P21's Ken Kay Talks 21st Century Skills

What are 21st century skills, and how are schools infusing these skills into teaching and learning?

How do learning environments assist 21st century schooling?

What upcoming legislation supports educating for 21st century skills?

What about those who would call 21st century skills the latest pedagogical fad?

Ken Kay, president of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, answers these questions and elaborates on the crucial lessons taught by 21st century skills in this brief interview highlighting the major points of his upcoming ASCD Annual Conference presentations.

Listen to the interview here, and learn more about Kay's conference sessions below.

Bookmark This! Streaming All 2009 General Sessions

Can't make it to ASCD's Annual Conference in Orlando next month? You can still catch Greg Mortenson, Eileen Collins, and Sir Ken Robinson, totally free, by registering to watch live streaming video of our three General Session speakers.

Find out what what New York Times best-selling author Mortenson (Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School At A Time), the first female astronaut to lead a space shuttle mission (Collins), and outspoken arts education advocate Robinson have to say about learning and leading in 21st century schools.

Bookmark the page that'll live stream these sessions and read more about these presenters, including the dates and times of their presentations, below.

We Are Not Quitters

"We are just students trying to become lawyers, doctors, congressmen like yourself, and one day president so we can make a change to not just the state of South Carolina but also the world," wrote 8th grader Ty'Sheoma Bethea in a letter to President Barack Obama and Congress. "We are not quitters."

When the president shared the student's letter and her appalling experience in a Dillon, S.C., middle school during his address last night before a joint session of Congress, his message was clear: our students won't quit on their education and neither should we.

During his speech, the president articulated his vision for the country's future prosperity and included investments in education as one of the three pillars on which that prosperity depends. He then challenged not just educators and lawmakers but also students, families, and communities to take responsibility for making the U.S. education system the best in the world.

Hitting the Blacktop Can Help Increase School Performance

A New York Times article cites a recent study that concludes recess can help students learn better in the classroom. The study of 11,000 children concludes that those who have 15 minutes or more of recess behave better in school than those who have only a brief recess or none at all.

Thirty percent of the schools participating in the study had little or no recess, and many schools view recess as a privilege and not as part of curriculum. The study is significant because it concludes that recess should be a necessary part of the school day. Additionally, students who had recess in a "natural" setting did better than those in an urban setting, and students with attention disorders benefit greatly from having a break during recess.

In light of this research, should recess be a school-day privilege or a priority?

Flying Through the Hottest Education Topics

If you follow education policy, you've probably run across the Fordham Institute's provocative, witty publication Education Gadfly. Featuring the analysis of Chester Finn, Mike Petrilli, and other insightful policy wonks, the Gadfly tackles subjects ranging from President Obama's education stimulus package to the death of cursive. 

In their accompanying blog Flypaper, the authors give a behind-the-scenes look at the debates and discussions that go on in the Fordham office. Recent posts include thoughts on the fate of NCLB and a critique of the 21st Century Skills movement.

 

The Exquisite Language of the Arts

All too often, arts education is regarded as a whimsical activity rather than a serious academic subject. In the December 1987/January 1988 issue of Educational Leadership, former U.S. Commissioner of Education and President of the Carnegie Foundation Ernest Boyer argues that the arts should be considered in both an intellectual and imaginative context.

Read the article: It's Not 'Either Or,' It's Both (PDF)

For Boyer, art—like any form of language—can be explored on an academic level. Children can learn about art history, rules of perspective, and the connections between creativity and culture. But, as much as art stimulates the intellect, it is also a way to explore the human spirit. Understanding the arts on both levels is crucial. As Boyer notes, "[O]ur children need to see clearly, hear acutely, and feel sensitively through the exquisite language of the arts." 

As ASCD focuses on the Whole Child Initiative, Boyer reminds us that arts education can play a vital role providing in a well-rounded education for all students.

In "My Back Pages," we look at important issues through the historical lens of the Educational Leadership archives. ASCD members can access EL issues from 1943 to the present by signing in at www.ascd.org.

Middle-Schoolers Advance in Florida, but Are Minorities Lagging Behind?

An article in the Orlando Sentinel states that many middle school students are so advanced in their studies that they are signing up for high school classes in 7th and 8th grades. The advanced courses give them a competitive edge and something for their parents to brag about, but many wonder if this is hurting minority students. Most of the high school courses taught in middle schools are primarily filled with white students, which is causing a debate about whether these classes should even be offered and if this amounts to accidental segregation. Experts are concerned that the advanced courses are defeating the purpose of middle school and basically amount to academic "tracking."

"You're setting one group up to win potentially, and you're setting one group up to fail," says activist William Burrell Sr.

Some argue that white students may be taking the courses in larger numbers because they are more likely to attend college. Proponents argue that they want the students to be challenged and if the students are ready, then they should be able to take any courses they can handle.

Do you think advanced placement courses in middle school prematurely track, and potentially segregate, students?

What Research Says About the Continuum of Teacher Learning

In the February issue of Educational Leadership, Tracy Huebner writes about the research behind how teachers learn. She cites a study that claims teachers learn in both the individual and interpersonal realms:

In the individual realm, teachers gain knowledge about content and pedagogy, agree or disagree with this knowledge, and make decisions regarding implementation and change. In the interpersonal realm, teachers engage in dialog and collaboration to further develop and support their own learning.

These two realms come together through the phenomenon called sensemaking—deciding what information from the two realms makes sense to incorporate into the classroom and how to incoporate it. Huebner concludes that schools can support teacher learning at two levels: Schools can provide messages to teachers through numerous mediums and then use examples of the practice in action to help the teachers accept the practice.

How does the research match up with teacher learning in your school?

Should the United States Institute National Standards?

A topic that has been making noise lately is whether the United States should develop national standards so that all schools would have a common core curriculum. The National Governors Association issued a report saying that not only should the United States adopt national standards, but international curriculum should also be incorporated so that students can be globally competitive.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, is also calling for national standards, saying that nations performing better than the United States have national standards. Weingarten cites Minnesota's and Massachusetts's high performance on international assessments as proof that a common, rigorous curriculum would be a boon to all states.

Accoring to recent reports, having national standards in place would allow students to compete with the rest of the world and can help strengthen the economy (smarter and skilled workers have better paying jobs). Because the world rapidly evolves due to technology, it is naive to think that the United States can continue to educate students without a set curriculum that will allow U.S. students to excel in their studies and make them competitive after completing school.

ASCD's Infobrief will be exploring this controversial issue in-depth in its June issue.

Do you think the United States should adopt national standards? Would looking at curriculum from around the world help U.S. students gain a competitive edge?

Updated for clarification on March 4.

Classroom Instruction That Works for the 21st Century Learner

ASCD's best-selling book Classroom Instruction That Works and it's nine core instructional strategies have influenced instruction around the world and spawned spin-offs focusing on assessment and grading, classroom management, English language learners, and technology.  

If you could help rewrite Classroom Instruction That Works today, what would you change?

Would you include more guidance for working with different learning styles and types of learners? How administrators can use CITW? Give more attention to 21st century learning skills like communication, collaboration, and innovation? Or . . . ?

If you're using CITW, let us know what you think. And if you've blogged on CITW or have a Web site you rely on for practical information for using the CITW framework, send us the link!

An Open Letter to Besharov and Call

Last week, longtime ASCD member (since 1962) Milly Cowles called us to take issue with a recent New York Times op-ed by Douglas Besharov and Douglas Call, "Head Start Falls Further Behind." The article calls for significant reform before further funding is allocated to Head Start. Cowles (a former Rutgers professor with an extensive background in early childhood education, including accrediting processes) and colleagues contributed the article "Four Views of Learning and Development" to the May 1971 issue of Educational Leadership on Early Childhood Education.

Cowles called Besharov and Call's piece shallow and questioned its research base. She also wondered what's happened to early childhood ed.'s strong philosophical underpinnings. "Besharov and colleagues talk about preparing kids for an abstract future, instead of looking at children's needs," said Cowles. "In their view, it's the same dose for every child, regardless. We've left behind the purpose for programs like Head Start. Now it's all about money and test scores."

We e-mailed John Holland, who's taught preK for 12 years (the past 7 of those in a Head Start program), to see what he thought about the article. Holland also blogs at Circle Time and Inside Pre-K. Holland takes the article to task for fudging funding and research facts. He also adds that while the direct education benefits to children are great, Head Start is primarily a social service program that is providing critical help to families living with poverty. Read his point-by-point rebuttal here.

So, who got it right: Besharov & Call or Cowles & Holland?

Texas Turns to Finland on How to Close Math and Science Gaps

Last week's most-clicked ASCD SmartBrief story, "Texas School Reformers Try to Learn Lessons from Finland," tells how reformers are looking more closely at Finland's academic programs for clues on improving Dallas schools. Though Finland's school system is much smaller and its students much less diverse than public schools in the United States, Finland's getting attention from the States for establishing a single, straighforward curriculum for all schools; setting high expectations; and freeing well-trained teachers to do their jobs with less restrictions. Finland has also maintained a steady stream of education funding, with particular emphasis on the years between 7th and 9th grade, and Finland's math instruction focuses on creative problem-solving.

Finland faces some challenges to high academic success—increasing numbers of immigrant students and a 14 percent dropout rate among boys. Through continuous evaluation and improvement, Finnish educators and policymakers are rising to these challenges and inspiring reformers in the United States.

Is your school or district looking internationally for ways to raise academic achievement?

Economic Stimulus Bill Includes Big Investments for Education

Today President Barack Obama signs into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), a landmark $787 billion stimulus package that includes an unprecedented investment in children and schools.

Congressional leaders worked at legislative warp speed last week to iron out their differences and expedite the bill's passage. Although the economic stimulus package includes less funding for education than what the U.S. House called for, it contains more than what the Senate included in its version of the legislation. Ultimately, the ARRA provides

• $13 billion for Title I ($10 billion for state grants and $3 billion for school improvement)
• $12.2 billion for IDEA
• $2.1 billion for Head Start
• $15.6 billion for Pell Grants

Unfortunately, all of the money for new school construction was stripped out of the final bill. And although a portion of the state stabilization fund can be used for school repairs and renovation, no funds are allowed to be used for NEW buildings.

ASCD Express Calls for Submissions

ASCD Express is looking for short, 600–1,000-word essays on the theme "Teaching Social Responsibility." The theme description is below, and guidelines for submissions are here. Send us your submissions by March 2, 2009.

The many challenges the world faces in the 21st century—such as global warming, social inequity, world conflict, and technological innovation—demand that schools prepare students to participate as informed, productive members of society. How can we prepare students to be responsible citizens and wisely use the freedoms their society offers? This issue will also explore programs that teach ethics and social responsibility, prepare students for active participation in the democratic process, and encourage development of character.

Marzano: "I Can Think of No Strategy Every Teacher Should Use"

This post is Bob Marzano's response to our teacher-blogger Dina Strasser's analysis of Chapter One of Marzano's The Art and Science of Teaching.

My overarching comment is that the title "art and science of teaching" is meant to convey the message that research only gets you so far and then teachers' reasoned adaptations must take over. All research is equivocal at least to some extent, and its application to new situations must be discussed and debated.

Regarding the issue of rewards, that's a tough one. People seem to be lined up strongly on one side or the other of the issue. On page 16 of the book, I said, "It is safe to say, however, that when used appropriately verbal rewards and perhaps also tangible rewards can positively affect student achievement," which I believe is a fair and accurate interpretation of the research. My intent wasn't to say that all teachers should use rewards. However, it was to say that it's not prudent to ban them either. I included the long quote by Deci, Ryan, and Koestner, however, to allow people to read the concerns of the major researchers in the field.

On the issue of setting goals and tracking student progress, I think the research is less equivocal. I find it hard to make a case that it's not a practice that all teachers should consider. We have done quite a few experimental/control studies on this practice and have received very good results. These studies will be posted on a new Web site going up in a few weeks; I'll provide a link soon.

Importing Geniuses vs. Growing Our Own

In his opinion column for the New York Times, Thomas Friedman proposes the controversial idea of stimulating the economy by allowing more foreign-born, highly educated workers to come work in the United States. These workers, he argues, will feed the U.S. economy by purchasing homes and other goods and will drive the success of U.S. businesses with their innovative ideas.

Attracting the best and the brightest is obviously a goal for business leaders, but it raises the question--why not just grow our own? Does Friedman's proposal imply shifting priorities from investing in world-class education in the United States, to just cherry-picking a U.S. workforce from the world's educated elite?

 

As a study on the economic collapse in Japan in 1990s reveals, having a good education system in place is key to economic recovery. Policymakers and economic stimulus architects, take notice.

PLCs Across the District: From Isolation to Collaboration

In school districts across the country many educators are using professional learning communities (PLCs) to improve their practice. Margaret Mongiello, vice president of Teachers 21, talks about the benefits of enacting PLCs at the district level. Working with districtwide PLCs allows teachers from every part of the district to collaborate on instructional practices and develop a common core curriculum and assessments. In Mongiello's experience, the PLCs helped improve instruction across the district as teachers learned to share ideas and develop better teaching methods.

Hear Mongiello discuss her upcoming ASCD Annual Conference presentation, "PLCs Across the District: From Isolation to Collaboration." Session details are after the jump.

Chapter 1: The Art and Science of Teaching

As I sit down to write this first substantive post, I have to admit I'm feeling a little trepidation . . . as if I'm having a peer observation in all of my classes! But I am also enjoying the challenge of being asked to articulate my practice decisions to a knowledgeable audience.

Chapter Summary:

Chapter One focuses on the bedrock of teaching: what do kids need to learn, and how do you know they've learned it? Marzano suggests articulating one or two learning goals—not activities—per unit of study; writing a scale or rubric for assessing whether the goals have been achieved; having kids share in the process of forming goals; formally tracking student progress on those goals; and acknowledging student success in that progress.

I'll also make an overarching remark here that for the practitioner who is short on time, essential reading is the Action Steps provided at the end of each chapter (Chapter One's Steps is on page 17). Try reading these first, and then going backwards in the chapter to pinpoint the research discussions for the action steps that interest you—or even disappoint you.

Why? I say this not as a Marzanoetic, but rather because I have rarely found a book that puts its supporting research front and center for you to evaluate, instead of burying it in footnotes for you to sift through bemusedly. (And believe me, I'm a geek. I've done this.) This is the great benefit of A&S. Use it. Because in the end, it doesn't matter whether you agree with its conclusions or not, so long as you can do so well.   

PrezQuest Teaches Younger Students About U.S. Presidents

With the excitement and interest surrounding the election and inauguration of President Barack Obama, the recently launched free, interactive Web site PrezQuest may be a good way to keep young people interested in the history of U.S. presidents.

Why All Teachers Must Learn How to Teach Online

Susan Patrick, president and CEO of the International Association of K-12 Online Learning, talks about technology innovations in the classroom and why it is important for every teacher to learn how to teach online.

Patrick says that public education has struggled to incorporate technology into schools and just adding computers piecemeal is not enough to engage students. Educators properly trained to use the Internet and digital tools can teach in a traditional manner and have unlimited resources at their fingertips. Online learning can also help create more personalized learning plans for each student.

Hear Patrick discuss her upcoming ASCD Annual Conference presentation on "Why All Teachers Must Learn How to Teach Online." Session details are after the jump.