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ow should education be
structured to meet the needs of students in this 21st century
world? How do we now define “School”, “Teacher” “Le
arner” and
"Curriculum"?
Schools in the 21st
century will be laced with a project-based curriculum for life aimed at
engaging students in addressing real-world problems, issues important to
humanity, and questions that matter
This is a dramatic
departure from the factory-model education of the past. It is
abandonment, finally, of textbook-driven, teacher-centered, paper and
pencil schooling. It means a new way of understanding the concept of
“knowledge”, a new definition of the “educated person”. A new way of
designing and delivering the curriculum is required.
We offer the following
new definitions for “School”, “Teacher” and “Learner” appropriate for
the 21st century
Schools will go from
‘buildings’ to 'nerve centers', with walls that are porous and
transparent, connecting teachers, students and the community to the
wealth of knowledge that exists in the world.
Teacher - From primary
role as a dispenser of information to orchestrator of learning and
helping students turn information into knowledge, and knowledge into
wisdom.
The 21st
century will require knowledge generation, not just information
delivery, and schools will need to create a “culture of inquiry”.
Learner -
In the past a learner was a young person who went to school, spent a
specified amount of time in certain courses, received passing grades and
graduated. Today we must see learners in a new context:
First – we must maintain student interest by helping them see how what
they are learning prepares them for life in the real world.
Second – we must instill curiosity, which is fundamental to lifelong
learning.
Third
– we must be flexible in how we teach.
ourth – we must excite learners to become even more resourceful so
that they will continue to learn outside the formal school day.”
So what will schools look
like, exactly? What will the curriculum look like? How will this 21st
century curriculum be organized, and how will it impact the way we
design and build schools, how we assess students, how we purchase
resources, how we acquire and utilize the new technologies, and what
does all this mean for us in an era of standardized testing and
accountability?
Imagine a school in which
the students – all of them – are so excited about school that they can
hardly wait to get there. Imagine having little or no “discipline
problems” because the students are so engaged in their studies that
those problems disappear. Imagine having parents calling, sending
notes, or coming up to the school to tell you about the dramatic changes
they are witnessing in their children: n
ewly found enthusiasm and
excitement for school, a desire to work on projects, research and write
after school and on
Imagine your students making nearly
exponential growth in their basic skills of reading, writing, speaking,
listening, researching
weekends
explorations, math, multimedia skills
and more!
scientific
0th Century Classroom
vs. the 21st Century Classroom
Building positive group work ethics in project-based learning
Teach_Tec 4 Nov 2011 8:59 AM 0
Can you think of a job or profession that is done alone? No co-workers to consult, no team responsible for contributing different pieces of a project, no meetings (well, maybe that might be okay ; )
It's hard to come up with many. Artist? Author? (at least during the initial writing process). We could probably come up with a few more, but the list is relatively short. Working in teams, collaborating with others in our work and life is fundamental. Not only do we gain social benefits, but the ability to combine the strengths of a team most often leads to a better end result.
Though we've all heard that initial reaction from students as a group project is introduced: 'Can we pick our own groups?' or even worse, 'Do I have to be with him/her?' The skills of working effectively in groups need to be coached, practiced and encouraged. So when you see reflective comments such as these (from real students) it is encouraging:
"A good team looks like a team that is on task, getting along and sharing." (5th grade)
"A good team looks like a friendly team with members working together. I have learned practical skills that will help me get a job." (5th grade)
"A good team looks and sounds like they are working together, improvising, compromising, discussing ideas calmly and working out disagreements." (6th grade)
"In the real world you may have to work with people you do not like and you need to know how to still be productive." (6th grade)
So how did these students get here?
Pauline Roberts, a 5th and 6th grade teacher at the Birmingham Covington School in Bloomfield Hills, MI has made developing these skills a priority. The unique program she and her colleagues have collaborated on at this 3rd - 8th grade public school is called ENGAGE. The focus is to embed 21st century skills across multiple grades and all parts of the curriculum with a specific
As I shared in my popular post 21st Century Educators Don't Say, "Hand It In." They say, "Publish It!, publishing to an authentic audience is much more powerful than publishing to an audience of one (the teacher) or some (classmates, parents). It also enables students to produce real work that has real world meaning and empowers them with a valuable skill necessary for success in life. Knowing how to develop and share a message that can make a difference.
INANIMATE ALICE
'Inanimate Alice,' an interactive tale delivered online, tells the story of Alice, a young girl growing up in the first half of the 21st century, and her imaginary digital friend, Brad.
Over ten episodes, each a self contained story, we see Alice grow from an eight year old living with her parents in a remote region of Northern China to a talented mid-twenties animator and designer with the biggest games company in the world.