 I would like to begin this post by sharing with you three powerful quotes supporting a major shift in paradigms and practices which must take place in education. Please read and consider the message, then read or (read again) the books from which these quotes are taken. Then, have a conversation with the stakeholders in your organization about what needs to change, and make a commitment to make that change happen. The authors are Sir Ken Robinson, Tony Wagner and Ted Dintersmith. Enjoy, and together, let's make that change really happen! P.S. Click on the name of each author for additional resources, including the books from which these quotes are taken! Then see the resources available to you for making the Paradigm Shift we need. Continue here . . .
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 For many decades education has been in a state of turmoil as we continue to seek ways to adapt education to life in the 21st century. A Hall of Mirrors is defined as "A carnival or amusement park attraction consisting of a maze or series of passageways lined with mirrors, especially curved mirrors giving distorted reflections. "A confusing or disorienting situation in which it is difficult to distinguish between truth and illusion or between competing versions of reality. Also called, in both senses, a House of Mirrors. Looking back over the past thirty to forty years alone, there has been much contention regarding the proper path forward, and a variety of programs and plans have been put forth to improve schools. Most of these have focused on one purpose: improving students' standardized test scores. And most have experienced dismal results. With the proliferation of the Internet, there was a virtual explosion of new programs, and suddenly it seemed that everyone was an expert or a consultant. Thus my analogy of the "house of mirrors". It must feel that way to so many educators who are being continually bombarded with new "tips, tricks and various programs" for improving student learning, i.e., test scores. These range from ludicrous to highly effective ways to improve student learning. Along with the Internet has been the surge of excitement surrounding efforts to get technologies into the hands of students. Unfortunately, technologies have not been implemented in a meaningful way in many classrooms. And, as I have written before, we simply replaced the paper/pencil worksheets and the printed textbooks with digital versions of the same. The pedagogy, practices and paradigms did not change at all. There are a few educators who are recognizing and calling for the need to make "real change". They also recognize that this real change is not going to be easy or simple. We cannot create real change by implementing a few "tricks and tips", we cannot do it by adding some 15-minute activity to the already enormous load of activities, standards, test prep which is overwhelming teachers and students every day. We cannot create the schools we need unless and until we make a true Paradigm Shift. For this reason, we at 21st Century Schools have created Paradigm Shift, which includes three distinct programs! For more information about 21st Century Schools and to receive details on the Paradigm Shift programs, please contact Anne Shaw, Director, 21st Century Schools! [email protected]  Watch the following video to see how you can transform your obsolete "cells and bells" school into a 21st century school. The Learning Environment is the place to begin when you are creating schools that will support 21st century learning! For more details and inspiration, please click the link below the video! Read the full article and see the wide array of fabulous learning spaces that can be integrated into a 21st century school!  In 2006 Sir Ken Robinson gave a TED Talk entitled "Do Schools Kill Creativity?"[1] The most popular TED Talk of all time, subtitles are available in 60 languages, and it has been viewed 44 million times, not including the entire groups that watch it. Sir Ken's message certainly resonated with educators, parents and others. Despite the powerful message, delivered over a decade ago, and lauded by educators around the world, schools have continued to kill creativity . . . as well as the other "7 Survival Skills of the 21st Century" as outlined by Harvard professor, Tony Wagner. These skills comprise one of the three compasses of Anne Shaw's Framework for Education in the 21st Century. In this holistic, integrated framework the 3 compasses are embedded with an intentionally designed Learning Environment - the Physical Environment (facilities, schoolyards), the Social/Emotional Environment and the Academic Environment. This article is about how schools are killing creativity - and the other seven survival skills - and what we can do about it. View the compass for the 7 Survival Skills below. Click the compass to read more about each of these skills:   Are you concerned about education? I am. One of my deepest concerns is that while education systems around the world are being reformed, many of these reforms are being driven by political and commercial interests that misunderstand how real people learn and how great schools actually work. As a result, they are damaging the prospects of countless young people. Sooner or later, for better or for worse, they will affect you or someone you know. It’s important to understand what these reforms are about. If you agree that they’re going in the wrong direction, I hope you will become part of the movement to a more holistic approach that nurtures the diverse talents of all our children From Creative Schools - the grassroots revolution that's transforming education by Sir Ken Robinson
 Teachers are being asked a.) to provide educational experiences which will raise test scores and b.) to ensure their students develop 21st century skills such as creativity, entrepreneurship, collaboration, critical thinking, and so on. However, teachers are also being confronted with many obstacles in achieving this mission.
Of course, this is not a comprehensive list of all the obstacles teachers face. Some of the obstacles listed below are specific, usually the result of distinct policies and practices. Others are in the form of overarching paradigms and beliefs. All of them serve as obstacles to a 21st century model of education, and all of them can be overcome. Some problems are within the Circle of Control [i] of the teacher, while others exist outside the Circle of Control but are within the Circle of Influence. Within this series we will identify actions which can be taken from within each circle. We need to bear in mind the philosophy that obstacles can be overcome by using them as stepping stones to success. Here's a hint of what you will findon our list. Are they on your list, too?: 1. Daily Bell Schedule 2. Mandated Curriculum Pacing Guides, i.e. "Marching Orders" 3. Lack of Planning Time Click here to see our "starter list" of Top Twelve Obstacles . . . and then find out what we can do about them! How many of these obstacles do you encounter as an educator? And be sure to share with us what other obstacles should be added to the list!  Schools and school districts around the world, as well as the educators within them, are each individually on a journey along a continuum from factory model to 21st century model education. One overarching obstacle is the assumption that we can "fix" students, learning and test scores from within the current structures. We cannot change and "stay the same" , i.e., maintain the same paradigms, practices and structures that have been in place for well over 100 years. The current education model is obsolete, a relic of a bygone era.
Although there are a multitude of obstacles in our path, there are things that that can be done to overcome these obstacles and make time for what matters most. Continue Reading Here  Celebrating Chocolate Day at your school is an excellent opportunity for integrating many content standards, from language arts to math to science and to many important social issues.
The study of the chocolate industry, past and present, has connections to economics, environmental studies, history, geography, cultural studies, anthropology and more. Multiple literacies taught/developed through a Chocolate Project include the arts and creativity, ecoliteracy, financial literacy, media literacy, information literacy, social/emotional literacies, global competencies and physical fitness and health. Visit our Chocolate page on the 21st Century Schools' Curriculum Resources site. There you will find suggestions for curricular connections that not only meet the content standards but are meaningful and motivational for your students.  Celebrate Taco Day with one or more of the projects listed on our Taco Day page in Curriculum Resources from 21st Century Schools! There is literally no discipline that cannot be integrated.
This page has ideas for relevant, real world curriculum from preschool to the university level! It also includes resources such as books, cookbooks, research articles, videos and children's literature. Most, if not all, of the Common Core State Standards can be taught through these projects - and you do not have limit your project to one day! Get the parents and community involved. Invite some mariachi players, too, or just get some mariachi music. Learn some dances, paint, make a video - but definitely cook and eat! 
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