The document discusses the changing nature of life, learning, and work in the 21st century due to globalization, technology and the information age. It argues that education needs to evolve from a focus on standardized tests and memorization to developing students' 21st century skills like communication, collaboration, creativity and problem solving. The Common Core State Standards and new digital assessments are steps toward better aligning education with the skills needed for future success, but challenges remain in fully transforming instructional practices.
15. “Work will be dominated by fast-
moving, geographically diverse, free-
agent teams of workers connected via
socially mediating technologies.”
Fred Stutzman, Carnegie Mellon
“The replacement of memorization by
analysis will be the biggest boon to
society since the coming of mass
literacy.”
Paul Jones, UNC- Chapel Hill
“There is no doubt that brains are being
rewired.”
Danah Boyd, Microsoft Research
17. Instruction Will/Should Change…
• Less paper, more pixels.
• Less single source,
more crowd source.
• Less routine,
more personalization.
• Less volume, more rigor.
18. Instruction Will/Should Change…
• Less compliance,
more engagement.
• Less consuming,
more producing.
• Less about how much,
more about how well.
24. Interesting Follow-Up Resources
• (VIDEO – 11 minutes) Ken Robinson – This RSA Animated talk has been viewed online almost 9 million times – it focuses on
changing the paradigm of education to address the changing nature of life, learning and work in an information age.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
• (VIDEO – 12 minutes) This is a speech from a high school sophomore (junior now) from New Haven who participated in our
Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences and produced a mobile device app that got national attention and recognition. This is
the best evidence of the application of 21st century skills.
http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/TEDxLitchfieldED-Christine-Pugl;search%3Apuglisi
• (TEXT) Very interesting article from the Chronicle of Higher Education about how the grass is greener on the other side of the
fence – the Chinese chase greater creativity, we chase better test scores
http://chronicle.com/article/US-Education-in-Chinese/130669/
• (TEXT) This article from Lawrence Summers – Harvard President – about the changes – or lack of changes – needed at the
university level driven by 21st century skills.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/education/edlife/the-21st-century-education.html?pagewanted=all
• (TEXT) Digital Is... it’s the end of the world as we know it. Resources related to the question about how the information age
is impacting cognition and habits of mind.
http://digitalis.nwp.org/collection/its-end-world-we-know-it-and-i-feel-fine
• (TEXT) A summary of what challenges lay ahead for school reformers intent on realigning our practice with the challenges of
21st century skills and learning.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept09/vol67/num01/21st-Century-Skills@-The-Challenges-
Ahead.aspx
Editor's Notes
This is the defining challenge of our times in public school.