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Courses should encourage open participation and meaningful engagement with real audiences where possible, including peers and the broader public.

Students have the right to understand the intended outcomes--educational, vocational, even philosophical--of an online program or initiative.

n an online environment, teachers no longer need to be sole authority figures but instead should share responsibility with learners at almost every turn.

As Christopher Dede notes from his perspective at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, "You can't just sprinkle 21st century skills on the 20th century doughnut. It requires a fundamental reconception of what we're doing."

moderated significantly with much more emphasis on demonstrations of learning, tangible “output” that can be collected and in each student’s lifelong digital portfolio. It makes one wonder what assessments for the 21st century might look like in general.

character (self-discipline, empathy, integrity, resilience, and courage);creativity and entrepreneurial spirit;real-world problem-solving (filtering, analysis, and synthesis);public speaking/communications;teaming; andleadership.

I hope never to read a vision statement that promises to maintain rather than improve,

I’d say that 21st Century educators first need to be content experts and second need to be media literate to be relevant to their students.

We can’t expect students to use media correctly if as educators we’re not willing to jump in and learn, share and collaborate with our personal learning network.

Put simply, project-based curriculum emphasizes learning through doing classroom projects that address a specific issue or challenge. Students typically carry out the projects in groups, and teachers guide them along

Tina Barseghian Editor of MindShift, a website about the future of learning Posted: January 7, 2011 02:48 PM BIO Become a Fan Get Email Alerts Bloggers' Index Napa New Tech High: 5 Reasons This is the School of the Future Amazing Inspiring Funny Scary Hot Crazy Important Weird Read More: Computer Tech School , Education Technology , Napa New Tech High , New Tech High Napa , New Tech Network , New Technology High , School Computer , Tech School , Tech Schools , Education News share this story 11481122 Get Education Alerts Sign Up Submit this story digg reddit stumble What does the high school of the future look like? It's one that emphasizes useful, relevant skills that can be applied

At Napa New Tech, you'll hear very little lecturing and see few teacher-led activities. For this school, the decision to use project-based curriculum was based not only on what topics students should learn, but also what skills they should acquire in school.

Each class has students divided into groups of four to five paired together to learn course material and create projects. Teachers work with the groups to create a more individualized learning experience and enhance comprehension.

"We aren't just adding technology for technology's sake here," he said. "It really is a culture change taking place. There's nothing traditional about the way our students are learning. We really focus on creating an environment where students can learn subjects in a way they can relate to and a way that interests them."

Since classes are now project-based, students are graded on a variety of skills, including content, oral communications and work ethic.

We are aware of how much we don't know: that we have yet to explore the full pedagogical potential of learning online, of how it can change the ways we teach, the ways we learn, and the ways we connect.  

As we begin to experiment with how novel technologies might change learning and teaching, powerful forces threaten to neuter or constrain technology, propping up outdated educational practices rather than unfolding transformative ones.

All too often, during such wrenching transitions, the voice of the learner gets muffled.

how can spaces that have essentially been designed the same way for 100 years still serve the learning needs of our students in the 21st century?

When you stand in a classroom and look out at your students, what does the layout of that room say about the educational philosophy of your school?

Whatever technology you're placing into school, the physical learning environment should support the same pedagogical objectives that prompted the integration of the technology. Everything should work in unison to create an atmosphere that encourages and fosters 21st century learning objectives.

Tell me what you’ve learned.  When I told my students this the next day, they were shocked, but so excited. During the exam I kept hearing, “I really love this exam.”  How many times do you hear that as a teacher?

They loved the Khan Academy video, and reverse instruction learning.  They found the illustrations easy to understand, and the format challenging.  And most of all, they love the independence.

This is a student who struggles in a traditional classroom, and experiences limited success. And she doesn’t think she’s smart. But the truth is, she is.  She gets Biology.

Have we really hit the tipping point with online communities and collaboration– true collaboration? Is deep collaboration (moving past talk and cooperation to appreciative and collective action ) so prevalent among education that we can call it “old hat”?

Shouldn’t we be trying to  understand what is happening in those spaces that were new only a few years ago, determining how to best use them to learn and help our students learn?

re people confusing talking to people online with deep, connected learning?

At TeachThought, we tend towards the tech-infused model, but do spend time exploring the limits and challenges of technology, the impact of rapid technology change, and carefully considering important questions before diving in head-first.

1- Create and edit  digital audio

2- Use Social bookmarking to share resources with and between learners

3- Use blogs and wikis to create online platforms for students