Checking in on Edutopia
They provide stories of innovative teaching and learning through a magazine, e-newsletters, DVDs, books, and the Edutopia web site. The latter includes in-depth case studies, research summaries, short documentary segments, expert interviews, and links to hundreds of relevant resources. And as the site introduction says, "You'll also be able to participate as a member of an online community of people actively working to reinvent schools for the twenty-first century." You will find motivation, an opportunity to see videos of best practices in action, and resources for presentation, proposals and the classroom.
All videos and articles are organized by "eleven topic areas critical to redefining education for the twenty-first century: Assessment, community partnerships, digital divide, emotional intelligence, mentoring, parent involvement, professional development, project-based learning, school-to-career, teacher preparation and technology integration."
Where to begin in such abundance? The site itself points people to its Big Ideas for Better Schools as a starting point, a 19 minute video. For a briefer video, watch the Dreamforce-07 conference's 4-minute interview with George Lucas. GLEF recommendations for introductory videos also include three interactive case studies: Re-Designing Learning Environments, System-Wide Change, and Online Learning.
The Partnership for 21st Skills also lists selected Edutopia resources on their Route 21 resource database. To get to their Edutopia favorites, run an advanced search with "The George Lucas Educational Foundation" as the author organization.
Sources: Edutopia, Partnership for 21st Century Skills
Latest News in Digital Learning
Beyond the basics, students will need 21st century competencies to survive and thrive in the future. They will have to know how to think critically, apply knowledge to new situations, analyze information, understand new ideas, communicate effectively, collaborate, solve problems, and make decisions. School districts are looking for ways to help students acquire these new skills while they also address NCLB mandates.
This 21st Century Connections site links students, teachers and administrators to the latest resources, creative tools and educational leaders behind digital learning. Provided by Lenovo, Adobe, Intel and Futurekids, the site is hosted by Technology & Learning, NewBay Media.
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Almost ten years into the 21st century, schools try to promote new ways of teaching and learning and then evaluate how well their efforts have led to results. New insights emerge from research and observation all the time. ![TechLearning.com [Logo]](/files/u9/tllogo.jpg)