The Three R's of Education?

Remember the days when we studied the three R's in school: Reading, (W)riting and (A)rithmetic? Although I know I am dating myself, I have fond memories of the Dick and Jane books of yesteryear.  How has curriculum evolved over the past 20 years?  Are we learning essentially the same information today as we did yesterday?  Do we continuously reinvent a wheel that already exists?  Are we teaching the same thing in new ways?

Up until the past few years, I would have said yes to all of the above questions.  But there is a new "R" of education that needs to addressed and fostered within our school communities. 

Teaching at an International School provides a constant influx of new students at the start of each academic year.  As this semester draws to a close, I know I will lose a few students and gain a few more in January.  So this begs the question: "How do we ensure that students are learning what they need when it comes to Technology and Information Literacy?"  The background of what our students know when they enter our classroom has never been so varied.  Student A may come from a local Thai school, Student B may come from a public school in the US, and Student C may come from an international school in Delhi with a one-to-one program.  These three scenarios are the norm when teaching overseas.  

Most schools have programs set up for Intensive Studies (IS) and English as a Second Language (ESL); whereas, Information Technology (IT) and the use of web 2.0 tools exist in every grade but we have nothing in place to aid our new students a smooth integration into a curriculum which expects a certain level of literacy.  At ISB, our Grade 5 students are blogging.  By Grade 7, students are connecting to students all over the world by looking at global issues.  By Grade 9, students are creating ePortfolios to showcase their learning to future colleges and employers.  Do we need to have an entry level test to access students' needs when they enter our school?  Is there a need for a skills course to pass during the first year? 

Or will students pick up these skills on their own?  If you give a child the latest version of the iPhone, I guarantee they will know all the ins and outs of their phone before you have time to read the manual.  There are two essential elements at play here: TIME and TRIAL AND ERROR.  As adults, we are multitasking not just at work but in life in general.  We are walking the dog, feeding the kids breakfast and writing Christmas cards all before 8 am in the morning.  Not only is our time busy with the minutia of life but if we mess one of these items up, there will be consequences to pay.  Additionally as children, we were taught that to learn something, you read the rules/manual.  I still do this every time I receive a new device of some sort.  Yet as children, we are less afraid to make mistakes and learn through trial and error.   It is the computer game mentality; if they get knocked off on the screen, they will try again.  I don't know if the new "R" of education should have its own class, but time will tell if students will be able to keep up with a field that is moving faster than adults have time to invest in.  I foresee the students winning this round hands down.  What are you doing to ensure your students are learning what they need when it comes to Technology and Information Literacy at your school?