Visible Thinking is a flexible and systematic research-based approach to integrating the development of students' thinking with content learning across subject matters. An extensive and adaptable collection of practices, Visible Thinking has a double goal: on the one hand, to cultivate students' thinking skills and dispositions, and, on the other, to deepen content learning. By thinking dispositions, we mean curiosity, concern for truth and understanding, a creative mindset, not just being skilled but also alert to thinking and learning opportunities and eager to take them 
The 10 Elements of High Quality Digital Learning was released at the 2010 Excellence in Action National Summit on Education Reform in Washington DC. During the fall of 2010, the Digital Learning Council defined the elements and identified the actions that need to be taken by lawmakers and policymakers to foster a high quality, customized education for all students. This includes technology-enhanced learning in traditional schools, online and virtual learning, and blended learning that combines online and onsite learning. Via Nik Peachey 
© Copyright David Hawgood and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons License 
"Many times, I see eyes glazing over, when I excitedly speak with parents or administrators about blogging, skyping or podcasting with students. Many of them, unfamiliar with the tools, will immediately feel uncomfortable. Some will automatically and immediately steer the conversation back to what they know: What about learning the basics, like reading,writing, math and science? I usually try to explain and emphasize, that these skills are precisely what are being taught. We are not podcasting in order to teach Audacity nor Garageband. We are not recording students for the fun of using microphone, we are not blogging, so we can practice typing, we are not skyping for the purpose of using a webcam.
21st Century Readiness for Every Student Learn more about Fusing the Three Rs and Four Cs for 21st Century Readiness. 
From Partnership for 21st Century Skills, Route 21. Browse this area of the site to locate resources related to 21st century skills. The items included in this database reflect the Partnership’s first step in collecting 21st century-skills related materials in one place. 
The Fluencies The 21st Century Fluencies are not about technical prowess, they are critical thinking skills, and they are essential to living in this multimedia world. We call them fluencies for a reason. To be literate means to have knowledge or competence. To be fluent is something a little more, it is to demonstrate mastery and to do so unconsciously and smoothly. A young learner who is literate in the use of a tool, say a pencil for example, can use it to write, but does so haltingly because a great deal of focus is on the use of the tool. As time goes on, this learner will develop fluency with the use of the pen or pencil, or keyboard. No longer will it be an impediment, instead their thoughts and ideas flow directly to the paper. The use of the tool is transparent. This is the level of proficiency we will need to thrive in this digital landscape and is what we strive to develop in today's learners. "K-12 education isn't using technology effectively and isn't investing nearly enough in IT infrastructure to enable next-generation learning. That's the conclusion of a new report, "Unleashing the Potential of Technology in Education," which called for a greater financial commitment to education technology and the adoption of a holistic, "closed loop" approach to its implementation."
"The "closed-loop system" includes six core elements: |
How do we prepare our students for an ever-changing world? Project New Media Literacies has some suggetions. 
How do you know if your school is preparing students for their future or their teacher’s past? Here are some questions to think about when considering if learners are effectively being prepared for their world. 
The atmosphere felt very different in my classroom a few weeks ago, as I began the hard work of teaching by getting out of the way. Web 2.0 provides ways to filter, streamline, organise, share, distribute or gather information from the burgeoning information jungle. Via Judy O'Connell 
Making School Real – 1898, posted Apr 8th, 2010 by Prof Wesch This animate was adapted from a talk given at the RSA by Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education and creativity expert and recipient of the RSA's Benjamin... Via Gust MEES 
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills...is a national organization that advocates for 21st century readiness for every student. As the United States continues to compete in a global economy that demands innovation, P21 and its members provide tools and resources to help the U.S. education system keep up by fusing the three Rs and four Cs (critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation). Check out the collection of state initiatives for benchmarks and inspiration. From bobpearlman.org, Sharing best practices and strategies in school reform 
A wiki dedicated to showing visual representations of Bloom's within a 21st Century Skills framework Via Susan Oxnevad 
One of the take aways from the Curriculum Mapping Institute this past week was that it brought an upgrade to THE trusted KWL (Know, What to Know and Learned) Chart to the forefront. |
