Schools are challenged to provide meaningful learning experiences to prepare students for immediate and long-term success. The controversial Common Core is an attempt to institute a national curriculum in the United States to align with other countries.Regardless of the approach, academic content is an important starting point for schools. Varying delivery methods are the companions to connecting with students for successful learning experiences. This article addresses how teachers might consider personality aspects in delivering curricula effectively. The methodology of doing so is explained by examining the Process Education Model, its components and implications. Also included are outcomes of several research and application projects.
“The task of the most advanced societies, is, then, a work of justice… Just as the ideal of lower societies was to create or maintain as intense a common life as possible, in which the individual was absorbed, so our ideal is to make social relations always more equitable… The harmony of functions and, accordingly, of existence, is at stake. Just as ancient peoples needed, above all, a common faith to live by, so we need justice…”
PurposeColumbus set out to prove the world was round. Today, Thomas Friedman posits the “world is flat.” The reversion reflects the complexity of today's world and an interdependent global economy. That complexity also relates to how we educate the citizens of tomorrow. The purpose of this commentary is to explore what is, what works, and what possibilities exist to address the complexities that surround education ‐ complexities of learning, complexities of educational systems, and complexities of determining positive outcomes of educational efforts. Related discussion includes comparing different educational systems from different countries and cultures.Design/methodology/approachThe impetus for these perceptions arose from many years of professional practice and observation, most recently piqued by Glass's polemic, Fertilizers, Pills, and Magnetic Strips. Integral to the commentary is an overlay of the educational landscape in the USA.FindingsThe essay includes suggestions for change – adapting delivery styles, using more of what we know about learning and learners, and some jabs at holding too fast to tradition. Included are a suggestion to break away from the stale approaches that may not work anymore and an examination/re‐examination of some things that might yield salutary results – continuous progress, differentiated staffing, and matching teaching styles with learning preferences and motivational needs. (Also appended is a selected annotated bibliography of other perspectives and ideas.)Originality/valueThe urgency of examining what works and what is worth keeping must be balanced with considering the landscape of the educational environment. This essay is a gentle prodding to do just that, taken from the author's 45 years as a professional educator.
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