21st century skills

New Pathways

The Life of a Future-Ready School: Video Visits of Garden City School

Guest Author

Oct 8, 2024

Explore how Garden City School in Cranston, RI, redefines public education with innovative design and a future-ready learning environment.

Learning Design

Centering Learners by Design: Shaping the Future of Education

Katie Martin, Devin Vodicka

Oct 3, 2024

Discover how innovative, learner-centered designs are transforming education to better prepare students for the future.

Green Schools

Reimagining Schools in a Climate-Challenged World

Cameron Paterson

Sep 30, 2024

Schools must adapt to climate change by integrating sustainability, fostering eco-consciousness, and leveraging systems thinking for a regenerative future.

A group of students and educators work together to create a Portrait of a Graduate.

Competency-Based Education

Kindling the Spark: How the Portrait of a Graduate Becomes the Catalyst for Transformation

Guest Author

Sep 26, 2024

Adopting a Portrait of a Graduate fosters student agency, meaningful learning, and real-world application, transforming education systems for success.

Students in deeper learning classrooms are excited about coming to school and engaged in the subjects they are learning.

Equity & Access

Why High-Quality Learning Opportunities Must Be Accessible to Every Student

Nate McClennen, Rebecca Midles

Sep 24, 2024

Core design principles for thriving learners include accessibility, personalization, purpose, joy, authenticity, and challenge for high-quality education.

Project-Based Learning

Redefining Creativity in the Age of AI

David Ross

Aug 26, 2024

Explore the evolving definition of creativity in the age of generative AI and how educational leaders can integrate these technologies to enhance Project-Based Learning (PBL) and 21st Century Skills.

college students and teacher working together on laptop

Equity & Access

Community-Centered Research & Development in Education

Guest Author

Aug 20, 2024

Exploring the role of R&D in public school innovation, emphasizing community collaboration, empathy-driven testing, and scenario planning for equity.

Educators working on school concepts of the future

Learning Design

Why We Need More New Schools (Even with Enrollments Down and Closures Ahead)

Tom Vander Ark

Aug 15, 2024

A landscape of innovation in US K-12 education reveals traditional, efficiency, and future-ready models, highlighting new learner-centered ecosystems.

Difference Making

Youth Design Day: Mapping Civic Learning Across Pittsburgh

Guest Author

Aug 12, 2024

Youth Design Day in Pittsburgh created a comprehensive map of civic learning opportunities, emphasizing youth-led and youth-centered spaces.

Learning Design

Help Us Shape the Future of Education: Vote for Our SXSW 2025 Sessions!

Aarika Guerrero

Aug 8, 2024

Support Getting Smart's SXSW 2025 session proposals to advance educational innovation. Vote now to bring transformative ideas and practical solutions to the forefront.

	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