21c | it's about learning

On the edu180atl blog this week, I read of a teacher at Mt. Vernon Presbyterian School who used Skype to connect her students with King Henry VIII (http://edu180atlbeta.posterous.com/edu180atl-amanda-stavropoulos-4211). They actually time travelled through a creative use of a community resource and a 21st century tool. I was reminded of my family venture to the Magic Kingdom this week. Two of our favorite moments occurred in shows in which wind blew through the theatre, rain showered from the ceiling, and Donald went from 3D image in my glasses to a duck tail in the rear wall of the house. Disney was masterful at creating an illusion that compelled, captivated, and educated. Yes, Disney actually pulled out of us all an internal creativity and imaginative wonder…just like the MVPS teacher. Here’s to more inspired creativity and demolition of perceived walls in our learning! Suspension of disbelief is the twin of innovation and belief. Let’s create some. It’s about learning, after all!

Posted from my iPad with WordPress app.

One tweet and one email from two trusted colleagues and educators caused me to move this article to the top of my reading stack. Oh, was it worth it.

Are you confused by the term “21st century education?” Read this article about UVa Medical School, and I bet you gain extraordinary clarity. Project-based learning, problem-based learning, integrated studies, formative assessment – it’s all here! Change the topic from medicine, and the meta-example is applicable to any field or discipline. This is where I hope we are moving in education and schools!

http://uvamagazine.org/features/article/adjusting_the_prescription/

[Added 3-5-11 @ 8:17 a.m.]
Megan Howard’s To The Lighthouse blog post, The Rx for Education?, is an excellent resource with even more article reference and discussion possibilities.

[Added 3-12-11 @ 7:32 a.m.]
Karl Fisch on “The Learning Studio” at UVa Med.