Student Relevance Matters

Classrooms are systems, schools are systems, and schooling in the United States is a big system. Changing any of those systems requires an awareness of how they work; what they produce; and where to apply time, energy, and resources. Current systems could be much better in meeting students'' current and future needs. Student Relevance Matters: Why Do I Have to Know this Stuff? aims to clarify the most intrinsic reasons to learn, thereby bridging the gap between content and meeting student needs. This allows for compelling visions, and visions are the seed of learning. This book describes current classrooms, students, and the relationships between them through systems viewpoints—one positive and the other skeptical that they are working as effectively as they might. Each content area is viewed through a lens of deep purpose and how that meets students'' needs in timeframes that work best for students. Using those purposes as lenses, knowledge areas are redefined and skills provided to help make those purposes a reality in classrooms today.