21st century skills

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.

Young people seated at tables in active discussion during a collaborative civic learning workshop in Pittsburgh.

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.

SXSW EDU PanelPicker community voting promotional graphic, August 6–18, 2024, with 3D star, steps, and gear shapes

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.

Students working on laptops in a university lecture hall, focused on their screens in a modern learning environment.

Career & Technical Ed

Learning Environments Don’t Just Need Generative AI, They Need an AI Operating System

Mason Pashia

Jun 20, 2024

Knomadix positions itself as a foundational and navigational tool in the new digital terrain, guiding educational leaders and publishers through AI implementation. By offering an AI-driven learning experience design and delivery platform, Knomadix ensures schools are thriving through change.

Young students with clipboards explore an outdoor school garden with a teacher, engaged in hands-on nature learning.

Difference Making

Learner-Centered Ecosystems: Nurturing Connections, Fostering Belonging, and Engaging in Place

Guest Author

May 28, 2024

Learner-centered ecosystems aren’t new, but they are offering a fresh take on education transformation. From creating more connection, belonging, and a sense of place, read more about communities across the country embracing this approach.

New Pathways

Microschools Changing the Phoenix Education Landscape

Tom Vander Ark

May 20, 2024

Our recent visits to microschools in Phoenix illuminate the flexible and highly-personalized nature of small school models.

Three diverse teen girls sitting together on a library floor, reading books and using a phone, smiling

Leadership

The Productive Tension of the Me and the We

Rebecca Midles, Mason Pashia

May 16, 2024

Explore collective assessment and personalized graduate portraits to go beyond the conventional norms of education.

New Pathways

Skills Transcripts at Scale: Why The ETS & MTC Partnership is a Big Deal

Tom Vander Ark

May 15, 2024

The ETS and MTC partnership is a big advance on goals and signals. We finally have a chance to move courses and grades into the background and foreground powerful personalized learning experiences.

Students and teacher collaborating at a round table with tablets in a modern, innovation-focused learning space.

Career & Technical Ed

How to Start Investing in New Pathways

Tom Vander Ark

May 14, 2024

A small exurban district asked for tips on how to invest in New Pathways. Here are 10 ideas for how to get started.

Learning Design

The State of the American High School in 2024

Tom Vander Ark

May 13, 2024

Discover the current state of American high schools through observations from our recent school visits and tours across the country.

	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