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""There's a huge gap between the needs and requirements of the job market of the 21st century and what the education system is delivering," said Vishal Talreja, founder and CEO of Dream A Dream, a Bangalore-based organization that prepares young people from vulnerable backgrounds to succeed in a changing world. Talreja is right -- neither employers nor education leaders (not to mention some students themselves) would argue otherwise. But it is the second point Talreja made before the 2015 LEGO Foundation IDEA Conference that educator-innovators should pay the most attention to: "Learning spaces, which could be physical spaces of learning or just safe environments for learning, are extremely critical." A learning space differs in both look and feel from the traditional classroom. In the past year, we've met social entrepreneurs with an eye on education who are creating cost-effective methods to infuse schools with the type of culture and design that students need to better develop their curiosity, creativity, and imagination, and better achieve desired learning outcomes."

"echnology is proved to be an effective means of creating and enhancing a PBL-based culture in and outside class. We have already featured a wide variety of iPad and Android apps that are ideal for a PBL classroom. Today, we are grounding you in the theoretical as well as practical part of project based learning. We have selected for you some great books on PBL designed particularly for teachers and educators.  These reads will definitely help you construct an informed understanding of what PB is all about and guide you towards a better implementation of its ethos in your teaching."

"Teaching students how to conduct smart search queries online is an important part of cultivating a digital citizenship culture within your classroom.  Smart searching goes beyond the simple ability to conduct quick search queries to how to effectively locate information online and assess their authenticity and accuracy. In other  words, smart searching encompasses a complex set of interrelated skills and competencies that together make up the holistic picture of what it is to be a search savvy netizen."

"I fell in love with Periscope, the free live-streaming app created by Twitter, this summer while at ISTE.  Free, instant access to events happening around the world - finally!  The myriad of ways I could see implementing it in my classroom overwhelmed me in a good way.  Kids could periscope our class at any time to bring the world in.  Students could interact with other students around the world.  Students could have a real-time audience at any time we needed.  We could explore every day moments in cultures around the world.  On and on, the ideas went. Yet, when I thought about it some more, I started to second-guess my love for it a little bit.  I didn't fall out of love, but I did start to question my own ideas, as well as the professional responsibility that I carry not just as a teacher, but also as an active conference goer/speaker.  So what has made me slow down?"

An inspiring first European overview A groundbreaking new European study, released today at a major EU conference hosted by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, sheds light on how teachers use digital games in the classroom with their pupils for learning purposes. The conference was opened by the European Commissioner for Education and Culture, Jan Figel, underlining the importance of the study. It covers commercial as well as "serious" games. It was carried out by European Schoolnet, a network of 31 Ministries of Education, commissioned by the Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE).

"How can participant-led, one-day events open up new possibilities for professional learning? "I have heard more positive feedback on this day than any other professional development I have ever been a part of. I keep wondering why we didn't take our professional development in this direction a lot earlier. If we want classrooms where we are teaching students to be collaborative and more proactive in their learning, don't we have to set up a culture where we trust teachers to do the same?" -Patrick Larkin (2010), assistant superintendent Hundreds of quotes like this one have been circulating within the Twittersphere and Blogosphere since May 2010. What's all the buzz about? Edcamp."

"I don't use sarcasm and I don't resort to ad hominem attacks in the name of "humor." However, I joke around often in class. It might be a wise crack about pop culture, a musing on something ironic or the fun of wordplay. These uses of humor are intentional. I believe humor is a good thing in the classroom. Here are a few reasons why:"

"I believe that every child has the right to invent, tinker, create, innovate, make, and do. The maker movement has created opportunities for all educators to give students authentic learning opportunities that go beyond the typical classroom experiences and to rethink traditional learning environments to include those that nurture the kinds of creativity and innovation that will benefit our students both in school and beyond. We know children learn by exploring and playing and doing and making and that these kinds of things lead to deeper engagement. The maker movement embodies opportunities for experimentation and innovation to occur across all grade levels and all content areas. Physical makerspaces have allowed us the opportunity to pull some of this excitement of the maker movement into our schools. Makerspaces can help set the stage for meaningful student learning, as well as help cultivate a culture of innovation within a school. My makerspace inspires innovation, passion, and personal motivation and interests, and has encouraged students to pursue STEM subjects and careers."

"In this series I'm going to focus on ways that you can go above and beyond for your students, their families, and your professional identity. Once you've got your day to day responsibilities out of the way (lesson planning, assessment, classroom management, etc) there are things you can do and materials you can create that will really upgrade your overall instruction. This might be a reading list that pushes your students from GE into GT, or it might create ongoing activities that expand your pedagogical offerings past the standards and into genuine 21st century skills. In this post I'm going to discuss makerspaces, what they are, and why you should try and incorporate them into your instruction. "

"Find resources and tools to help bring elements of maker culture into schools and classrooms, and encourage students to explore STEAM subjects within the context of maker projects."

"As someone who has been fortunate enough to spend much of her professional career working in elementary schools -- both as an early-childhood (K-3) teacher and university-based teacher educator -- I'm often struck by the difference between how young children and teachers talk about literacy in the earliest years of school. Whether they're drawing pictures and asking you to "read" their latest story or eagerly inviting you to listen to an account of a favorite book, young children enter school enthusiastic about learning to read and write. In a world where they see print all around them -- scrolling on phone screens, in the books that they love, on the billboards they ponder -- learning to read and write makes a young child feel independent and capable. Yet early-childhood teachers point to the pressures associated with the Common Core State Standards and the accompanying standardized testing culture as deeply affecting classrooms, often characterized by a heightened focus on teaching young children to read and write as early as possible."

"In my time working with primary students, I have seen them use Google Apps for Education (GAFE) to create, collaborate, and innovate. With time and practice, they became fluent with the apps, and changed the learning culture in our classroom. Using Google Docs, Drawings, Slides, Forms, and Sheets, my second graders were empowered, and became technologically literate, through these GAFE exercises."

"So many adults, including teachers, joke about not being able to do simple math or not being a "science person" that many students enter STEM classrooms with negative views. This creates a fixed mindset as students believe they need certain natural abilities to be successful in math and science. As educators, we need to create opportunities for students to overcome these deeply planted negative views. Using images or ideas from popular culture gives students an entry point to explore science-they're already experts, and they can use the confidence they have in that area to become more open to learning and experiencing how math and science are rooted in creativity and imagination."

"League of Legends, DOTA 2, Heroes of the Storm and-of course-Fortnite. You may recognize these as titles of popular video games, even if you aren't strictly a "gamer." The reality is that video games and the communities, organizations and players surrounding them have become big business-some worth potentially millions of dollars. These aren't just games anymore; they have emerged, along with other massive titles such as Overwatch, as a phenomenon it seems everyone is racing to catch up with. Playing these games competitively, known as esports, is on the verge of becoming not only a force in the business and entertainment world, but a factor in the classroom as schools start esports leagues and curriculum springs up around gaming culture. So what do educators need to know about it?"

"Today's teachers are key to the next generation's success. Barefoot supports primary educators with the confidence, knowledge, skills and resources to teach computer science. Resources aligned to the curricular for all UK nations. This includes FREE high-quality lesson plans and local CPD Workshops, all designed to help teachers gain confidence in bringing computer science to life in the classroom. CAS and BT are working together to support teachers in delivering the computing curriculum. BT - Barefoot Computing is part of BT's commitment to help build a culture of tech literacy and use the power of communications to make a better world. Find out more at www.techliteracy.co.uk CAS - For teachers who have found Barefoot Computing the first entry point on their CPD journey, Computing At School can be found by clicking here http://www.computingatschool.org.uk/"

If we are to cultivate the dispositions required in these times of postnormality and post-truth we need to establish cultures in our classrooms which will allow them to thrive. 

Why might it be that our students struggle with independence? Maybe it comes from the language moves we make. As with the language of thinking, being deliberate with our choices can help us to create a classroom culture where students demonstrate independence and initiative.

If you are interested in building a classroom culture where thinking is noticed, named and celebrated, there are three books which make essential reading. They provide clear evidence for why teachers should focus their efforts on encouraging and normalising thinking and offer research-backed strategies to support this. The books are the result of ongoing research by Harvard's Project Zero and their lead author Ron Ritchhart.