What should we teach?

We have the Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations.

We have the High School Content Expectations.

We have the new Common Core.

And then there is this - The Sporting Journal. This sports website was created by a 14 year old who had an interest in sports. In the "About" tab one reads this:

Currently all our reporters are currently aged between 13 – 25 and are all very keen to learn and grow their skills. Our founder himself is a mere 14-year-old.

Those reporters will learn the skills they need to communicate, to write, to analyze by creating their website. As we think of those young reporters, the question is not what school is for but how can school engage these young people by connecting what goes on in school with what goes on in their life?

How do we - those who say that we are educators - take the power that is available in technology and social media and create an educational system that taps into the interests, skills, and enthusiasm of those we teach?

(I learned about The Sporting Journal" in Will Richardson's book Why School? I would recommend it.)