What's the Purpose of School in the 21st Century?
Consider some of the basic symbols of education in the United States: the textbook, the chalkboard, and the apple. Thanks to technological innovations and cultural forces, we’ve seen textbooks supplanted by videos and e-books, SMART Boards replace chalkboards, and the apple on the teacher’s desk pushed aside by the latest gadgets from, well, Apple.
Just as our classrooms have changed significantly since the 1800s, so have our ideas about the purpose of schools. Our views on education were defined by John Dewey's theory, which states—and I'm simplifying—that the general purpose of school is to transfer knowledge and prepare young people to participate in America’s democratic society.
But today's students live in a modern, global society that is