At the VAIS Learning Conference last year many JRDS faculty and administrators had the privilege of listening to a keynote speech by Ted Dintersmith. Similar to Grant Lichtman’s belief that, as outlined in Moving the Rock, schools need to consider how they operate in a time of rapid change, Dintersmith illustrated what schools across the country are doing to reframe learning in the 21st century. If you are interested, Dintersmith’s new book -- What Schools Could Be -- is available widely.
Dintersmith’s main thrust focuses on four strategic learning themes:
- Purpose - Students attack challenges they know to be important, that make the world better.
- Essentials - Students acquire the skills sets and mind-sets needed in an increasingly innovative world.
- Agency - Students own their learning, becoming self-directed, intrinsically motivated adults.
- Knowledge - What students learn is deep and retained, enabling them to create, to make, to teach others.
All JRDS faculty and administrators who attended last year’s conference received a copy of the book, which many of us have read with great excitement. Ted Dintersmith, Grant Lichtman, Sir Ken Robinson, and many others are helping educators and parents frame the conversations of where schools could go. The themes above are an emerging part of our professional discourse, guiding professional development and program improvements.