Building+Capacity

A Vision of 21st Century Teachers
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Implementing 21st Century Skills
Preparing students for the 21st century calls for collective action on many fronts. Leaders in education, business and in the public sector have been discussing the need for a 21st century education model for at least a decade--but there is still much to accomplish. The Partnership for 21st Century Learning has developed nine steps to build momentum.

Please read Part III of the //Learning for the 21st Century// report to learn more: Implementing 21st Century Skills

**Principles for Learning: "A Foundation for Transforming K-12 Education"**
//These Principles recognize that learning in all disciplines is complex and individualized. Educators must know the core concepts of their discipline if they are to help students grasp new ideas, solve problems, collaborate, and use their imaginations to pursue challenging questions. Therefore understanding core knowledge in a discipline—how to apply these concepts within and outside of a discipline, and how to teach these concepts effectively—is integral to the Principles outlined here.//

//To support the application of these Principles, educational systems must create a culture of inquiry and collaboration that enables all students and teachers to learn for their own sake and for the good of a culturally diverse democratic society in an interdependent world.//

//Click on the link to explore the six principles of learning: Principles for Learning: “A Foundation for Transforming k-12 Education” //

//** Instructional Rounds Build Professional Practice **//
// Amercian schools are under increasing pressure to produce better results than they have ever produced. No Child Left Behind has set a goal of 100 percent proficiency by 2014, and legislation is not the only source of pressure. A high school diploma is no longer a reliable ticket to a decent living. In the era of computers and instant access to information, problem solving, teamwork, and communication skills are essential for persoanl and national success. Most schools are falling far short of the 100 percent proficiency goal, and international assessments show us that American schools are at best in the middle of the pack among our peers in level of achievement. The problem is not that schools are worse than they used to be. In fact, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), average scores in reading and math are higher than they were thirty years ago. The problem is not that educators aren't working hard. Walk into any school in America, and you will see adults who care deeply about their students and are doing teh best they can every day to help students learn. The challenge is that we are askign schools to do something they have never done before--educate all students to high levels--and we don't know how to do that in every classroom for every child. // // The rounds process is an explicit practice that is designed to bring discussions of instruction directly into the process of school improvement. By practice, we mean something quite specific. We mean a set of protocols and processes for observing, analyzing, discussing, and understanding instruction that can be used to improve student learning at scale. The practice works because it creates a common discipline and focus among practitioners with a common purpose and set of problems. // // To find out more, please read the following chapter of Instructional Rounds in Education: Why Instructional Network? Why Rounds? Why Practice? //

Teaching is Not a Dirty Word
// (May want to silence the audio as the quality is not the best. Click through presentation for a general idea.) //

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