21st century skills

Competency-Based Education

The Tyranny of College Admissions: Why It’s So Challenging to Have Real Change in K-12 Education

Guest Author

Jun 8, 2026

SEL & Mindset

Running Your Own Race: Why Agency Begins in the Interior Life

Rebecca Midles

Jun 5, 2026

Two teenage girls writing notes while a teacher points to their chemistry worksheets in a science lab classroom.

Leadership

How AI Impacts the Use of Protocols in the K-12 Classroom

David Ross

Mar 12, 2026

Flower diagram showing "The CHOICE: Critically Human Skills" with Integrity, Compassion, and Agency at center, surrounded by six overlapping circles.

Learning Design

The CHOICE We Make: The Critically Human Skills That Define Our Future

Nate McClennen, Guest Author

Feb 5, 2026

High school boy gesturing while speaking to classmates at desks, with papers and a water bottle on the table

Career & Technical Ed

Preparing Youth for Their Future: What Our Exploration of Durable Skills Across Twelve Innovative High Schools Tells Us About What Is Possible

Guest Author

Dec 11, 2025

Leadership

Entrepreneurship: The New Core Curriculum

Tom Vander Ark

Oct 21, 2025

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This podcast highlights developing trends in K-12 education, postsecondary and lifelong learning. Each week, Getting Smart team members interview students, leading authors, experts and practitioners in research, tech, entrepreneurship and leadership to bring listeners innovative and actionable strategies in education leadership.

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Three high school students rehearse a theater scene, one kneeling on the floor while another reads from a script.

Equity & Access

Creating Pathways to Confidence and Careers: The Impact of Peer Support on LGBTQIA+ Youth

Guest Author

Jan 27, 2025

Peer support at Give Us The Floor empowers 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, fostering mental health, resilience, and career skills through community-led models.

Difference Making

The Importance of Purpose-Based Learning in K-12 Education

Nate McClennen

Nov 21, 2024

Purpose-based learning connects students to real-world tasks, boosting engagement and preparing them for societal contributions.

Students working on 3D design projects on iMac computers in a classroom decorated with film and TV posters.

New Pathways

Impact Projects at Northeastern University

Tom Vander Ark, Mason Pashia

Nov 19, 2024

Engaging students in impact-driven projects is one of the most effective ways to cultivate valuable skills while developing what Charles Fadel refers to as the key Drivers of learning: Motivation, Identity, Agency, and Purpose. These Drivers are increasingly recognized as essential in Education for the Age of AI,…

Vibrant split illustration showing community members collaborating at a table and innovators brainstorming beneath a glowing lightbulb

Future of Learning

One Goal, Two Journeys: The Role of Community and Workforce in Defining Graduate

Guest Author

Nov 7, 2024

America’s education system was a groundbreaking effort to help a growing nation thrive in the 19th century. Now, 200 years later, the world has changed; the horizon looks drastically different. Collectively, we need to redesign our education system to enable all of our children — and, by extension, our nation…

	Beginning	Piloting	Implementing
From Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery	BeginningFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Beginning	PilotingFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Piloting	ImplementingFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Implementing
From One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning	BeginningFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Beginning	PilotingFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Piloting	ImplementingFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Implementing
From Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry	BeginningFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Beginning	PilotingFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Piloting	ImplementingFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Implementing
From Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning	BeginningFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Beginning	PilotingFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Piloting	ImplementingFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Implementing
From Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities	BeginningFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Beginning	PilotingFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Piloting	ImplementingFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Implementing
From Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment	BeginningFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Beginning	PilotingFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Piloting	ImplementingFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Implementing
From Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets	BeginningFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Beginning	PilotingFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Piloting	ImplementingFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Implementing

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21st century skills

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