Curriculum 21: Essential Education for a Changing World (Professional Development)

Initially, I was hesitant to purchase this text. Several reviewers called it too "idealistic", which gave me pause to consider how practical it would be in using as a guide as I begin the arduous task of composing and revising the middle school / high school English Language Arts curriculum at the rural district where I teach English to grades 7, 9, 11, and 12. After reading it on my own, however, I realized that those who called it "idealistic" did not consider the technological context in which they read it - we live in a time when everything in this text is not only possible, but a lot of it is already implemented because of the intrinsic nature of digital technologies. In addition, Hayes Jacobs gives a "growth-based" model of implementing technology, which sets up any curriculum development project in a practical direction. Anyone involved in education and anyone considering the field of education should read this text. It provides the construct in which the skills, habits, and content of schools in the 21st century need to rethink the very essence of education (in its broadest sense). With a very easy-to-follow table of contents and an eclectic arrangement of contributors, this text is certainly worth the price and time it takes to read.

Really good book. Very informative. If you are experienced in 21st Century education some of the chapters might be useless but there are others which are really enlightening. I do recommend buying this book.

In Curriculum 21 Heidi Hayes Jacobs (ed.) and ten other authors combine to provide essays on what they term an essential curriculum for a changing world. In the first four chapters Ms. Jacobs covers what is essential for the schools of the 21st century. In chapter five Stephen Wilmarth reports on five socio-technology trends that change the way school has to be taught. Vivien Stuart, in the next chapter, discusses global education. In chapter seven Tim Tyson provides an example of a school that is successfully teaching a 21st century curriculum, the Mabry Middle School in Marietta, Georgia. In the following chapter Frank Baker discusses media literacy that are needed for modern education. Digital portfolios and curriculum maps are covered in the next chapter by David Niguidula. Jamie Cloud covers the topic of educating for a sustainable future. Alan November then discusses technology. Finally, Arthur Costa and Betta Kallick summarize the whole process of rethinking the curriculum for the 21st century.This book will be particularly useful for educators, but may have value for parents and students as well, Anyone interested in how education has to change in the modern era will also benefit. I rate it at four stars instead of five because it is a compendium of assorted topics and views and thus lacks the kind of coherence a single author might have.

If you're looking for a book that makes you think this is a great one. It is a very thought provoking book on preparing students for 21 century learning. It really emphasizes a need to teach students for the future world and prepare students for jobs that may not even exist. This was used as a textbook in one of my masters courses and was one I really enjoyed reading.

I had the opportunity to see Heidi Hayes-Jacobs speak earlier this summer, so I was excited to read her book. While there was interesting content, it wasn't what I thought it would be. Several of the chapters were contributions from other authors (shame on me for not looking more closely before I purchased the book), and I didn't have much interest in some of the topics. I was also hoping for more practical classroom strategies that I could implement even with the constraints of a traditional classroom, but much of the book was about wholesale change in schools - something that simply isn't going to happen overnight. I did find the ideas intriguing and agree with much of what was written; it's just that I was expecting something different from what I got.

I have read many books about the integration of technology and teaching. This is the best of them. Although some of the chapters were less useful than others, the amount of ideas and, frankly, an inspiring way of looking at the possibilities in the classroom offered here blew me away and made me excited to lead some changes at my school.

This book add new perspectives to the meaning of 21st century learning. Excellent resources and classroom examples are provided. This book has been added to my personal library for future reference.

As a sitting Head of School, former professor and one time homeschooling parent, I found this book challenging and exciting, opening the door and expanding the physical classroom and the possibility for teachers and students. Much of what is written in these chapters has already begun and much will be discussed and help shape future educational form and functions.Thought provoking reading--I may read it, again, together with my leadership team.Susan WeintrobAddlestone Hebrew Academy

As far as a textbook goes it reads pretty well.