 'Changing' enough himself to even be able to teach this kind of cirriculum to a student. I think you would have to start with re-educating the teachers before you would be able to change the subjects/cirriculum that they teach.

Our school cirriculum as it stands today is in a word 'antiquated'. We have fallen back on the 'good old way' of, don't fix it if it isn't broke way of doing things when it comes to teaching our children. Well it is broke and our kids are getting smarter and more tech savvy everyday and the teachers can't keep up. {Sometimes}

I for one would love to see everyone of the subjects listed taught to my kids when they reach a little bit higher grade levels. Religions and cultures, self-esteem, motivation, and all of that stuff is only stuff that will help them to grow stronger and more sure of themselves in the end.

Sorry to be so long winded, I just feel that change has been a long time coming and I for one cannot wait for it! I just wish it would have been done when I was a kid! ;0)

[Lansy]

Very interested to read all the posts and great comments here. Danymic and good points.

Change can be a very slow movement yet can be extremely fast at certain period. Basically, I think that we have to understand the purpose of Education. After that, we can clearly define what should be taught in school.

All the education has a purpose. It maybe startling to learn that it maybe not to serve one's own purpose. In some extemely case, it is to serve the country, the highclass. The education is to create good citizens who obey the rules of the rulers and have the needed skills.

Parents are searching for great education for their kids. They want their kids to have a good life. The education parents search is to do good for the kids sake.

Cheers,

Lansy

[florence meichel]

Ma vision of educational purposes could be something like that :

Global Purpose for each : to be relevant in the system ME / OTHER / THE WORLD
Educational purpose : to have the ability to develop a complexity thought and linking process for learning, changing, creating

What do you think about this vision ?

[Steli Efti]

Hey Marde:
thankx for the recourse. The link is broken but you just have to delete the last sign and it will work.

Jenny & Lansy:
very interesting points. I have to admit that I had the same experiences in school. I wrote about the purpose of the education system and why it is broken before.
Here is the post url: http://supercoolschool.typepad.com/blog/2007/03/the_education_s.html
Go´n´have a look if you´re interested.

I believe that the only way to solve our worldwide education problem is by giving the power of education to the people.

That´s why we´re building Supercool School.

Much power to all of you!
Steli

[Steli Efti]

sounds great florence. Although I have to admit that I am not sure if I understand exactly what you mean since the description gives room for intepretations :)

[florence meichel]

Hi Steli

In fact, I appreciate open answer with room for interpretations ! :-)

When I say that the global purpose of education is that everyone becomes relevant in his own system “Me/The Other/the World “ I mean that the goal of education is : every student have to develop their own skills and competences in order to think, make choices and act in a relevant and efficient way, in their life, with the other and their own environment !

So what are the abilities the student have to develop at school in order to become relevant in their life ! (These abilities are called educational purposes) !

To give an answer, I would like to tell us Edgar Morin’s Ideas :

“The reforming of thought teaches us to tackle complexity with the aid of concepts capable of re-establishing the links between the different types of knowledge available to us as we reach the end of the 20th century. Such a reform is crucial in the planetary age where it has become impossible, and artificial, to isolate an important problem at the national level. This reform of our way of thinking, which itself requires a reforming of education, is not happening anywhere even though it is needed everywhere.
In the 17th century, the philosopher Pascal already understood how everything is linked, realising that "all things aid and are aided, cause and are caused" he even had an understanding of retroaction, which was admirable for his time, "and everything being linked by an invisible link that binds the parts most distant from one another, I hold it to be impossible to know the parts without knowing the whole just as it is impossible to know the whole without knowing the parts". That is the crux of the matter, the direction of learning in which education ought to be heading.
But, unfortunately, we have followed the model of Descartes, his contemporary, who for his part advocated breaking down reality and problems into constituent parts. And yet, the whole produces qualities that are not extant in the individual parts. The whole is never just the sum of its parts but always something more.
It is essential to be able to consider the unity of the many and the multiplicity of the unit. We tend too much to overlook the unity of mankind when we see the diversity of cultures and customs and to dismiss the diversity when we see the unity. The real problem is being able to see one in the other; after all, the nature of mankind lies precisely in this potential for diversity, which cannot call into question the unity of mankind from an anatomical, genetic, cerebral, intellectual and affective point of view. “

So in conclusion, students have to be able to develop a complexity thought and reliancy process for learning, changing, creating : I think that’s the new educational purposes which have to lead us now !

[Steli Efti]

Florence,

very informative and intelligent. Yes indeed, I think that this has to lead our way into a better future...this and our believe in a better world!

Much power!

[Sam Chan]

Hi Stelie,

Have you seen this video:
http://inspiring-videos.blogspot.com/2007/04/employ-digital-method-of-teachings.html

"Digital Learners needs digital teaching methods"

Hope you find it interesting!
Best wishes
Sam Chan

[Laura]

I would second the "thinking suggestion." By thinking, I mean, help them to develop a curious and questioning spirit. There are so many, even adults, who believe everything that they hear without question. Not everything that we read or see in the media is true.

When our kids hear something we encourage them to ask questions like, "why do you say that," and "how do you back that up." Even if they wind up disagreeing with the person that they are speaking to, this process will help them develop a better understanding of others.

[Keith Cash]

Your list sounds great.
1. Entrepreneurship
2. Journalism
3. Economics
4. Personal Finances & Investing
5. Ethics
6. Technology & Social Media
7. Personal Brand Development
8. Psychology
9. Politics & Conflict Resolution
10. Religion & Faith

I think #5, #9 and #10 should be instructed by parents to students, not by institution.

Good Job

Cheers

[Chris]

Parenting! Many young couples don't have support to learn how to be good parents. It's the most important skill to learn in life and no-one teaches it anymore.

Also, cooking, cleaning, shopping and how to manage finances. No-one should leave school without being able to feed and clothe themselves without having to resort to McDs and credit cards.

While I'm at it - sports and excercise should have much more time (two afternoons per week at least I would say). Keeping fit and healthy is a very important part of life and you need to get in good habits early.

Without being healthy, organised and successfully bringing up your children, you cannot succeed in any career so these fundamentals should be in place first.

[bc]

@Steli: Just discovered your site via Scobelizer -- wonderful ideas, wonderful energy.

I'm struggling with this, and while I'd say I agree with many of the items on this list (parenting, money management, thinking, some others), I'm not sure that one can really teach ethics or faith. You can teach about the history of ideas, and the history of religions, and critical thinking, and logic, which should all be part of the curriculum. Unfortunately, it often comes down to the teacher involved, who may or may not BE ethical in how he or she teaches those subjects.
Anyway, I'm actually more interested in starting a debate about the very nature of (mostly) mandatory high school itself. I hated my high school experience except for music and theater and advanced placement English. Nearly everything else was either a waste of time, or else marking time. The class structure held me back in almost every subject. There was little of what is now called "gifted and talented" available, and no post-secondary enrollment options. But even today the very concept seems to be questionable to me. We need to re-see education, and re-vision how children see themselves as learners. Not as vessels to be filled, but as explorers looking out for themselves.
Ok, stopping now, just glad to see this blog going.

[Sakari Turunen, PhotoReading Instructor from Finland]

You bring up a good point when you list learning techniques first in the list of three.

It's funny how people usually fail to see the power in putting more focus in getting better learning skills.

University graduates usually tell they don't really use what they learned that much ... but appreciate their developed ability in finding relevant information.

The funny thing is ... most universities (or other institutions) rarely teach how to be really good in learning or how to find, evaluate and use information.

Thus, my suggestion, too, would be to really work on your learning skills first ... when they are in order, one can always adapt to the situation.

Alright, I think that's all for this time. More on my website on related issues.

Sakari Turunen,
PhotoReading Instructor From Finland
...
Free videos on PhotoReading at http://www.innostatus.fi/home

[Cara Bianca]

I think that the point regarding Learning Techniques is the most important tools teachers must focus on.

Especially with the current financial situation, students need to learn information that will be applicable and practical in their everyday life, not just for the purpose of formal learning.

Furthermore, I think that the schools must understand that every generation that enters high school has different needs. For example, when students write their essays, they don't like writing that are not interesting to them or would help them in any way. Checking out essay blogs, there are a lot of topics students may be interested to write but these might not be in line with traditional topics to write per subject.

I think that would be all for now.
More power!

[Cara Bianca - Note on Essay Blogs]

I think that the point regarding Learning Techniques is the most important tools teachers must focus on.

Especially with the current financial situation, students need to learn information that will be applicable and practical in their everyday life, not just for the purpose of formal learning.

Furthermore, I think that the schools must understand that every generation that enters high school has different needs. For example, when students write their essays, they don't like writing that are not interesting to them or would help them in any way. Checking out essay blogs, there are a lot of topics students may be interested to write but these might not be in line with traditional topics to write per subject.

I think that would be all for now.
More power!