What Sets Us Apart . . . |
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Anne Shaw, Founder and Director
21st Century Schools |
21st Century Schools is a truly unique provider of educational services. Our goal is to help educators create schools that are authentically 21st century. We know what works! See Anne's article, Will the real 21st century school please stand up?
We realize that there is a growing number of providers of products and services, each claiming to be the one who can help you lead your schools into excellence. Many also claim that they can guide the transition of your schools into the 21st century. However, as you will see below, there are key signs to look for to determine whether a consulting organization has a 21st century paradigm. We are confident that, here at 21st Century Schools we truly offer a unique and fresh approach! We believe that the transition of a school, or other educational organization, must be one that is well-thought out, planned intentionally, and it must be holistic. That is why we created our graphic for our Framework for 21st Century Education. The framework features our 3 Compasses embedded within a 3-faceted Learning Environment, from the Physical environment (facilities and living schoolyards), to the Social/Emotional environment, and the Academic environment. |
Student-Centered vs Teacher-Centered
You will immediately notice how we stand apart when you compare the visuals on our web sites to those of other providers of professional development and curriculum design. Observe that the images used by other providers include images of teacher-centered classrooms! Nearly all of them have images of students sitting in rows and raising their hand to speak, with the teacher in the front of the room. How can these providers teach schools how to become 21st century? These images are very telling of their paradigm - which was great for the factory model schools. See our chart, 20th century vs 21st century classroom.
Then notice the images in 21st Century Schools' materials - no rows of desks, usually no teacher, and students are being self-directed, independent and interdependent. We fully support student-centered classrooms. See Anne's posts The Cemetery Method and Children Are Not Supposed to Sit Still and Be Quiet.
Then notice the images in 21st Century Schools' materials - no rows of desks, usually no teacher, and students are being self-directed, independent and interdependent. We fully support student-centered classrooms. See Anne's posts The Cemetery Method and Children Are Not Supposed to Sit Still and Be Quiet.
Our Expertise
If you've read Anne's blog posts, articles, LinkedIn posts, reviewed her Curriculum Resources site (available at no cost to teachers), read about her unique and exciting professional development workshops, her presentations at conferences and her work with schools and other educational organizations throughout the USA (from Alaska to Arkansas) as well as globally, you will see immediately that we really are an organization with a wealth of experience and knowledge, as well as a unique and inspiring vision for education in the 21st century.
Please see our expert international Team of presenters, then visit our Advisory Board, which you can see is populated with some very impressive education leaders. We are very honored to have their support.
Please see our expert international Team of presenters, then visit our Advisory Board, which you can see is populated with some very impressive education leaders. We are very honored to have their support.
A Holistic Vision in Designing 21st Century Education
Our vision for 21st century education is the establishment of educational experiences for students that go beyond planning lessons to teach the standards. The purpose of education is not to increase standardized test scores. Learning is much more than marching through the standards. We go far beyond the standards! Learning and teaching then regain meaning and joy.
Relevant, real world and rigorous curriculum is the authentic way to increase student motivation AND test scores!
We believe firmly in a learning experience characterized by our 3 Compasses to 21st Century Education -
The first two compasses were originally developed by Anne Shaw in 1998 when she was an elementary teacher. She developed them for her own use whenever she was designing a new project-based curriculum. The third compass was added after reading The Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner..
Anne's experiences - as a mother, as a teacher, as the creator of the first "21st century" preschool, as a student in the doctoral program for Curriculum and Instruction, at UT Austin, as an international consultant and author, and as a continuing, life-long learner, have provided her with a holistic vision and approach for creating the optimum learning experiences for students as well as educators.
The three compasses must be embedded within and supported by an intentionally designed Learning Environment which includes:
I. The Physical Environment - facilities, schoolyard and organization of the classroom
II. The Social Emotional Environment
III. The Academic Environment
Anne's work has been influenced by some of the greatest educational thought leaders in the world! She refers to them as the Superheroes of PBL21 - the next step in the evolution of project-based learning! These superheroes are:
Relevant, real world and rigorous curriculum is the authentic way to increase student motivation AND test scores!
We believe firmly in a learning experience characterized by our 3 Compasses to 21st Century Education -
- Critical Attributes of 21st Century Education
- Multiple Literacies for the 21st Century, and
- 7 Survival Skills for the 21st Century
The first two compasses were originally developed by Anne Shaw in 1998 when she was an elementary teacher. She developed them for her own use whenever she was designing a new project-based curriculum. The third compass was added after reading The Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner..
Anne's experiences - as a mother, as a teacher, as the creator of the first "21st century" preschool, as a student in the doctoral program for Curriculum and Instruction, at UT Austin, as an international consultant and author, and as a continuing, life-long learner, have provided her with a holistic vision and approach for creating the optimum learning experiences for students as well as educators.
The three compasses must be embedded within and supported by an intentionally designed Learning Environment which includes:
I. The Physical Environment - facilities, schoolyard and organization of the classroom
II. The Social Emotional Environment
III. The Academic Environment
Anne's work has been influenced by some of the greatest educational thought leaders in the world! She refers to them as the Superheroes of PBL21 - the next step in the evolution of project-based learning! These superheroes are:
- Douglas Kellner, Ph.D., UCLA
- Sugata Mitra, Ph.D., Newcastle University, England
- Sir Ken Robinson
- Randy Fielding, Architect
- Tony Wagner, Ph.D., Harvard University
- Ted Dintersmith, Ph.D., Most Likely to Succeed
- Michael Wesch, Ph.D., Kansas State University
Project-Based Learning
PBL21- "the next step in the evolution of project-based learning" is our proprietary method of designing project-based curriculum. While it has many components in common with other programs called PBL, it has some unique, 21st century characteristics.
First of all, we DO NOT begin with the standards. This does not mean that we do not ensure that all standards are taught at high levels. It means that we believe it is the wrong place start when planning an amazing project. To begin with the standards immediately eliminates many fantastic possibilities for experiential learning. There is a place for ensuring the standards, but starting with them has much the same effect as putting on a set of blinders.
Next, we utilize our three compasses to guide everything we plan, from the boardroom to the classroom, from policy planning to lesson planning and more!
Anne Shaw says . . .
First of all, we DO NOT begin with the standards. This does not mean that we do not ensure that all standards are taught at high levels. It means that we believe it is the wrong place start when planning an amazing project. To begin with the standards immediately eliminates many fantastic possibilities for experiential learning. There is a place for ensuring the standards, but starting with them has much the same effect as putting on a set of blinders.
Next, we utilize our three compasses to guide everything we plan, from the boardroom to the classroom, from policy planning to lesson planning and more!
Anne Shaw says . . .
What we can do for YOU
We understand that you want your classroom, your campus, your district or other educational organization to move into the 21st century. Misconceptions abound about what 21st century education is. It is much more than new buildings and technologies. In fact, it is perfectly possible, and is often the case, that a school will have a brand new building and all the available technologies - and still be operating as a 19th-20th century, traditional, factory-model school!
Paradigm shifts and practices must change. We know that this statement may cause some feelings of trepidation; change can be scary and difficult, but it can also be amazing and exhilarating! However, we at 21st Century Schools can be there to support you on the journey.
Just remember why we need to take our schools into the 21st century - it's for the students!
And you don't have to "go it alone". In addition to 21st Century Schools working with you, we will support you in bringing in your community to help. From parents and extended family to businesses, government agencies, social service agencies and experts that reside in your community - you are already surrounded by a goldmine of talent and people who want to help, but don't know how!
Educators, like their students, are unique individuals. Just as a group of students comes into a classroom with a wide range of experiences, understandings, ideas, skills levels - so do the educators in any given organization. And the only way to be successful in making the change is to personalize and differentiate the professional development and support needed. Begin with where they are - and move forward!
Additionally, every community is unique and has its own culture, resources, interests, desires and goals. We don't want schools to become unrecognizable, one from the other! We want to celebrate and utilize the best that each community has to offer!
We have many programs to offer you, and everything is always customized for each school/district with whom we work.
Paradigm shifts and practices must change. We know that this statement may cause some feelings of trepidation; change can be scary and difficult, but it can also be amazing and exhilarating! However, we at 21st Century Schools can be there to support you on the journey.
Just remember why we need to take our schools into the 21st century - it's for the students!
And you don't have to "go it alone". In addition to 21st Century Schools working with you, we will support you in bringing in your community to help. From parents and extended family to businesses, government agencies, social service agencies and experts that reside in your community - you are already surrounded by a goldmine of talent and people who want to help, but don't know how!
Educators, like their students, are unique individuals. Just as a group of students comes into a classroom with a wide range of experiences, understandings, ideas, skills levels - so do the educators in any given organization. And the only way to be successful in making the change is to personalize and differentiate the professional development and support needed. Begin with where they are - and move forward!
Additionally, every community is unique and has its own culture, resources, interests, desires and goals. We don't want schools to become unrecognizable, one from the other! We want to celebrate and utilize the best that each community has to offer!
We have many programs to offer you, and everything is always customized for each school/district with whom we work.
