July 26, 2019
Fundamentals are critical
Principles of Education
This is the third in a series of posts explaining the Acton Academy Principles of Education.
Education Principle #3: Fundamentals are critical
Math:
The fundamentals of reading, writing and math are critical in our daily lives. Every child must master the fundamentals. At Acton, we don’t prescribe to studying for standardized tests. We focus on developing student skills needed for mastery of all basic fundamentals.
While the importance of learning fundamentals has not changed, the skills needed within each realm has evolved (as it should have) as we have moved beyond the industrial age, when our mass modern education system was first implemented. In their book Most Likely to Succeed, Tony Wagner and Ted Dintersmith detail how the skills needed to succeed have evolved in each realm.
Math:
20th Century Model
21st Century Model
Memorization of low-level procedures
Pattern recognition
Ability to perform calculations by hand
Speed
Accuracy
Ability to perform well under time pressure
Deeply understanding the problem
Structuring the problem and representing is symbolically
Creative problem-solving
Pattern recognition to understand which math “tools” are relevant
Adept use of available computation resources
Crticial evaluation of first-pass results
Estimation, statistics and decision-making
Taking chances, risking failure, and iterating to refine and perfect
Synthesizing results
Presenting/communicating complex quantitative information
Collaboration
Asking questions about complex quantitative information
Language Arts:
20th Century Model
English
21st Century Model
Language Arts (Writing, Reading, Speaking / Presenting, Spelling, Vocabulary, Reading)
Clear penmanship
Proper spelling / grammar
Sound vocabulary
Ability to read written materials (novels, poems, plays)
Ability to write in complete sentences
Use sound vocabulary
Read a wide variety of written materials (novels, poems, plays, essays, news) critically
Communicate clearly across multiple media forms, with a range of styles
Form and justify independent bold perspectives
Ask thoughtful questions
Engage in constructive debate
The authors also laid out how their view of how other “majors” should be treated in the 21st century.
History:
20th Century Model
21st Century Model
Coverage of important events and figures
Ability to recall important historical facts
Write short essays clearly recounting historical information
Critically analyze historical events and sources
Form independent views on dynamics and implications
Write clear and thought-provoking theses
Science:
20th Century Model
21st Century Model
Cover core disciplines - physics, chemistry, biology
Cover key definitions, formulas, and concepts
Gain familiarity with basic lab procedures
Understand how the world works
Be able to form and test scientific hypotheses
Be able to ask insightful questions and design experiments
Build things based on scientific principles
Apply principles across disciplines
Develop scientific creativity
Foreign Language:
20th Century Model
21st Century Model
Sound vocabulary and knowledge of verbs and tenses
Ability to read and comprehend written materials
Ability to write basic compositions in the language
Focus on languages for science or ancient cultures
True proficiency is speaking
Understanding cultures and the ability to navigate them
Ability to collaborate across cultures
Technology-leveraged polylinguality
Further Recommended Reading: Most Likely to Succeed by Tony Wagner and Ted Dintersmith