When it comes to teacher preparation, why does NCTQ place such a high value on content? Don students need critical thinking/21st century skills?
This argument isn’t new, and the dichotomy drawn between content and 21st century skills misses the point. Critical thinking is impossible without acquiring substantive knowledge. Someone who knows a lot about baseball is able to think critically about baseball, but that does not mean that he can think equally critically about nuclear physics. Critical thinking is largely associated with depth of knowledge of a specific domain of knowledge. It is not, as is commonly understood, a skill unto itself. Therefore, elementary and special education teachers need to have a broad understanding of many subjects in order to field and pose questions about the myriad topics that come up day to day in the classroom. They also should know and love a particular subject well, inspiring students to share that passion. We believe that providing teacher candidates with a broader knowledge base is one of the best ways to prepare teachers to handle the long-term demands of their complex jobs.
