MISSING LINKS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CURRICULUM: FOUR DIMENSIONS FOR CHANGE

Our society is changing at a pace hardly imagined a century, even a few decades ago. The role of education is crucial in helping prepare our young people to both cope with and take responsibility for shaping these changes in ways consistent with the values of a free society. To this end, four overarching themes for change in curriculum are examined: (1) the competencies and attitudes needed to understand and engage in systems thinking; (2) the development of self and inter-personal knowledge and skills; (3) understanding of the connectiveness of knowledge; and (4) the ability to think critically.