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The Myth of Average:  Todd Rose at TEDxSonomaCounty

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Why We Need Universal Design | Michael Nesmith | TEDxBoulder

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National Center on Universal Design for Learning

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Educators and workforce experts alike often warn that our children need improved 21st century skills. Without these skills, they will not be able to successfully participate in the global economy. They won't be adequately prepared for college and work.

But what, exactly, are 21st century skills? Are we just talking about computer and technology skills? And who decides which skills make the list?

It depends on who you ask. But a Hanover Research report, A Crosswalk of 21st Century Skills, sheds some light on the subject.

More than Computers & Technology

Hanover Research recently analyzed six major educational frameworks designed to improve the development of 21st century skills. This included frameworks and critical skills listed by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, Tony Wagner's Seven Survival Skills, the Metiri Group's enGauge framework, the Iowa Core 21st Century Skills, developed by the Iowa Department of Education, the Connecticut State Department of Education and the Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills (ATC21S).

While each framework has slightly different list of critical 21st century skills, all agree on four critical areas for development:

"It is easy to see how these skills could be valuable to a new high school graduate and to employers, as well as how these skills can easily interact with one another," according to the Hanover Research report. Others, such as the research division of the Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii, draw similar conclusions from the various frameworks on 21st century skills.

"More than technological expertise, 21st century skills refer to content knowledge, literacies and proficiencies that prepare individuals to meet the challenges and opportunities of today's world," stated the Kamehameha Schools report, An Overview of 21st Century Skills.

Other Critical Skills for Success

The Hanover Research analysis also identifies a second tier of important 21st century skills, present in five of the six major frameworks:

The following skills were present in four of the six frameworks:

Civic literacy and citizenship

Oral and written communication skills

Social responsibility and ethics

Technology literacy

Initiative

"The driving force for the 21st century is the intellectual capital of citizens," said the Metiri Group in its white paper, Twenty-First Century Skills. "Political, social and economic advances in the United States during this millennium will be possible only if the intellectual potential of America youth is developed now."

Deeper Dives

In other blog posts, we will continue to provide you with information about critical success skills for the 21st century. For example, what exactly do we mean by collaboration and teamwork, or critical thinking? How can we, as supportive parents, do more to help our sons and daughters develop these skills? What are the best educational environments for teaching and learning these skills?

We are also interested in hearing from you about the ways you are helping young people prepare for a world in need of highly skilled professionals. Just contact us at mediainfo@envisionexperience.com if you'd like to share your story. And, of course, we hope you will consider Envision programs as an important way to help your children and students develop these critical skills. We believe our mission is vitally important. We hope you do too.

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13 Essential 21st Century Skills for Today's Students | Envision

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Read about the essential skills for students to successfully participate in the global economy. With these, they'll be adequately prepared for college & work.

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National Center on Universal Design for Learning

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UDL Guidelines in Practice: Grade 5 Language Arts

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National Center on Universal Design for Learning

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UDL Guidelines in Practice: Grade 1 Mathematics

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National Center on Universal Design for Learning

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UDL Guidelines in Practice: Grade 6 Science

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National Center on Universal Design for Learning

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Tuesday, July 27, 2:00 - 4:00 pm ET In the first installment of our panel discussion series, the UDL-IRN Assessment & Measurement SIG will engage with a panel of measurement experts to discuss opportunities and challenges at the intersection of

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Universal Design for Learning Implementation and Research Network

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Tuesday, July 27, 2:00 - 4:00 pm ET In the first installment of our panel discussion series, the UDL-IRN Assessment & Measurement SIG will engage with a panel of measurement experts to discuss opportunities and challenges at the intersection of

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We create practical, timely, affordable professional learning to help educators and instructional leaders provide students with a modern, equitable, and quality education.

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The evidence is in the practice

ESSA Level 3 correlation evidence in math and ELA, earned by teachers running frequent formative assessments.

When teachers run 30+ formative questions a week, the research is clear: they get more data-driven, their students get more engaged. Wayground is built to make that practice enjoyable ot run, attainable to fit a class period, and habitual enough to last past September.

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Quizizz is now Wayground | Teacher AI and Resources

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Find standards-aligned resources that engage every student. Wayground (formerly Quizizz) helps teachers differentiate instruction with AI and track student progress.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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Message to our Loyal Users of CAST UDL Lesson Builder, UDL Book Builder, UDL Exchange, and UDL Studio

On January 15, 2024, we will retire this website, along with a few others. We know it has many devoted followers who will be sad to see it go. We're sad, too.

Making these creative tools and offering them free-of-charge to educators, parents, and learners at no charge the past decade-plus has been our joy, we also know that usage is way down, funding for the tools ran out years ago, and their underlying technologies are no longer contemporary.

To ensure a smooth transition, we're providing a three-month sunset period so you have sufficient time to download any stored materials you may have on the sites and to find alternative tools. After January 15, we will also close all user accounts.

Thank you again for your understanding and be sure to visit www.cast.org to learn more about the exciting innovations we are pursuing today and tomorrow! Questions: questions@cast.org

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Message to our Loyal Users of CAST UDL Lesson Builder, UDL Book Builder, UDL Exchange, and UDL Studio On January 15, 2024, we will retire this website, along with a few others. We know it has many devoted followers who will be sad to see it go. We're sad, too.

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Pear Deck is on a mission to help teachers create powerful learning moments for every student, every day - using the tools you already know and love.

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When I first started at my school, it was in the early days of Differentiated Instruction, and there was an emphasis on using KUDs (Know, Understand, Do). I had learned a different format in grad school, and at first I was resistant to the change. However, I have come to see their value. The down side: KUDs aren't that exciting to create, and it's an extra step on top of just creating the lesson itself.

After a while, my colleagues and I got really good at churning out these forms. Considering the difference between what the kids need to know, understand, and do after each lesson became intuitive as we put together lessons. So, the KUD fell by the wayside and weeds began to grow.

We were still doing everything we needed to do, and the kids were still learning what they needed to learn. So who needs an official KUD, right?

Well, apparently we do.
Enter Challenge #1: Communicating With Parents
Now in our defense, we communicate. A lot. Individualized comments on both interim and marking period report cards. Facebook. Instagram. Newspaper coverage. School website. Constant email contact. Two parent+student conferences with advisors a year. A bi-weekly school newsletter. Classroom blogs. School wide text messages and email blasts. Personalized communication via our parent organization. Face to face contact as parents are always welcome to pop in before or after school. Friday folders in Lower School. There might be more, but this is a pretty impressive list.

Despite all this, parents still comment that they don't know what is going on their child's class. My immediate reaction is one of disbelief. Seriously? Do you not read or follow any of the above communications? Do you not ask your kid, "Hey, what did you do in school today?"

But when I stop to think about it (okay, silently fume as I write yet another article about my amazing lessons or email a personalized description of the homework because writing it on the board, explaining it in class, handing out a written check list, and posting it on the homework blog wasn't enough), I realize that the parents are wondering something else. They know WHAT we do. They just don't always know WHY we do it. And that I can understand.
Solution #1: The (Not So) Dreaded KUD
A simple answer. If you jot down a quick KUD, not only are you primed and focused to get that unit put together, but already have the overarching essential question clearly stated, the curricular standards identified, and all the learning outcomes and assessments listed in a tidy one page document. All it takes is a few clicks to upload (or print) something you do anyways, and it showcases not only the WHAT but the WHY of your teaching.

I hate filling out KUDs. I love what it does for my planning.
Enter Challenge #2: Student Accountability
It really and truly isn't their fault. They're only middle schoolers.

Sure, we as teachers know exactly (or at least can wing it convincingly) where we are going with a lesson, why the content is important, and how we are going to assess the final learning outcomes, but all the students really see are the pieces they get tossed one at a time. It can be difficult for them to know what the big picture of a lesson is and what key concepts they need to retain long-term. Even if we tell them at the beginning, even if we remind them along the way, it still slides out of their minds as they are bombarded with everything else.
Enter Solution #2: The (Not So) Dreaded KUD
The KUD already lists the essential question. It lists exactly what they should know and understand when everything is said and done. Heck, it even says how they can prove they know and understand that stuff. Why not just print it out to hand to the students at the beginning of a unit as an overview? Or better yet, share it with them on Google Drive!
Enter Challenge #3: Technology Acquisition
One problem with technology is that it is always evolving. There are better upgrades, a system becomes obsolete, one device will do the work of several, something that sounded so cool doesn't work the way you envisioned, you just plain can't figure out how to use it.

Over the years, education has succumbed to fads. Differentiated Instruction. Project Based Learning. Responsive Classroom. STEAM. But just because I call them fads doesn't mean they don't have their value. As a school community, we have embraced all those examples, and they have enhanced our program. They aren't passing trends to us: they are our way of life. ​The result, though, is still the same. Every year or two there is a new catchphrase or philosophy to learn, resulting in a programmatic shift. Layer built upon layers, until we've crammed so much in we need to pare back and decide what is most important to us. (Like the year we got really excited about PBL, and halfway through the year the kids were begging for a test and a worksheet, just for a brain break. We apologize, guys.)

Philosophy shifts and new techniques require time to rethink our status quo. Instructional technology, though, requires cold, hard cash to jump on the bandwagon. So we have to be doubly sure of what direction we want to head in.

Let's consider the SMART Board. When I was student teaching, I had one mounted to my chalkboard with a fixed projector on the ceiling. I used it every.single.day. I was really excited when I hired on that our school had two portable SMART Boards, with plans for SMART Projectors in the early childhood and kindergarten rooms. I think I dragged that stupid hunk of plastic down the hallway a handful of times before I discovered that most everything I did on a SMART Board could also be done, sometimes better, by projecting on a white board. This is especially true now that I can use a smart phone or iPad to record written notes or instructions and just email them to students. With recent updates, the software licenses have become so expensive that we only purchase them for teachers with a SMART Projector because they're the only ones who use it regularly. The portable boards now make really good projection surfaces in the library and poster display spaces.

Let's consider another expensive purchase; Lego Robotics. Now this one I still have hope for. A couple summers ago we got a grant to purchase 12 kits, which is plenty for our small classes to get inventing. This year, despite my best efforts to get them used in the curriculum, I was the only teacher to pull out the kits, and even then it was for an activity period with a select group of third through seventh graders. In the case of the robots, it's not that the technology is obsolete, it's just that the teachers can't, or don't want to, figure out how to use them in their classrooms. They're really neat, but we purchased them before having a clear plan in place for their use.
Solution #3: The (Not So) Dreaded KUD
As part of our annual auction, we always have a "fund-an-item" project that people can bid on to support specific initiatives. In the past, this has provided us with our first round of MacBook Airs when we went 1:1 in the middle school, new flexible-use classroom furniture, playground equipment certified for middle school students that also met PE goals, and a new mini bus, just to name a few. Our generous supporters have helped make our learning environment possible.

This year, they raised their bid paddles to fund our new Arts & Innovation Hub. Because this is a two year initiative, we are going to skim a little money off the top to start buying equipment that will eventually end up in the new space after it's built. Since we've learned our lesson, rather than purchasing what we think everyone needs, we are having the teachers write mini-grants.

Here comes the KUD part. Rather than just collecting a list of stuff, everyone has to write a KUD that utilizes that piece of equipment. That way teachers know not only what they want, but also how they are going to use it. In addition they also need to include how the equipment could be reused in different ways and by different grade levels. With all the hoops to jump through, we are confident the items we spend money on will truly be useful.

Here's my example. I ultimately want a couple iMacs loaded with the Adobe Suite in the A&I Hub. Creating a font could be expanded in so many ways, such as partnering with local businesses to design event invitations, logos, or stationary. The math teacher was talking about partnering for a discussion of ratios and the calculations regarding good design. The art teacher and I want to pair up to create backgrounds using various watercolor and alcohol ink techniques.
So while a part of me groans whenever I hear someone mention KUDs, this summer I vow to make full use of them. Go a little KUD crazy, if you will.

Thanks for sticking with me though all of that. As a reward, I am including two links to editable KUD templates via Google Draw. The first one is more tradition, with room for essential questions at the top and standards along the side. The second one is more student friendly. In addition to the above, there is space along the bottom to fill in a weekly overview, create a list of specific activities, or lay out a checklist of assignments. Use it as it suits you- just go to <file> and use the <make a copy> function!

I'd love to hear what great uses you find for KUDs in the comments below!

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When I first started at my school, it was in the early days of Differentiated Instruction, and there was an emphasis on using KUDs (Know, Understand, Do). I had learned a different format in grad school, and at first I was resistant to the change. However, I have come to see their value.

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G20 edu ministers meet resolves inclusion of 21st century skills in curriculum develop

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G20 edu ministers meet resolves inclusion of 21st century skills in curriculum develop

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The G20 education ministers meeting in Argentina, the first ever for the group, has resolved the need for inclusion of 21st century skills in curriculum development and pedagogical approaches at all levels of education.

The meet, which concluded on Thursday, also agreed on the use of innovative pedagogies, approaches, methods and tools with appropriate diverse learning environments to engage students in their education.

"In line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda, we affirm our commitment to ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all," a declaration made at the meeting said.

India was represented at the meet by Minister of State (MoS) for Human Resource and Development (HRD) Satya Pal Singh.

He highlighted several initiatives of the Modi government in the education sector, including the country's Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform 'SWAYAM', which has been facilitating and encouraging a large number of students to learn anytime, anywhere.

Singh said a special emphasis has been laid for teachers training by setting up National Resource Centres in 75 specific disciplines for delivering online refresher courses for 1.3 million faculty in higher education institutions.

The MoS also held talks with education ministers of nine countries.

The declaration adopted at the meet acknowledged that adequate levels of domestic and international investment in education be provided to achieve inclusive, equitable and quality education as well as lifelong learning opportunities for all.

It also talked about facilitating the internationalisation of education, including cross-border recognition of qualifications and skills, and mobility of students, teachers, academic and non-academic staff, trainers and researchers, with a view to improving quality education and research, in accordance with the respective national laws, rules and policies.

The declaration also supported the promotion of exchange and scholarship programmes among G20 members and other countries, particularly with developing countries around the globe.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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international commission on financing global education opportunity

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G20 edu ministers meet resolves inclusion of 21st century skills in curriculum develop

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Read more about G20 edu ministers meet resolves inclusion of 21st century skills in curriculum develop on Business Standard.

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Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act

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Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act

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Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act | Advance CTE

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Purpose: Perkins is dedicated to increasing learner access to high-quality Career Technical Education (CTE) programs of study. With a focus on systems alignment and program improvement, Perkins is critical to ensuring that programs are prepared to meet the ever-changing needs of learners and employers.