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Today, with just a few keystrokes, children have ready access to such Web sites as Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia with more than a million articles that users can learn from and add to. Multi-media software such as PowerPoint (used in many upper elementary classrooms), helps make a project on the ancient Mayans come to life with words, music, photos, even rotating 3-D diagrams of ancient ruins.
Although these tools for learning may seem a little foreign to
families—particularly those whose memories of school research projects include the heavy-duty Encyclopedia Brittanica and pyramids constructed from
sugarcubes—the foundations of elementary school learning are still much like those of days gone by.
Old school meets new school
We can only guess at the types of technology and jobs that await today's kindergartners. The Internet and e-mail, staples in many homes and workplaces today, were cutting-edge just a decade ago.
What teachers do know is that a solid understanding of the
basics— reading, writing, mathematics, science, social studies and the
arts—is still what young children need most.
To help children be truly successful in an ever-changing world, elementary school learning needs to offer children practice with the tried and true, plus provide them with opportunities to use technology and to sharpen the skills that are essential to everyday living and working. Consider these examples of how old school is meeting new school at the elementary level:
As our neighborhoods and work worlds become more diverse, an ability to speak a language other than English and understand the world's many cultures is becoming a
necessity—both for employment and citizenship. So, although kindergarten still includes finger painting and practice with the ABCs, these experiences may incorporate early foreign language skills such as combining azul, rojo and amarillo (Spanish for blue, red and yellow) to make new paint colors or learning that "A" is for abuela (grandmother).
Elementary mathematics, which many adults remember as mostly the skill-and-drill memorization of addition and multiplication tables, now involves abstract thinking, answering open-ended questions, and seeing math's connection to the everyday world. For example, fifth graders may be given this problem: "How many half gallon cartons of ice cream can fit in a freezer?" To find the answer, students first need to figure out what they already know (e.g., what a half gallon of ice cream is shaped like). They then begin to brainstorm about how to solve the problem. "What tools will I use to measure the half gallon and the freezer?" "What size freezer do I need to fill?"
This type of lesson allows children to practice traditional math skills such as geometry, measurement, fractions and multiplication.
It also requires them to think creatively, to problem-solve, to work with classmates, to experiment, and to know where to go for more information. These "soft skills" will help them as they move ahead in
school—whether juggling the increased school workload, friendships and extracurricular activities that come with middle school (goal-setting, time management) or collaborating with teens and teachers in other school districts on Web-based research projects (people skills, problem-solving). "Soft skills" are also what today's employers say they look for in the people they hire.
Even writing, which seems like a fairly straightforward skill, is now taught to help students understand its many real-world purposes, both traditional (personal communication and essay) and modern (composing brief, but informative e-mail and text messages.)
Tools for schools
Technology, especially computers, is becoming commonplace in most elementary classrooms. Students may use computers to compose written work, find answers to questions, learn about places around the world and practice basic skills, such as reading, listening and math.
Increasingly, computers and other technology will play an increasingly important role in creating rich learning environments in which students to learn.
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