*Do you think that lessons should have a greater emphasis on broad skills? Does learning dates, facts and figures by rote kill children's creativity? What would be the effect of reverting back to teaching methods from the past? How do you teach basic skills and also teach the skill that employers and colleges want?*

*I think lessons should have a greater emphasis on broader skills than just focusing on one.  By having more broader skills you appeal to everyone.  Having broad based skills will help you get a good job later in life.  For example, say you're competing for a job with another applicant.  This particular applicant is more skilled in other areas of the job and you are only good in one area.  The employer will only hire the applicant with the better and more skill set.  By converting back to the teaching methods of the past it will simplify today's children.  We don't want that; We want today's youth to be complex in every aspect of intelligence.  By being complex and broad based it will expand their learning experience and in turn help them in the long run.  For example, in math their is not just one way to do a problem.  When you learn to do a problem they teach at least two other ways to do it also.  In conclusion, broad based means to be complex and extensive in your skill set and work.