Mr. Kraut's Vision for the Future for College of the Canyons

By Jonathan Daniel Kraut

Bringing the Newest Concepts in Education to the Santa Clarita Valley

The community and our student population is rapidly expanding, presenting new challenges for College of the Canyons. No longer a tiny community college tucked away in the foothills, Mr. Kraut is ready to lead the community and COC into the next generation of learning and education. Faced with the challenges of explosive growth, it has been suggested it is time for new ideas and the addition of academic professional expertise to the Board. Given the incredible expansion of the college district, is that every effort be afforded to support COC students, teachers, and administration with the latest concepts in learning and with adaptations needed to provide excellent education with continued growth by the college.

New dynamics of the Information Age

The "Industrial Revolution" was a mid 1800's economic and social adaptation to technological change that dramatically shifted American society and beliefs. The legacy of the Industrial Revolution is still with us today in the form of traditional American education. We have emerged into what we now call the "Information Age." In order to address these new challenges in American education, Mr. Kraut participated at UCLA in the evolution and strategic planning of new concepts in learning. Theses programs are taught by the UCLA Graduate School of Education and have been implemented in honors programs by the Los Angeles Unfired School District and other local schools.

The results of the UCLA research are stunning:

First, student intelligence was found to be a "variable" and not a permanent characteristic. In other words, factors like family culture and support, teaching techniques, and peer support actually "made students smarter."

Second, many of the skills that were used to evaluate student learning and ability were no longer as significant as in the Industrial Age when American learning systems were last reformed. Recognizing that a shift had occurred in society, UCLA redesigned educational goals and configurations to support the new demands that graduates face in the modern workplace. Teaching additional skills to the existing array of skills is recommended.

Existing Skills
--Memorization of information
--Research and investigation skills
--Study skills
--Performance as an individual
--Following specific directions
--Teachers deciding what is learned

Additional Skills
--Independent tasks
--Team achievement and interaction
--Group communications
--Performance as a team member
--Self-guided tasks and goals
--Using teachers as a resource to learn

Mr. Kraut intends to propose incorporation of these new skills and offer updates in educational delivery systems through teacher training and workshops conducted by organizations already funded by College of the Canyons to include The Institute of Teaching and Learning and Professional Development Department.