In a span of 24 hours I had the opportunity to speak at education conferences separated by 2,000 miles but united by a vision of 21st century teaching and learning.
In Chicago, P21 was honored to be a sponsoring partner with UNESCO and CoSN at the Symposium on Global Competencies. This one-day event brought together international experts and domestic thought leaders to discuss policy, practice and research focused on global competencies. Many of the organizations, including P21, place this suite of skills and dispositions at the core of 21st century success in college, career and life.
The next day in Los Angeles, I joined American Youth Policy Forum executive director Betsy Brand on a panel that focused on the topic of Determining Afterschool's Role in Preparing Youth to be College and Career Ready. This panel was part of the 2017 Statewide Afterschool Networks Meeting.
The panelists at the Symposium engaged the audience of 100 in a roundtable discussion that explored such topics as the role of skills education in countries obsessed with college entrance exams, the importance of second-language acquisition as a feature of cultural and global competence, the need to improve skills assessments, and the importance of increasing the quality and quantity of professional develop that equips teachers to better teach, assess and model the behaviors of a globally competent learner.
During the symposium I was pleased to learn of the Illinois Global Scholar Program, which aims to recognize, on the state transcript, students who have attained global skills and knowledge through academic coursework, cultural immersion, and a final reflection piece. This program joins other exemplary state-level global learning programs in North Carolina and Wisconsin.
Across the country in Los Angeles, more than 500 teachers, program administrators, researchers, and business leaders gathered for three days under the generous auspices of the Mott Foundation.
As you could imagine, there was a strong political undercurrent to the event as result of the proposed cuts to the 21st Century Community Learning Centers in President Trump's draft budget. As a counterargument to the cuts, Dr. Lowe Vandell of UC Irvine provided a recitation of research that demonstrates the efficacy of afterschool programs.
The afterschool world, what P21 calls Beyond School, is turning its attention to one of the hottest topics in education. The STEM Ready America website provides evidence for STEM learning outside of school, offers guidance on how to develop Partnerships for STEM learning, and promotes programs and practices that enhance equitable access to quality STEM learning.
During my panel, I snuck in the announcement that P21 will pilot our Beyond School Exemplar program this spring. Over the next three months, P21 will examine three programs and use that data to refine the process we follow to identify and select potential Beyond School exemplars. In the fall of 2017 we will proudly extend our Exemplar program to include Beyond School programs and sites, which will join our continuum of exemplars from early learning and K12.
In Chicago, the focus was on global learning. In Los Angeles, the focus was on beyond school. The timing couldn't have been better for P21.
The next day in Los Angeles, I joined American Youth Policy Forum executive director Betsy Brand on a panel that focused on the topic of Determining Afterschool's Role in Preparing Youth to be College and Career Ready. This panel was part of the 2017 Statewide Afterschool Networks Meeting.
The panelists at the Symposium engaged the audience of 100 in a roundtable discussion that explored such topics as the role of skills education in countries obsessed with college entrance exams, the importance of second-language acquisition as a feature of cultural and global competence, the need to improve skills assessments, and the importance of increasing the quality and quantity of professional develop that equips teachers to better teach, assess and model the behaviors of a globally competent learner.
During the symposium I was pleased to learn of the Illinois Global Scholar Program, which aims to recognize, on the state transcript, students who have attained global skills and knowledge through academic coursework, cultural immersion, and a final reflection piece. This program joins other exemplary state-level global learning programs in North Carolina and Wisconsin.
Across the country in Los Angeles, more than 500 teachers, program administrators, researchers, and business leaders gathered for three days under the generous auspices of the Mott Foundation.
As you could imagine, there was a strong political undercurrent to the event as result of the proposed cuts to the 21st Century Community Learning Centers in President Trump's draft budget. As a counterargument to the cuts, Dr. Lowe Vandell of UC Irvine provided a recitation of research that demonstrates the efficacy of afterschool programs.
The afterschool world, what P21 calls Beyond School, is turning its attention to one of the hottest topics in education. The STEM Ready America website provides evidence for STEM learning outside of school, offers guidance on how to develop Partnerships for STEM learning, and promotes programs and practices that enhance equitable access to quality STEM learning.
During my panel, I snuck in the announcement that P21 will pilot our Beyond School Exemplar program this spring. Over the next three months, P21 will examine three programs and use that data to refine the process we follow to identify and select potential Beyond School exemplars. In the fall of 2017 we will proudly extend our Exemplar program to include Beyond School programs and sites, which will join our continuum of exemplars from early learning and K12.
On April 24-28, P21 and its member organizations and Exemplars will participate in a national media campaign called Skills for Today. The theme on Wednesday is Beyond School; the theme on Friday is Global Learning.
You can learn more about the campaign on our website, including ways your school, district or program can participate. You can download and use the resources our coalition has developed by signing on to the Participate platform (it's free) and exploring our Global Learning collection and or our Beyond School collection. If nothing else, we ask that you show your support by using the hashtag #skillsforday.
David Ross, P21’s CEO, oversees all of P21’s programs, which span the entire 21st Century Learning Continuum, and its growing state support services. David created and managed the PBL World Conference, and co-authored the Project Based Learning Starter Kit, during his time at the Buck Institute for Education. Ross is a frequent and popular speaker and workshop facilitator at national and international conferences. Follow David on Twitter @davidPBLross
Let us know what you think- Leave a Comment!
(to be approved by administrator)
