21st-century skills? Veteran educator prefers 19th-century standards

July 7, 11:33 AMSF Education ExaminerCaroline Grannan

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Education commentator Diane Ravitch bucks the buzzwords -- the universal call for "21st-century learning" -- and posts a call for promoting "19th-century skills":

The love of learning

The pursuit of knowledge

The ability to think for oneself (individualism)

The ability to work alone (initiative)

The ability to stand alone against the crowd (courage)

The ability to work persistently at a difficult task until it is finished (industriousness) (self-discipline)

The ability to think through the consequences of one’s actions on others (respect for others)

The ability to consider the consequences of one’s actions on one’s well-being (self-respect)

The recognition of higher ends than self-interest (honor)

The ability to comport oneself appropriately in all situations (dignity)

The recognition that civilized society requires certain kinds of behavior by individuals and groups (good manners) (civility)

The ability to believe in principles larger than one’s own self-interest (idealism)

The willingness to ask questions when puzzled (curiosity)

The readiness to dream about other worlds, other ways of doing things (imagination)

The ability to believe that one can improve one’s life and the lives of others (optimism)

The ability to speak well and write grammatically, using standard English (communication)