Your 2012 Education Political Primer

As the election plays itself out this coming week, we as educators continue to work on behalf of children and our communities as a whole. Whatever the outcome of the vote, the work goes on and our efforts must continue. So I want to keep this post simple and straightforward. Whatever your political persuasion, there are certain objective, observable realities we can all agree on in looking across the education landscape:

• As public educators, we are employed by our government to educate our citizen’s children.

• As education professionals, we have an obligation to inform our government and its citizens of what is in the best interests of the children with whom we are charged.

• As publicly employed professionals, we work in the conditions created by the decisions made by our government and its citizens.

• We are largely funded by revenue collected through local taxes which is augmented by state and federal funding.

• We work within the contexts of the society in which we live. The world has changed much since we were students and so we have changed our goals and roles as educators.

• As society continues to evolve, education will continue to reflect the changing needs of society.

• Society is moving towards an individualized delivery of goods and services. It is not happening overnight, but little by little consumers expect everything to be customized for their needs and interests.

• The individualized delivery of instruction is a huge challenge for educators, where standardization, funding formulas and accountability are the legacy of the industrial age.

• The push towards more individualized instruction will continue in public education, long after our good work is done and we are retired.

• Public education will look very different by the end of this century. Are you ready to start touting the virtues of 22^nd century skills?

When you look at these statements in the progression in which I offer them here, does it seem that there are forces at play far beyond our immediate influence? There are. These forces are forever changing society and, therefore, will forever change education. Are these forces of a particular political bent? No. regardless of your personal views or even those views of the candidates running for office, this kind of seismic sea change will continue to happen in spite of ourselves. Of course one party or another will sway the dialogue on the methods and priorities for getting the job done, but in the final analysis the transformation of public education is bigger than all of us. What a sobering realization. So...does this mean all our efforts are for naught?

No, of course not. Whichever candidates you choose, get out there and vote on Tuesday. And after the election results are in, continue to work to make a difference in the life of each child and each colleague with whom you come in contact each and every day. Because when your career is complete and you look back at the difference you have made, it won’t be measured in monetary or political terms. You will see the difference you have made in the life of each student you become reacquainted with in their adult lives...and this has become much more commonplace with the rise of social media. So here's a political primer you can actually reconcile with your professional life:

• Carry on the good work.

• Keep your perspective; education is about fulfilling human potential.

• Don’t get swept up in polarizing labels and slogans and hyperbole.

• Vote your conscience.

• Make a difference one student at a time.

• Be the kind of educator your students will want to reconnect with as happy  adults contributing to society.
  
  
• Nothing else matters.

My Reality Check

How do you know if your worldview is based in reality…if your expectations are well-grounded? You need reliable perspective. How do you get solid perspective? You step outside of your own realm of experience and see how others live.

In my fourteenth year of teaching, I was also leading a number of professional development offerings for Spotsylvania County Schools. And like so many of us in ed tech, I was being pushed more and more to train colleagues on technology. It was at this point in my career that the husband of one of my workshop attendees approached me. “I hear you’re really good. Why not do what you do well for more money?”  He worked for a consulting firm that worked with government agencies and private sector firms. They needed a technology trainer.

More money caught my attention…that and the offered title of Senior Technology Trainer made it tempting. After all, there weren’t many options for upward mobility within K-12 other than building and district administration. If I accepted the offer, I would be working at the Department of Housing and Urban Development right in downtown DC. My kids were young…not even in Kindergarten yet…so I asked for an assurance that I wouldn’t be doing a lot of traveling and I got it. It was June, the end of the school year…the perfect time to make the move. And so I did.

What a different world. Starting on day one I hit the ground running, meeting with HUD staff, learning every application used within the agency, and developing and delivering training. I was also on call for technology user questions, as happy clients got you “atta boy” letters of commendation that my consulting firm valued and would use to pay me bonuses and raises. What a different model from public education!

I was in the fast lane and on the fast track. Everything moved quickly. I would login on any given morning at my desk and a message would pop up saying “Joe So-and-So no longer works here. Please send all requests for assistance concerning his projects to Cathy Such-and-Such.” I quickly learned that no one was indispensable and you’re only as good as your last success. I also learned that once you’re in, you’re in for whatever the client needs. So even though I had been given an assurance from my consulting firm I wouldn’t be traveling much, within a few months I was being asked by the client to travel to HUD field offices around the country: Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco. No room for hesitation. No questions asked. And so I traveled.

At the same time I was taking a course in instructional design with a brilliant professor who worked for the Arlington, Virginia Public Schools. The course gave me a lot of tools for my work at HUD, but it also reminded me of everything I loved about working in education. Over the course of the semester it was a source of substance and sustenance. I needed to keep learning and growing, even as I met the rigorous demands of life as a contractor. We got through the Y2K scare, during which I spent New Years Eve into the next morning manning phones in the event any of our systems went down as a result of entering the new millennium. Then came the change of administration in the White House, which meant changes for every federal agency from the top on down.

Talks of shake-ups and turn-over started in January, and my more veteran consulting colleagues talked me through everything coming into play as the change in the air was palpable. I kept my head down and my eyes on my work. Rumors circulated and the pressure ratcheted up as workers worried what the change would mean for them. We had huge meetings in packed rooms where HUD administrators spoke cryptically about what lay ahead, offering equal doses of caution and reassurance as nervousness turned to anxiety.

Finally in April the announcement came down immediately and all at once. A large number of workers were being let go and the new Secretary would be looking at major reorganization within the agency. My supervisor and all my tech-training consultant colleagues were let go. Inexplicably, I was the only tech trainer left standing. I was stunned. How was this possible? Why was I spared the axe? What do I say to all these people I had been working with closely who were coming in that day to clean out their desks and be escorted out by security? It was a very tough, very real-world lesson about so many of the assumptions I brought with me from public education. Job security, seniority, loyalty…nothing is guaranteed. I was so grateful to still have a job but so shaken by the reality of life outside K-12.

Later that year, after much soul-searching, my instructional design professor suggested I apply for a job as an Instructional Technology Coordinator with the Arlington, Virginia Public Schools. I missed education, and even though the job and the money as a consultant were good, when Arlington made an offer I accepted. I knew I was an educator at heart and I needed to come back where my instructional background could make a difference as technology continued to make its way into classrooms.

I eventually moved on to become a technology director and ultimately an assistant superintendent for data and technology. But I never forgot the perspective I gained working outside of education for that one segment of my career. It was a reality check. It changed me. I no longer feel entitled to anything. I am grateful to have meaningful work helping teachers and students. And I understand that giving my all in that work is the true definition of being a consummate professional…even as I have moved from K-12 to working for the world’s leading professional education association. Everything else is secondary, and in some cases, a distraction. We can lose our way…our sense of what’s important…important to us personally and as professionals.

As we prepare to vote next week and move forward in education, I encourage you to find an opportunity to gain new perspective. Even if it’s volunteer work, or summer work, or a sabbatical…whatever options you might have…get out there and experience the world outside of education. Get new perspective. It will change how you see your work and how you view your self as an educator.

What Makes the Difference Today

I have spent the last few days in Nassau, Bahamas celebrating the approval of Bahamas ASCD application to become an ASCD affiliate. It was just a year ago I came to attend their inaugural conference as an ASCD Connected Community, their first step in becoming an affiliate. I remember being impressed with how well planned and coordinated that first conference was…how committed the leadership was to building this new organization to meet the needs of educators and students in their country.

It was at the end of last year’s conference that Bahamas ASCD made the decision to complete the affiliate application. Over the past twelve months we worked together to complete the application process and ensure that it would be given every consideration for approval. Interestingly enough, the ASCD Board met this past week at the same time Bahamas ASCD was holding its second annual conference, and we had no way of knowing if it would act on the affiliate application before the conference wrapped up.

As so often in life when good work is carried in a flow of positive energy, the ASCD Board approved the application on Tuesday and we were able to announce and enjoy the good news at the Bahamas ASCD conference the end of the week. What is significant to me is not the fact that everything fell into place, but the conditions that made this such a success story. Bahamas ASCD demonstrates:

 - a leadership team that is highly respected in its education community

 - a vision for education that addresses the immediate needs of educators

 - a strong alignment with ASCD and the work we are doing

 - a single-minded seriousness of purpose shared by all members of the leadership team

 - clear messaging and effective public relations strategies

 - professional connections that enhance its effectiveness and add value for members

 - an energized membership base that seeks active participation in the affiliate’s work, and

 - a work-life balance that evidences hard work, enjoyment of that work, and having fun as well

As I returned to DC and thought through these elements of success, it impressed me how much the Bahamas ASCD success story demonstrates the traits of successful membership organizations today. They aren’t looking to compete with other groups that already have created a niche on the education landscape. Rather, their singular reason for being is to meet the needs of educators on the ground in their backyard.

Yes there are lots of possibilities they will consider as they continue to write their story in the Bahamas, but with their clear sense of purpose, they will single out the opportunities to make an immediate difference from those initiatives that will take them away from their focus and weaken their impact. It occurs to me that staying small and nimble is an advantage today, as the education landscape continues to shift and morph around us. Perhaps Bahamas ASCD is a timely reminder of all that is right and good about effectively serving our peers: keep it simple and don’t take your eye off the ball.

Think of the organizations to which you belong and those which you joined at one time and in which you decided not to renew your membership. Aren’t the organizations you value similar to Bahamas ASCD? Let’s all aspire to follow its clear and concise example. Be there for each other and seek to make an immediate difference in the profession.

I am proud of my friends and colleagues who lead Bahamas ASCD.

Bahamas ASCD Board President Wenley Fowler, Board Vice-President Abraham Stubbs, Regional Director Verneth Patterson, Executive Director Christine Williams, Secretary Annastacia Forbes, Assistant Secretary Vernetta Ferguson, Treasurer Shirley Krezel, Assistant Treasurer Tamara Stuart, Public Relations Roberta McKenzie, Assistant Public Relations Tessa Nottage, and Project Coordinator Beverley Symonette.

Caring

Caring makes all the difference in the world. Not a mood or an attitude…caring is a way of being. You either care or you don’t. It’s easy to care when something is important to you. But how about caring when it’s important to someone else? How about caring when there’s nothing in it for you, because it makes the world a better place?

Caring does not turn on and off. It doesn’t only count when it grabs your attention. It doesn’t matter just when you feel like it. It is something that can be seen from within regardless of the moment or the motivation. You either genuinely care or you don’t.

In order to be caring you have to have thought through what you are all about. You know why you are here…why you are in education…and why you make the choices you do. You have come to terms with what you can control and what you can’t…and you understand that even in the worst of circumstances you make a difference simply by caring.

How do you instill caring in your core? You have understanding, acceptance, empathy, compassion, perspective and a strong sense of who you are. You refrain from reaction to what is happening around you and thoughtfully respond in helpful ways. When all else fails, you simply seek to understand. Caring is the constant when all other variables conspire to make you act out of self-interest. Caring keeps you focused on what’s important.

You know that feeling of comfort when you are interacting with someone who cares…you feel reassured and you are willing to trust just a little more. You feel secure. You can focus on what’s important. Caring inspires caring in others. Caring exposes the best in us.

Caring is positive. It does not justify selfishness or the status quo. Caring does not make you a better person…it makes you make choices that make you a better person. It will not transform you all at once, but it will transform your life over time. Do not care about those things that reinforce negativity and resentment. That’s not caring…that’s rationalizing resentments. It takes no effort to be cynical.

It takes effort to care. You have to consciously catch yourself when you start to give into not caring. Apathy is easy. Caring requires discipline. It’s not always easy, but over time it becomes habit…a part of you. Over time you care about the right things for the right reasons and something happens…you are no longer controlled by things that drain you of your potential to make a positive difference in your life and in the lives of others.

When caring is in your core, life will seem easier, doors will open for you, and you will find fulfillment. Why? Because people recognize caring in others Worthwhile people respond to caring and want to experience it with you. These kinds of caring connections lead you to opportunities and possibilities you cannot find when you are negative and full of self-interest.

If you’re happy with your lot in life this message is not for you. But if you know in your heart that you are settling…struggling…searching for something better…caring is the key. Caring is a selfless way of being…a way to operate in your personal life…your professional life…with those closest to you and with complete strangers. Cynicism wants you to believe you can’t afford to care. I’m here to suggest that you can’t afford not to.

Caring is a habit. So start practicing it now. Care about what is good and right and let everything else go. You will look back one day and realize you have been transformed…your life has been transformed…because you chose to care about more than yourself.

The New Minimalism

Over the past year, in my work with ASCD affiliates, we have been exploring ways to revolutionize the ways we serve their affiliate members. Why? The writing is on the wall that today’s educators have different needs and expectations. It’s difficult to get out of the classroom to attend conferences, and when educators can get away for professional development they want to be actively engaged in acquiring meaning and building understanding. One concept I have asked affiliates to explore is the deconstruction of conferences, workshops and seminars into a newly emerging kind of professional development: the unconference.

Why unconference? It’s a back-to-basics movement…a new minimalism…wherein the participants define the learning and then contribute to its success. There are no keynote speakers, no concurrent sessions and no matrix schedules. They can be held anywhere you can find conducive free space so there is literally no overhead costs. And the payoff is that those who attend get to connect, learn and network for follow-up discussions after the event is over. Sounds intriguing…but scary! As one affiliate board member remarked to me at their summer retreat: “No headliners? No identified agenda? No pre-registration? What if nobody comes?!”

“Take a chance!” I replied. “If nobody comes then…nobody will know it flopped!” The room laughed nervously. But the truth is to make revolutionary changes in how we serve educators, we need to take risks. Every affiliate  I have discussed unconferencing with has been fascinated with the idea. It makes sense to them…especially as they consider the needs of educators under 40. They’re not joiners. They don’t want to sit and be talked at. They want opportunities to apply themselves and be leaders among their peers. They need places where they can make that happen. What we need are some early adopters…

We do have a number of affiliates seriously planning their first foray into unconferencing. This past week I attended the first of a series of unconferences to be held by South Carolina ASCD on Project-Based Learning (PBL) at a middle school in Columbia, SC. Executive Director Charlene Herring invited me because of my recent book IQuest and so I could provide an additional layer of support as her team began this new PD experiment.

Because there was no published schedule or agenda, only an open-ended theme, the SC ASCD team had no idea who would actually show up or what would happen when they did. As educators rolled in, they slapped on a self-signed nametag and went to one of three whiteboards at the front of the room and wrote what they knew about PBL and what they were seeking to learn at the unconference. There were few solo attendees…most educators came in teams of two-to-six  people…and they sat in their teams wherever they found seats. What struck me most? Of the 40 people who came to participate, more than thirty of them were young educators. The over-forty attendees were administrators who brought their young teams to contribute and learn. And the teams did not stay in teams for long. People were quickly talking across teams to share and learn and exchange contact information. It was purposeful and powerful in how it took on a life of its own.

Several teams emerged as having experience and expertise that everyone else in attendance wanted to hear about. There were elementary people picking the brains of secondary people and vice-versa. At some points people met in quickly-forming groups to discuss PBL planning or implementation or assessment concerns. Then the room would shift as groups of educators sought to discuss ideas by grade level. By the time it was over, SC ASCD’s first unconference was a high-energy success with everyone parting full of ideas and strategies and new contacts with whom they could continue the conversation. The entire event lasted three hours and didn’t cost anyone a penny. It was relevant engaging and satisfying for everyone involved.

Could it be more than 40 attendees? Absolutely. But it was a great turnout for a first-time event with no defined parameters. More importantly, it was a big step for an ASCD affiliate offering a new kind of professional development to its membership. Yes, edcamps and unconferences are already tried-and-true PD formats in ed tech circles, but ed tech educators are typically early adopters and innovators by trade. I am very proud of our ASCD affiliates serving as innovators in their own right. We can build on our successes and learn from our efforts. The point is, ASCD and its affiliates are committed to remaining relevant partners to educators, providing rich resources and rewarding experiences that make a difference in their work. Thank you to the SC ASCD team and its members who partook in last week’s PBL unconference. And here’s to more ground-breaking innovation for our affiliates in the months to come!

Rich, Real World, Performance-Based Learning

Howard Gardner challenged that prevailing definition of intelligence with one concise description of what it means to be smart: “the ability to find and solve problems and create products of value in one's own culture.” It’s so simple it’s profound! There is no single measurement for intelligence in this definition. There is no “quotient” that can quantify ability or predict potential. Gardner’s theory attempts to provide for the complex processes of human cognition without setting limits on its potential. If the human mind has an operating system, Gardner’s model is the manual that attempts to explain how it runs.

Consider these observable actions for each intelligence:

Intelligence	Observable Actions
Verbal	Read, write, speak, tell, ask, explain,  inform, convey, report, articulate, address, confer, request, recount, lecture, present, announce, narrate, debate, discuss, converse, recite, quote, describe, clarify
Logical	Solve, resolve, question, hypothesize, theorize, scrutinize, investigate, experiment, analyze, deduce, prove, verify, decipher, determine, predict, estimate, measure, calculate, quantify, simplify
Visual	Observe, symbolize, draw, sketch, draft, illustrate, paint, color, contour, outline, rearrange, design, redesign, invent, create, conceive, originate, innovate, imagine, picture, envision, visualize, pretend
Kinesthetic	Build, construct, erect, assemble, make, manufacture, structure, craft, imitate, play, perform, walk, run, jump, dance, collect, gather, compile, fashion, shape, duplicate, dissect, exercise, move, transport
Musical	Listen, hear, infer, audiate, note, pattern, sing, clap, chant, model,  repeat, replicate, reproduce, copy, echo, imitate, impersonate, mimic, compose, harmonize, dub, rap, orchestrate, resonate
Intrapersonal	Express, imply, support, sponsor, promote, advise, advocate, encourage, champion, justify, rationalize, characterize, defend, validate, vindicate, assess, evaluate, judge, challenge, survey, poll
Interpersonal	Share, lead, guide, direct, help, mediate, manage, conduct, collaborate, cooperate, interview, influence, persuade, campaign, convince, compromise, role play, improvise, ad-lib, referee, reconcile
Naturalist	Sort, organize, categorize, compare, contrast, differentiate, separate, classify, detail, align, order, arrange, sequence, inventory, catalogue, group, file, index, chronicle, log, map, chart, graph
Existential	Reflect, contemplate, deliberate, ponder, summarize, synthesize, associate, relate, recap, encapsulate, elaborate, appreciate, appraise, critique, evaluate, assess, speculate, explore, dream, wonder

Our goal should be to provide instructional opportunities that promote all nine intelligences. MI Theory was not developed to label or exclude individuals, but to allow all learners to be successful through the different paths to learning that Gardner has identified.

Technology can provide us with the tools we need to redefine how and what we teach. As the old saying goes, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything around you looks like a nail.” There is no longer a one-size-fits-all solution for providing instruction. With this in mind, let’s consider how different technologies map to each of the intelligences. While this is by no means exhaustive, it offers examples of technologies and the intelligences they stimulate.

Intelligence	Technologies
Verbal	Textbook, pencil, worksheet, newspaper, magazine, word processing, electronic mail, desk top publishing, web-based publishing, keyboard, text bridges, speech recognition software
Logical	Cuisenaire rods, unifix cubes, tangrams, measuring cups, measuring scales, graphing calculators, spreadsheets, search engines, problem solving tasks, programming languages
Visual	Videos, picture books, art supplies, chalkboard, Smart board, slide shows, charting and graphing, digital camera/camcorders, graphics editors, digital animation/movies, WYSIWYG editors
Kinesthetic	Manipulative materials, screw, lever, wheel and axle, inclined plane, pulley, wedge, assistive technologies, digital probes, simulations that require eye-hand coordination, video games
Musical	Puzzles, virtual pattern games, musical instruments, digital sounds, digital recotding, digital sampling, multimedia presentations, multimedia editing software, MP3 players
Intrapersonal	Journals, diaries, voting machines, learning centers, children’s literature, student-centered projects, online surveys, online forms, digital portfolios, digital self-assessments, blogs
Interpersonal	Laboratory, board games, walkie-talkie, cell phone, chat, message boards, instant messenger,collaborative projects, online projects, virtual interactive games, Twitter, LinkedIn
Naturalist	Magnifying glass, microscope, telescope, bug box, scrap book, sandwich bag, plastic container database, semantic mapping tools, social bookmarking sites, online file storage
Existential	Theater, virtual communities, virtual art exhibits, virtual field trips, wikis, Facebook, Google+, multiple user virtual environments, virtual reality

By keeping in mind the affordances of each technology, teachers can successfully select those applications that will match learning objectives to the intelligences that thrive in every classroom.

But how do schools adopt a new model of thinking and learning that adequately parallels the demands of the Information Age workplace? And if we tend to teach in the same ways that we ourselves were taught, how then do we as teachers break away from the standardized, homogeneous approach to schooling that we knew as students? And for those innovators in the classroom who have already recognized the changing needs of society, in what sound theory can they base their evolving instructional practices?

Gardner’s definition of intelligence resounds clearly: the ability to create products and solve problems that are of value in one’s own culture…to be able to demonstrate understanding in rich, real world, performance-based tasks. For example, any standardized test can ask a student to identify the major organs in the digestive system of a fetal pig, but the student who is able to take that working knowledge and identify similar organs while manually dissecting the feline digestive system demonstrates that s/he has truly mastered the skill. Which student would you rather have working in your laboratory? Good test takers aren’t necessarily so because they master content easily. They’re good test takers because they can infer and deduce information and make correct choices a high percentage of the time. This may suffice for the needs of a multiple choice test, but any master teacher will tell you a student really hasn’t mastered a skill or concept until s/he can apply it in a completely novel context. When all students can demonstrate these kinds of abilities with regards to math, science, history, language and the arts then we will have truly revolutionized public education.

An Education Engine

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In this election year we continue hearing about “twenty-first century” skills. But what we should be talking about, IMHO, is what’s after the twenty-first century threshold. At the outset, the challenge seemed to be to simply be able to manage the data with which we are inundated. But as the tools to manage data have become more and more user-friendly, the next challenge is to find contexts for the pertinent information we encounter … context provided by the experience and expertise we bring to understanding information. When we have meaningful understanding of information, insight is created, the kind of insight that identifies opportunities for innovation. There is a shift from mere information management to insight.

Another major change we are experiencing is movement from the simple realization that we live in a global economy to actively contributing to a communal marketplace of ideas. The first decade of the twenty-first century kicked off with a celebration of the fact that we now have the capability to interact globally, and we have been doing that through various electronic communications. But with this capability now demonstrated daily, the next challenge is to use these tools to truly build communities across traditional geographic and political boundaries. It is slowly taking place as we bridge the challenges of time zones, language differences, and cultural differences. There is a shift from simple global awareness to collaborating communities world-wide.

There is a progression of four different stages in this thinking:

The Ideate Paradigm: Generating ideas based on global information. This is where the twenty-first century started. It is the result of norm-referenced standardized testing and the push to compare ourselves not only with local students, but students elsewhere. The institutional reaction to how students compare to others around the world generates entirely new initiatives to close gaps and document student achievement improvement. This approach is linear and sequential and focused on deficits. It is Zeno’s “racetrack paradox,” which states that if you keep advancing half the distance to the finish line, mathematically you never actually reach it. (Aristotle, Physics 239b11-13). This is the rut in which education sits today, and because it is statistically impossible to ever reach the finish line, public education has become politicized and polarized. No one wins.

The Automate Paradigm: Utilizing digital technology to complete a number of traditional tasks faster, more accurately and with greater ease than we used to be able to accomplish the same tasks in the industrial age. This has been a huge breakthrough in productivity and efficiency. Unfortunately it has also made technology a primary focus in-and-of itself. Automating our schools does not transform education; it simply builds on the ways we already teach with new tools used to complete traditional goals. Of particular concern is the role vendors are now playing in education decision-making; the lines have blurred and we are not necessarily making educational decisions based solely on the needs of the learner. There is now an insidious commercial influence that has the potential to move public education into the domain of private enterprise.

The Informate Paradigm: Using digital communications and learning tools, we can create new ways to empower every family to support their children as learners. Instead of focusing on the technology, transform education by building capacity for all family members, students and parents, to be ctive life-long learners. This paradigm transcends automating, looking past immediate task-focused instructional goals and focusing on a global destination for public education: the more school-aged families become acclimated to using information portals, electronic communications and online learning communities, the more we will realize our mission in public education to provide a free, appropriate education for everyone. In this paradigm we elevate the impact of education by engaging all education stakeholders using the tools we have at our disposal.

The Innovate Paradigm: Beyond generating ideas, automating tasks and informating electronically, innovating is the ultimate goal: generating original knowledge, new products and novel solutions to problems that are valued across learning communities. To innovate is to push the envelope, take risks, gain insight and eventually break new ground that contributes to the greater good. Risks that do not produce innovation are not considered failures, but opportunities to gain insight for future risk-taking, as well. Find a point on the horizon where you know you and your students must be and then use the insight you possess to figure out how to get there. As a result of reaching that point on the horizon, the worldwide economy is infused with energy and ideas and new possibilities. This is the future today’s children will inherit, and we must prepare them for it.

So, rather than fixating on twenty-first century skills, identify where you are now in this 4-stage progression on the matrix below, and then figure out your next steps to help your students and school and community move forward toward innovating. Do you have to go through each of the four stages listed above to reach innovation? No. The matrix is simply a high-level snapshot of where we are and where we are headed. Instead of trying to match the matrix step-for-step, practice true innovating by finding the point on the horizon where you know you need to be…a model innovator…and then work to gain insight on how you will get there. Take risks based on your insight, and learn from your journey.

How do we summarize the journey to innovating? From an education perspective, we need to revolutionize the ways we work, the ways we teach, and the ways we learn. We cannot simply reform the old model. We must transform public education into a new, global, innovating enterprise that becomes the engine for a revitalized economy.

Technology is integral in both converting raw data (information) into understanding (insight) and bridging the gap between comparing ourselves to other cultures (global awareness) to participating in new societies (collaborating communities). Although the focus can’t be on the technology itself, we as educators must be looking for the ways the technology can open possibilities for our students to learn.

Of course, the focus always comes back to students learning. Melding our understanding of how the world is changing, how technology is providing opportunity, and a sound understanding of the multiple intelligences is a roadmap that can lead our educational system not only deep into the twenty-first century, but well beyond.