stretch to be the next big thing. This is education. Daily teachers challenge their students to stretch
themselves beyond yesterday’s accomplishments and reach for their highest potential. Reach refers to
how far students can go with the new expectations and the depth to which teachers can facilitate, and
is requesting that educators move beyond the superficial and delve deep into the understanding of
information. Furthermore, make education relevant by applying new knowledge to real world situations
and experiences.
Rigor
By definition, rigor insinuates something that is harsh, strict, or severe. This may be surprising to some
because in education rigor has always had a positive connotation involving a certain drive or
determination to face challenges head on. Educators tend to use the word rigor to mean difficult,
strenuous, and demanding. When we work through curriculum or lessons we are pushed to build
comprehensive experiences that are rigorous for our students, often placing them in difficult situations
to help them solve problems and become victorious. Education throws around phrases like “this
lesson needs more rigor”, or “this classroom needs to be rigorous”, but do they really mean harsh and
strict? Rigor and Reach go hand-in-hand in education. We are pushing our students to Reach the
next level by challenging them with Rigorous (i.e., difficult, strenuous, and demanding) experiences.
Research
We are in the digital age, with information literally at our fingertips. In this technology-infused era we
must push students to use their digital resources effectively and with purpose by helping them to
distinguish credibility, decipher appropriateness, and utilize technology safely and accurately.
Education is embracing this by using technology within standards and assessments, thus making
research a foundational skill. To research is to curiously search for understanding. There is a high
demand for initiative, creativity, innovation, and self-motivation in today’s global society. Research is
the catalyst by which educators can ignite the future’s creativity.
Readiness
One thing that the past standards merely inferred was college and career readiness. However, current
expectations, along with 21st Century Skills have made these a foundational purpose of education.
There is now a high demand to add and connect traditional core subjects with 21st Century Skills: Life
and Career Skills, Learning and Innovation Skills (4C’s), and Information, Media, and Technology Skills
to the traditional core subjects. The 4 C’s: Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and
Creativity are the backbone of the Learning and Innovation Skills, which has placed the arts back on
the scene.
STEAMed Magazine
46
July 2016 Edition