The Introduction and Chapter 1

Thank you on your willingness to devote time and learn together with colleagues; sharing thoughts and learning in a "new way" (at least for me) on-line.

We'll share thoughts regarding the book, The Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner (our library has a copy) though I know I enjoy having my own book so I can highlight it and jot down thoughts. The majority of the questions I will post are not my own. I will be using the "guided questions" from a book study through SAI and Dan Smith. Obviously I might pose a few questions tailored for specific reflection regarding Valley.

Introduction and Chapter 1

The book jacket starts with the following paragraph:"Despite the best efforts of educators, our nation's schools are dangerously obsolete. Instead of teaching students to be critical thinkers and problem-solvers, we are asking them to memorize facts for multiple choice tests. This problem isn't limited to low-income school districts; even our top schools aren't teaching or testing the skills that matter most in a global knowledge economy. Our teens leave school equipped to work only in the kind of jobs that are fast disappearing from the American economy. Meanwhile, young adults in India and China are competing with our students for the most sought-after careers around the world."
In the book's introduction, Wagner states, "The conventional view of the underlying problems suggested by these data is simply that our schools are 'failing.' We've heard this line from Republicans and Democrats alike. We've heard it in the media and from academics and policy pundits. We've heard it so often that it has become the accepted wisdom of the day. But what I see in high school classrooms all over the country suggests a different conclusion. What I see there is, in fact, not very different from what I saw 35 years ago when I began my career as a teacher—or event what I experienced as a high school student myself. No better, and no worse. Just more testing—and more teaching to the tests." (p. xxi)
Questions:
Are the classrooms of Iowa different from those of 35 years ago? Give examples, where appropriate.

Has No Child Left Behind improved Iowa's classrooms? Explain your thoughts.

In Chapter 1, Wagner introduces Seven Survival Skills. The first one he lists is Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. He states, "In schools, 'critical thinking' has long been a buzz phrase. Educators pay lip service to its importance, but few can tell me what they mean by the phrase or how they teach and test it—in part, because, as we will see, critical-thinking skills are not tested in any of the new state tests . . ."
Questions:
What is your generational definition of critical thinking?

How [best] would critical thinking be assessed?