SUNY Potsdam

Those of us in education have been intrigued by two (seemingly) competing national
visions for what it means to be a truly educated (K-12) student these days. The two
approaches are the Common Core initiative (which NY State has adopted) and the Twenty-
first Century Skills initiative. It seems that both of these are trying to anticipate (in
different ways) what students will need to know and be able to do to be fully educated
and productive citizens into the future. One goal of this panel presentation is to compare
and contrast these two approaches. The question really is -- what should the goals of
K-12 education be for students in this day and age and anticipating the ways the world
is changing? Furthermore, much attention has been paid recently to the Finnish model
of education, primarily since Finnish students perform at the top of the international
assessments (such as PISA). Finnish curricular principles stress a supportive learning
environment that is tailored to each student's learning objectives. This approach illustrates
a compelling alternative to U.S. approaches to what K-12 education should be about. The
panel will also provide an overview of the Finnish educational model and highlight its
unique features. The three elephants in the room when we compare systems are child
poverty, equitable resources, and universal health care.

Presenters: Dr. Peter Brouwer, SUNY Potsdam, Dr. Cheryl Gowie, Siena College