Delta-Kappa-Gamma

School and the 21st Century

by Shirley Wahlstrom

(This is an article from Livonia Public Schools Dialogue, Vol.24, No. 5 June 1996 in the "Tips to Parents" section. Shirley was 1995-1996 High School Teacher of the Year. She teachers Social Studies at Franklin High School.)

Historically, there are three revolutions that have impacted, or are impacting, education. Because of the effects of the agriculture revolution, schools have had a calendar based upon the needs of an agrarian society. The industrial revolution, likewise, affected schools by initiating the "assembly line" concept for the movement of students through the day's schedule of classes. Now our schools are faced with the advent of the technological revolution and its focus on the 21st century and what this means for our schools. Current research and literature points to change.

Society as a whole is already undergoing changes. Jobs are being eliminated and people are having to be retrained in order to have the necessary skills to be productive workers in this new era.

Likewise, schools need to adapt to many of these same conditions if they are to be successful in graduating students that will be prepared to compete in today’s global society and to have fulfilling lives. This is an awesome task when one stops to realize the time from birth to age eighteen represents only 9% of a child’s life spent in school. From a mathematical point of view, it is obvious that the school is not the only stakeholder. In reality, there are multiple stakeholders, since "it takes a whole village to teach a child." The community has already played a large role by supporting the bond that enabled our school to be renovated and updated with the necessary facilities and technological equipment to lead us into the 21st century. The business community is also helping by interacting with the schools and forming partnerships that will provide opportunities for students to experience the real world of work.

Another major group of stakeholders is the parents. All parents want a quality life for their children, and there are a number of things that can be done to help prepare them for the 21st century. Parents can play a major role in their child’s success when they support education and schools. This can be done by:

taking an active part in the opportunities for two-way communication with your child’s teachers. Attend open house and parent/ teacher conferences. Initiate phone calls if , and when, you have concerns regarding your child’s achievement in class;
monitor homework to see that it is not only completed but is quality work that represents the best your child can do;
helping your child to establish organization and time management skills so he/she will be able to stay on top of their work;
providing access to reading materials such as newspapers, magazines, and books, but also taking time to read with your child and showing a positive value for reading by not only discussing the materials; and
becoming aware of the needs and showing support for the many changes that are now occurring in our schools and will need to be addressed in the near future.

A successful transition of schools into the 21st century will ensure that all children will have the opportunity to acquire the many skills and learning that will enable them to become productive citizens in a diverse society because they have learned how to learn. It will take the whole village working together to make this transition a reality.