21st Century Learning & Teaching

"Animal dissection is one of the most controversial topics in science education. Scientists, teachers, animal rights activists, and parents and students all have a opinion about whether animal dissection is necessary or even educational. But despite strong arguments on both sides, it remains a core part of many schools' biology curriculum."

"I've invited my colleague Brandon Wiley (Twitter: @bwileyone), who directs Asia Society's International Studies Schools Network, to share some advice for new teachers on how to create a global classroom for the 21st century."

Video about next generation of textbooks

"Our Journey is a 424-day, around-the-world trip to raise geography education awareness. We plan to visit six continents and approximately 50 countries. During the expedition, we will be taking approximately 11 hikes or "treks" to some of the most remote and unspoiled places in the world. Travel will be by ground (boat, train, bus), where possible, to experience the world more closely and minimize our carbon footprint."

"How will we remember 2011? On a broad level, many would agree the past year has been a difficult one with the economic recession, social upheavals and political differences weighing on the minds of many. And at times, the discourse on the state of education in 2011 seemed to reflect this same uncertainty found elsewhere in society, as debates raged on topics such as firing teachers, NCLB reauthorization and fair teacher evaluations."

"XW1W uses today's instant technologies to share answers to the same question across the world once a week. XW1W is a simple, social way for students to learn about real life in other cultures from real kids all across the world. By simply "hashtagging" Twitter or blog responses to a weekly question about daily life, students can share and learn about other cultures from their international peers."

"Updating and Focusing Curriculum Mapping: A Five-Step Process (interactive) Saturday, July 2, 8:30 a.m. ET"

"Description: 8 and 9 year olds from a primary school in Sunderland, England organised, ran and spoke at TEDxKids@Sunderland "

Karin Hess - DOK - Learning Progressions Resources

Curriculum 21, Heidi Hayes Jacobs and her faculty, have created a new PD "hub" filled with specific links, blogs, organizations, resources, videos and connections to help teachers and learners CONNECT globally. Take a special look at the Global Competencies and Matrix released by Asia Society and CCSSO.

"For all the ink that has been spilled regarding the issue of differentiated instruction, little has been said about differentiated assessment. There is no doubt that students come to school with a variety of backgrounds and learning needs, and Carol Ann Tomlinson (Tomlinson & McTighe, 2006) and others (e.g., Stefanakis & Meier, 2010; Fogarty & Pete, 2010) have documented the importance of the issue and the potential success of the results."

"Many teachers and administrators -- not to mention the general public -- might have the wrong impression of PBL. Maybe they have stereotypical views of what a "project" is, or they've seen poor examples of it in the past. Or they can't imagine how it could fit in today's landscape of standards and testing ("Oh yeah, we did that in the 90's, but things were different then.") "

"Editor's Note: Through video observation, collaborative planning, and candid, constructive criticism, California high school math teachers Mike Fauteux and Rose Zapata have devised a formula to improve their practice and increase student achievement. After Edutopia produced this video, Mike and Rose, who teach at Leadership Public School in Hayward, CA, shared their insights with me about how to create a successful team teaching partnership."

Blended learning perspectives...

"Online social networking includes much more than Facebook and Twitter. It is any online use of technology to connect people, enable them to collaborate with each other, and form virtual communities."

"Overview | What would schools look like if students developed their own curriculum? How would education and the experience of being in school differ for students if they had more power to direct their learning? In this lesson, students consider an experiment in public education in which a small group of high school students planned and executed a model for their own learning. They then develop and implement their own self-directed projects and reflect on the results. "

"Did he seriously just ask that? How old is this guy?" Well yes, I recently seriously just asked a group of students if they knew how to search Google. And yes, the students got a good laugh from my question. "Of course I know how to use Google," I have been told by every student to whom I have asked the question. "Really? Let's see. This won't take long," I promise."

"How to Use the "4 C's" Rubrics - This excerpt appears in the Buck Institute for Education's book, "PBL for 21st Century Success: Teaching Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, Creativity." Rubrics for each of the "4 C's" are in the book, and we offer guidance below on how to use them in a PBL context."

"What is it? This article explains how BIE's new Gold Standard PBL model differs from our older model of the "8 Essential Elements of PBL" and why we made the changes. Why do we like it? We think people who were familiar with our original model for PBL will find it helpful to learn about why some familiar elements are gone, but be reassured that the changes are an understandable step forward. How can you use it? Use this article to help teachers and school leaders who have been using BIE's older model make the transition to Gold Standard PBL."