Launching 21st Century Education - getting it right!
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Failed launches
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Successful Launch!
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"A little dab'll do ya!" might have been a great slogan for Brylcreem, but it won't work for professional staff development.
Creating desired change in a school or a district, or even in a single classroom, is very similar in many ways to launching a rocket to the moon. Just as launching a rocket requires enormous thrust to escape the gravitational pull of the Earth, your initiative will require the same thrust.
Your goal is to escape the gravitational pull of traditional, factory model education - the thrust you need to escape that paradigm is intensive professional development and other supports, from policies to schedules to the learning environment.
Professional staff development is not an expense, it is an investment - in your teachers, in the students and in your community. Ensure that your initiative is fully supported and funded. Commit to your teachers the necessary resources to make the successful transition you have asked them to make.
In the videos above you saw examples of failed rocket launches. These represent failed or poorly planned reforms for schools. Failure is necessary for learning; NASA finally got it right. See the second video showing a successful launch! And, so can WE!
Why don't we learn anything from the many failed reforms in education, mostly centered on the testing industry? Isn't it time to do what's right and what works?
Learn here about Effective Professional Development, i.e., How to Have a Successful Launch !
Creating desired change in a school or a district, or even in a single classroom, is very similar in many ways to launching a rocket to the moon. Just as launching a rocket requires enormous thrust to escape the gravitational pull of the Earth, your initiative will require the same thrust.
Your goal is to escape the gravitational pull of traditional, factory model education - the thrust you need to escape that paradigm is intensive professional development and other supports, from policies to schedules to the learning environment.
Professional staff development is not an expense, it is an investment - in your teachers, in the students and in your community. Ensure that your initiative is fully supported and funded. Commit to your teachers the necessary resources to make the successful transition you have asked them to make.
In the videos above you saw examples of failed rocket launches. These represent failed or poorly planned reforms for schools. Failure is necessary for learning; NASA finally got it right. See the second video showing a successful launch! And, so can WE!
Why don't we learn anything from the many failed reforms in education, mostly centered on the testing industry? Isn't it time to do what's right and what works?
Learn here about Effective Professional Development, i.e., How to Have a Successful Launch !
As you could see in the Framework for 21st Century Schools above, our 3 compasses are embedded within an intentionally designed Learning Environment. Please refer to the following links for more information on authentic 21st century education:
Begin here - 3 Compasses to 21st Century Education
The Learning Environment
The 20th vs 21st Century Classroom - a useful chart!
PBL21 - the next step in the evolution of project-based learning
Resources
- Critical Attributes of 21st Century Education
- Multiple Literacies for the 21st Century
- 7 Survival Skills for the 21st Century
The Learning Environment
- The Physical Environment - Facilities
- The Physical Environment - Living Schoolyards
- The Social/Emotional Environment
- The Academic Environment
The 20th vs 21st Century Classroom - a useful chart!
PBL21 - the next step in the evolution of project-based learning
Resources
