I am a proponent of (limited) competency testing at each grade level with the specification that there are certain concepts that students must know and understand before they move to the next grade or course. With proficiency in hand, students are equipped to meet the new challenges and education demands. These required concepts are drawn from the Common Core Standards for English (reading/writing), math and science. The English and science standards figure appropriately into grade level expectations. Just as a first grader can relate the main idea of a simple story, a senior has mastered the same skill applying it to complex text with justification to support reasoning.
Science teachers adhere to two important principles when instructing students: they implement experiments that are hands-on, tactile actions that connect current learning to create residual, long-term learning by doing rather than simply observing or listening and they use correct academic language. When watching students during exams they often try to re-establish concrete understanding of terms like fulcrum and lever as they draw the figures from a long ago experiment or actually practice the action with pencil levered on the forefinger. We remember that which is important, valuable, and what we have practiced. Science teachers also avoid nonsensical descriptions such as "that round thingy that you hook a rope over to pull up a bucket of water" and instead employ the term pulley. Students see it, say it, read it, write about and practice with it until the concept is cemented. Now the level of thinking is elevated with questions: Does it require more energy or less energy to pull up a bucket of water using a 3" pulley or a 9" pulley? Draw a representation of this concept using details to explain your reasoning.
Because we are still reeling from the "never stress or hurt feelings" 1990s, math teachers are sometimes afraid to force students to memorize and utilize math facts with automaticity. While we expect students to add, subtract, multiply, and divide, we still allow some to finger-count or refer to calculators and tables, not enforcing critical memorization. Yes, for a complicated physics problem I might enjoy the ease of my calculator. But if I want to activate my brain with a concept like finding the cubic capacity of my freezer to determine if my Costco load can be squeezed in, I'll be pleased to remember the term "cubic," to know how to find "cubic" feet of my freezer and how many parcels. Although I could just guess, then push and shove until the door sighs shut, a terrible surprise might greet me when the door explodes open, spewing not-long-to-be-frozen contents across the floor while I lounge away on a distant vacation.
Holidays bring an excellent time for you to work with your children and grandchildren, friends and neighbors, with creative questions. "While the main ideas of Dickens' A Christmas Carol remain the same, how would the story be different if written in 2014?" "What would happen next in his life if Scrooge had ignored his dreams rather than adjusting his actions?" "Think of two current, well-known figures to cast as Scrooge (Anthony Hopkins? Jeff Bridges? Robert Pattinson? Meryl Streep?). How would this character change the dynamics of the story? Name another movie in which the character acted and list three character traits portrayed by him/her in that movie. How would the transfer of these change his/her role as Scrooge? Explain how this would affect overall concepts of the story."
You can apply these questions to just about any book, movie, or event. Adjust the actors and actresses in The Hunger Games. Change the quarterback of your favorite team with the quarterback of another team: How would the Denver Broncos play differently with Colin Kaepernick (before the Oakland debacle) as quarterback? How would the National Football Championship be different with six teams instead of four? Or how about implementing a set-up like basketball with 128+ teams? What if? Why? How come? Force us to think.
While you are tipping the brain with novel ideas, try thanking grandma for the most interesting Christmas vest ever in 22 different ways: poem, speech, telegram, letter, snow angel creation in front of her home, baking her cookies ... Tie your shoes in seven different ways. Create 12 sensational recipes using eggs. Measure the dimensions of your bedroom; measure existing furniture. Rearrange the room with optimal space for movement throwing out useless junk in the process. How does the rearrangement increase open space?
Enjoy thinking and stimulating interaction!
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