As regular Scripted Spontaneity readers know, next week I’ll be hosting and moderating an asynchronous discussion on Voicethread about a new book that has really got me thinking.  It’s called 21st Century Skills: Rethinking How Students Learn, and I think what I like best about it is that it isn’t really one story.  It’s an anthology of essays by experts in various fields discussing how they connect with the idea of 21st Century Skills.  Under the umbrella of its central theme are fourteen diverse and engaging chapters that address every level from policy maker to classroom teacher.

The list of contributors to the book really reads like a “Who’s Who” of educational thinking today.  Howard Gardner (of multiple intelligences fame) describes the five types of minds that are needed for this new era.  Ed reform heavyweight Linda Darling-Hammond discusses national education policy changes that are needed to bring these skills to the forefront.  Rick and Becky DuFour make a strong argument for the role that PLCs can play in implementing 21st Century Skills, especially as teachers become models of critical thinking.  Will Richardson, author of the first educational technology book that I ever read (a dog-eared copy of which is still on my classroom bookshelf), explains the impact of a future in which education is increasingly global and self-driven:

“Instead of learning from others who have the credentials to “teach” in this new networked world, we learn with others whom we seek (and who seek us) on our own and with whom we often share nothing more than a passion for knowing.”

One of my personal heroes, Alan November, writes a powerful chapter about the dangers of assuming that more technology means more information.  Like several other of the contributors to 21st Century Skills, November stresses the need to develop a “global work ethic”.  This idea is what has got me really thinking about the changes that await my students.  What can I do now to help them think of themselves as global citizens and to compete with job-seekers from all over the world? Alan lays out a clear and convincing strategy.

Add to that chapters from Doug Reeves (on reforming assessment), John Barell (about the role of Problem-Based Learning), Jay McTighe and Elliot Seif (the Understanding by Design guys), David W. Johnson and Roger T. Johnson (experts on cooperative learning), and even Bob Pearlman writing about design of our school buildings, and you end up with one book that tells many stories.  In the end, these stories make it clear that huge changes are needed if we are to ready our children for the challenges that await them.  The way forward is mapped out, leaving all of us in the education business with the choice of whether to follow it.

If all of this has you interested, consider dropping by next week for our Voicethread conversation with several of the book’s contributors.  You can download a non-printable PDF copy of the book to prepare for the discussion by clicking here.  Come back early next week for some simple Voicethread beginner’s advice and more details about how you can participate in the conversation.

photo credit: Kathy Cassidy

It seems that every day I read another article or blog post about twenty-first century skills, their merits, and the hype that surrounds them.  Some question the significance of skills that have been championed for decades, and others cringe at the use of buzzwords like “twenty-first century” and “digital natives”.  I have found myself on both sides of this issue, and seeking more information about it.

I just finished reading a new anthology that has opened my eyes to some of the biggest issues related to this idea, and really pushed my thinking on the topic.  It’s called “21st Century Skills: Rethinking How Student Learn”, and it includes chapters from the likes of Linda Darling-Hammond, Will Richardson, and Howard Gardner.  PLC experts, Rick and Becky DuFour have contributed and so have Problem-Based Learning guru John Barell and cooperative learning experts David and Roger Johnson.  You can find out more about the book at the publisher’s page here.  I am lucky enough to be moderating an online conversation with several of the well-known contributors. It’s sure to be both informative and a bit contentious.

Since we all have some sort of opinion about the future of education, I encourage you to bring your views and expertise and join the discussion June 16-19 on Voicethread.  Check back here for more information in the coming weeks.

My good friend and fellow edublogger, Bill Ferriter, is hosting a Voicethread discussion with Rick and Becky DuFour around their newest book “Raising the Bar and Closing the Gap: Whatever It Takes”.  The conversation takes place May 19-21, so there’s plenty of time to pick up a copy of the book and join me and many other education folks on Voicethread.

You can find out more on Bill’s blog, The Tempered Radical, by clicking here.

I was partaking in my typical news-geek hobby of listening to news shows on NPR (in this case, All Things Considered), and I caught the end of an interview with author James Geary. His obvious love for aphorisms (or, as my 8th graders would probably call them, “sayings”) was captivating. He described them as tidbits of brain candy (that’s me paraphrasing). He was talking about his new book, “Geary’s Guide to the World’s Great Aphorists“, and I was immediately sold. I took a ride to the local Barnes & Noble after school today, and I picked up a copy.

If you’re a fan of aphorisms, and would like to know more about the people who wrote them, I highly recommend this book. Perhaps, you’ll find your brain on a sugar high afterwards.

I have been a big fan of Stephen J. Dubner and Steve Levitt ever since reading “Freakonomics” two years ago. I discovered their blog a few months back, and that has helped rekindle that feeling of Science explaining Life that made me love the book so much. They recently “upgraded” to become part of the New York Times website, which has allowed them to include videos and many more cool features.

The recent posts on their site have centered around the most controversial topic in the book, the correlation (note: not causality) between the drop in U.S. crime rate during the 1990′s and the legalization of abortion in the 1960′s. We learn more about the research that led to the scientific paper on which this part of the book was based. Great reading for conservatives and liberals alike.