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Preparing for the 21st Century: Are Parents and Teachers Ready?
By Lucinda Lee Katz

What is the future of education and parenting in the next century? Three topics come to mind. They are: children and technology; parents as resources; and what’s so hard about saying "no?"

Children and Technology

The numbers tell the story: 85% of workers were farmers in 1900; now it’s 3%. Since 1950, the number of employees in production and manufacturing has dropped from 73% to less than 15%. The Department of Labor estimates that by the year 2000, at least 44% of all workers will be in data services--gathering, processing, retrieving or analyzing information. More information has been produced in the last 30 years than during the previous 5,000. We are in the Information Age. A weekday edition of the New York Times contains more information than the average person was likely to come across in a lifetime in 17th century England. The amount of information available doubles every five years. Communication technology is radically changing the speed, direction and flow of information and, therefore, will surely alter the kind of world in which our children will live.

As a result of this significant change, we must equip our students to use technology as a tool. We must provide our children with a foundation of knowledge so that each will manipulate, translate and think about information with excellent judgement and analytical ability. To do this, we must begin early to create a school community where students learn how to think, practice making healthy decisions for themselves, and learn how to see another’s point of view.

Seymour Papert’s book, The Connected Family (1996), speaks about the world of learning and problem solving which children create when they play and explore on computers. Because computers have a random-access memory, the child is constructing a web-like approach to problem solving that adults, who grew thinking and learning in a linear way, might not envision. The ability to think flexibly without such constraints opens new areas and possibilities for stretching the mind. It is this kind of computer capability and policy that must be in our schools.

The Carnegie Commission writes that "technology should be the servant and not the master of instruction. It should not be adopted merely because it exists or because an institution fears that it will be left behind in the parade of progress without it." Technology is a tool that helps students and staff achieve goals more efficiently and more effectively. Specific technology programs and software are selected because they meet clear instruction, education or communication goals. Schools must envision educational technology as a means to an end, not as an additional curriculum. Schools should establish the idea that their students will be technologically literate, lifelong learners who will be able to interact successfully in a technological society to achieve personal and professional goals.

Papert reminds us that understanding the principles of computers means playful exploration by the child and her family. This requires looking for programs that build creativity and problem solving and stretch the child’s world of possibility. He recommends programs such as "Microworlds" and "Mind Castles." In the future, we should begin to know about the importance of video-conferencing, programming, MicroMacs, CD ROMs, and the Internet as important teaching and communication tools.

Parents As Resources

One of the greatest joys of working with young children is assisting the family to help raise the child. It really does take a village to raise a child. This collaborative model views the family not as a threat but, rather, as a resource.

In his work with teachers, Roland Barth distinguishes a healthy school from one that is just mediocre. Schools where teachers create an atmosphere of collegiality are vibrant, invested in healthy communication, and filled with the notion of learning together. If we borrow Barth’s idea, this is also found in the approach of the Reggio Emilia schools. In The Hundred Languages of Children (1993), Edwards, Gandini and Forman describe guidelines for working with parents as resources. In addition to classroom meetings with parents, the following suggestions are a place to begin:

1. Work sessions are opportunities for parents to lead the school on a project that will add, improve or change the school to provide the best for the students.

2. Labs are meetings where parents and teachers "learn by doing" so that adults can reinforce one another’s specialities such as cooking, music, the arts, games, etc.

3. Celebrations from home can be shared with all members of the classroom. Birthdays, grandparent visits, or seasonal activities can become part of the school’s tradition.

4. Parent-organized visits to the workplace, to a special exhibit, to unique places or events, or to appreciate special talents can be used as an important part of the curriculum.

A parent executive committee can oversee this special part of the school program.

What’s So Hard About Saying "No"

In my work with parents of adolescents, I have found that the parents having the most difficult time understanding and interacting with their teenager began setting limits much too late. The greatest gift parents can give their child is to help set limits gradually over time, starting at an early age. Children need time to practice responsibility. Students need time to understand the consequences of their actions. Adults must provide opportunities for students to make healthy decisions. Knowing when to say "no" and mean it, how to say it nicely without anger or hostility, and when to make joint decisions with clear consequences can only come when one has been working on this as a team of parents, as a team between home and school, and in partnership with the child. Saying "no" also means allowing the child to engage in a discussion toward decision making, rearranging the parent’s schedule to accommodate the child’s needs and vice versa, and wrestling with moral and ethical dilemmas that require time and reflection.

In conclusion, I hope each of us finds others in our community, school, or neighborhood who will create opportunities for our stories to be told and for thoughtful dialogue to occur. None of these three topics is simple to address as a parent or educator. However, if teachers and parents become a team of learners, a community of teachers, and the village it requires to raise a child, we can feel that we will all be prepared for the 21st century.