Nocking the Arrow

“The agenda of education should not just be passing along the contents of already open boxes but fostering curiosity for those still unopened or barely cracked open. We need a bolder agenda. Let's call it educating for the unknown. ” (Perkins, D. 2014) I should have been out fishing the local ponds, but spring break in suburban Chicago was chilly and damp. Instead, I tended to my list of household chores and watched sixty-something episodes of " Breaking Bad ". I became hooked ( pun weakly intended ) into the series for the same reason I enjoy fishing; as much as I would like to think I know what happens next, the outcome is always unpredictable and leaves me wanting more. In between Walter White's escapades, I spent some quality time with David Perkins' interesting book, " Future Wise: Educating Our Children for a Changing World ". Perkins challenges educators to reimagine school by offering learning that matters to the lives of learners. The book...

“Today we speak casually of lifelong learning, but in a few decades, it will likely be so much the norm as hardly to require its own label.” - David Perkins You’re an educator with your finger on the pulse of what’s relevant to teaching and school. Being well read, you know that educational thought leaders are focusing new dialogue on learning. Schools have always been places of knowledge, but few can deny the impact the Internet has on a person’s ability to learn whatever they want, whenever they want. Let’s have some fun by responding with the first word that pops into your mind. Fill in the blank to complete the following phrase; ______________________ learning. The possible answers are numerous, aren’t they? Is your response included in the table below? Authentic Problem-based Project-based Individualized Personalized Cooperative Flipped Mastery Community-based Differentiated Lifelong Blended Active Social Self-directed Self-de...

"The achievement gap asks, "Are students achieving X?" whereas the relevance gap asks, "Is X going to matter to the lives learners are likely to live?" - David Perkins During a recent leadership meeting, a respected, but frequently vocal colleague began venting his frustration about a few of the problems he perceived in our school; apathetic students, lack of consistency, lack of respect, and poor achievement. I looked around at the faces in the conference room wondering if others agreed with this assessment, or were they holding their tongues to avoid confrontation. While most would agree that it's our professional obligation to strive for improvement, I found myself asking, " What is the real problem? " My question comes in the context of reading David Perkins timely and interesting book, Future Wise: Educating Our Children for a Changing World . Perkins general question is " what is worth learning in school? " Lifeworthy learnin...