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Great video that represents the essence of Project-based Learning ... If a school/district is currently traditional in that the disciplines are seen/taught separate or occasionally blended, why not have teachers from various disciplines work collegially to create one interdisciplinary PBL Unit per semester as an curriculum upgrade. The PBL Units can be housed in a separate "course" in the mapping system.

"If your school is seeking to incorporate more collaborative approaches to teaching and learning, the design of the learning environment-whether it's a classroom or a more informal space-can be a critical factor in making this transformative move. Technology, in particular, can play a pivotal role in enabling students to work effectively in teams and in supporting educators as they make the transition from a lecture-oriented to a more facilitative instructional mode. "

"Unfortunately, unchecked and unfocused use of technology can result in students disconnecting from the "why" of learning and from the real-time relationships that are key to their development and success. Alternatively, high-quality integration of technology has the potential to not only prepare young people for their futures, but also to enhance and expand learning and connectedness. Join our guests as they discuss specific ways you can overcome barriers to connecting digital learners and lead your school community in meaningful technology integration. You'll hear from: * Heidi Hayes Jacobs, author of Curriculum 21: Essential Education in a Changing World, founder and president of Curriculum Designers Inc., and executive director of the Curriculum Mapping Institute; * Juliette Mersiowsky, instructional designer and instructor of education and technology at Germanna Community College in Virginia; and * Ena Bentley Wood, technology integration specialist with Arlington (Va.) Public Schools. How does your school and community meaningfully connect digital learners to their peers, teachers, and communities; to rich and challenging learning; and to their futures?"

"This short video gives a quick peek into our experimental classroom at the No. 1 High School Attached to Central China Normal University, where we're running a project-based curriculum. For anyone who has visited China and been taken aback by the large, quiet classrooms that feature students quietly listening to teacher lectures, this video should be of interest. As we embark on a 1-to-1 iPad classroom in our second semester of this academic year, these students demonstrate to me that they're ready for active learning in a system that to date has rarely used technology as a significant teaching tool."

"Personalised learning means different things to different people. A lot of the debate focuses on who personalises the learning; the teacher for the learner, or the learner for themselves. Despite this polarisation, there would appear to be some agreement on what characteristics the 'learner' might have. "

"Mike Fischer & Silvia Tolisano talk about the recent Curriculum Mapping Institute Conference in Saratoga Springs, NY. A different kind of conference who successfully embedded social media and networking to model upgrades for 21st Century Learning. Listen to interviews with Janet Hale, Jen Laubsch and Adam Bellow (Presenters and attendees of CMI2010) and hear their perspective of 21st Century learning, presenting and conferences."

why" "knowing The cultural knowings framework consists of four interconnected learning interactions: Knowing About - the acquisition through research and study of cultural facts, data, and knowledge about products, practices, and perspectives. Knowing How - the acquisition of cultural practices (behaviors, actions, skills, saying, touching, looking, standing, or other forms of "doing"). Knowing Why - the development of an understanding of fundamental cultural perspectives (perceptions, beliefs, values, and attitudes that underlie or permeate all aspects of culture). Knowing Oneself - the strengthening of individual identity, knowing who we are as individuals and as members of a society and cultural grouping (self-awareness and self-actualization).

Watch how Nash Rocky Mountain Early College High School uses EduPlatform in their 1:1 [computer/internet access] initiative, which integrates today's latest technologies into the classroom for 21st century learning.

"In October, I posted "Top 10 Signs Your School Is Caught in a Time Warp: List for School Leaders." Of course the whole idea behind that post was to call attention to those leadership proclivities that are actually hindering movement toward a 21st century learning environment."

"When we question our students about "what it takes to get really good at something" and give them the space to respond, it is amazing how insightful they can be-and how much of it lines up with the neuroscience of learning. Here are nine answers that students gave in the book Fires in the Mind, along with related teacher actions to consider incorporating into your regular practice."

"Narrator: Brooklyn Prospect Charter School in Brooklyn, New York, was founded by Luyen Chou and Dan Rubenstein. The school opened its doors just weeks before we visited them. Part of their vision: a commitment to developing 21st century skills in its diverse student population."

This Week in Rap Current Events in Hip-Hop ... Great for all disciplines and when creating rap involves Marzano's vocabulary building/learning strategies.

"As to the question, "How do we support students developing as efficacious self-directed, social learners and involve parents as partners in that journey?" I offer a little of my own background here. I mostly directly teach undergraduates (and adults), so I deal with folks who have already been through a system that has largely (with some exceptions) encouraged them to be passive, to be attentive to the rules of the game, to be really, really conventionally successful (as defined by the institution), and who are often self-directed and social learners-OUTSIDE of the classroom. So long attentive to the rules of the game of school, they sometimes resent being asked to deeply engage in their own learning. Here's a little recollection of my own journey through this as a teacher…"

I am not an artist, but I am surrounded by artists- family, friends, colleagues, and young people. A million years ago (or maybe about three decades past), I worked through each of the lessons in Betty Edwards' first edition of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain and struggled to brake the inertia of my well-designed, verbal-linguistic vehicle so that I could learn to see, not read, images in my world. I followed instructions to turn a vase upside down and draw it. After an intense attempt the result was…a lopsided, upside-down vase. "

"Teens across the country are starting to play computer games in school - and their teachers encourage them. It's called three-dimensional learning, and it has little in common with the 1980s video arcades parents remember. In North Carolina, high school students who take an elective called "Computer Applications 2" get introduced to Second Life or ReactionGrid, 3-D virtual worlds in which each player has an avatar - like a digital sock puppet that the user controls. In at least one school district, middle school students sit down at computers to play 3-D games in math and language arts classes. Quantcast "

"Last summer, as I was winding down my eight years as president of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, I went around the country and met with 30 superintendents, asking them, "What can I do to support your efforts to implement 21st century education in your district?" Together we came up with the idea of creating a professional learning community (PLC) of education leaders committed to 21st century education. A team of us liked the idea so much that earlier this year we launched EdLeader21, a community of education leaders committed to building critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity into their educational system. "

"As the workplace changes and becomes increasingly global, today's students must be educated with a 21st-century mindset. Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills are no longer just "good skills" to have; they are increasingly vital to a 21st-century education-and students should begin cultivating these skills as early as possible. Attracting students to the STEM disciplines is the first hurdle, and retaining student interest in these areas is the second. But once student interest in STEM-related fields is established, they will discover they are on a successful path not just for higher education, but for the workforce as well."

"Alejandra Quaglia The world in which my students are growing up is changing very quickly. With smartphones, video games, wikis, blogs, texting, and e-mails as an integral part of their lives, students are multitaskers, fast-paced, and highly collaborative. Over the last 10 years, I've found that I can no longer apply teaching methods that were developed before the rise of technology. My students got bored, and they didn't pay much attention to highly structured textbook lessons. As a language arts teacher in the bilingual St. Andrew's Scots School in Buenos Aires, Argentina, I was determined to change my education approach to help prepare my students for our changing world."

"Has there ever been such a frenzy of thinking and activity over a concept which does not even exist? I am referring, of course, to the ridiculous notion of so-called '21st century skills'. Bloggers, teachers, employer organisations and even governments have fallen over themselves to produce documents 'proving' that 21st century skills are essential in the 21st century. Papers have been written. Rubrics have been created. In England the National Curriculum itself has been perverted from its course to include 'Personal Learning and Training Skills' (aptly pronounced, generally, as 'pelts'). I am surprised that I've yet to see jobs advertised: "Wanted: Dynamic Director of 21st Century Skills"; "Needed as soon as possible: 21st century skills co-ordinator.""

"International Studies Schools Network Asia Society has 23 public schools that are developing globally competent, college-ready high school students. Research shows our model has higher graduation rates and academic achievement than other schools with similar profiles. "