Question 2:
I do not agree that the Common Core Standards serve "only the needs of the 19th and 20th centuries". I believe that in primary grades foundational skills such as reading and handwriting along with basic mental math are still necessary as building blocks. The CC includes many writing standards that require analytical thinking such as persuasion and research based projects. When students have a base in foundational reading and writing skills paired with technology skills they can combine the two to be creative, innovative and reflective. Although we cannot be sure what the jobs of tomorrow will look like for our children, we can be sure that they will need to be able to think. By avoiding basic skills and relying on calculators and voice assisted software we are taking away the developmental process that teaches how to think.
Sara, I agree with you that these basic skills need to be taught in order to effectively achieve everything else. Children will absolutely need to be able to think critically in the future. No amount of technological advances will change that. One question I have is how do we combine the two and do it "efficiently." I think of all the other technological advances that have come along: the telephone, television, and the computer just to name a few. I think people were in the same sort of struggle as we are now with everything that is happening so fast. I think it will come down to us as humans adjusting like we have all along. But this adjustment should not come at the expense of basic reading, writing, and thinking skills.
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