Are you a dinosaur? And what to do if you are.

Way back in 2011, as part of an every seven years legislative requirement, Kansas Department of Education Consultant Don Gifford started the process of reviewing the state social studies standards. But instead of simply updating some language, adding some new resources, and calling it good, Don led the writing committee down a completely different path.

Rather than asking the committee to create a list of required content items, Don pushed the committee to look at the research and come up with something that went beyond the simple memorizing of historical facts. The result? A set of standards that focused on creating a balance of content and critical thinking skills. A lot less memorizing and a whole lot more application and process.