I’ve heard a number of speakers say, in the past couple of years, that we educators don’t need to be preparing students for OUR future—we need to be preparing them for THEIR future. So it’s inevitable that schooling has to change. I heard Pat Bassett, retiring Chair of the National Association of Independent Schools, speak recently about “Schools of the Future.” He talked about “the big shifts” in preparing for the “skills and values” of the 21st Century. He called for a focus on the Five C’s Plus One:
1. Character;
2. Creativity;
3. Communication;
4. Collaboration;
5. Critical thinking; and
6. Cross-cultural competency.
I thought to myself: Those of us in special education have been working toward building these values and skills for years. I look at our most recent graduating class and validate that observation. The fund of knowledge is too huge, and the access to information too fast, for schools to waste much time having children memorize. Instead, we need to teach them how to work with integrity, think creatively, communicate clearly, collaborate cooperatively, and remain open to the ideas and opinions of others. These are skills that will serve them well in a life of competence, independence, and contribution. New Vistas is already a school of the future—we’ll only continue to build on those directions we’ve been moving toward, one child at a time. Charlotte Morgan
