Beyond even bribing them with shiny gadgets , educators are sparking their students ’ love of learning by figuring out what they ’ re interested in .
“ The better way is to motivate each student to learn through his or her passion . Passion drives people to learn ( and perform ) far beyond their , and our expectations . And whatever is learned through the motivation of passion is rarely if ever forgotten ,” writes Marc Prensky in his book Teaching Digital Natives .
Watch for : The growing importance of the student ’ s role as content-creator and decision-maker in devising his own curriculum .
3 . Skills 2.0
Eleven years into the 21st century , the buzz words “ 21st century skills ” are being thrown around in describing what needs to be taught in schools : real-world readiness . Things like collaboration , innovation , critical thinking , and communication are thought to be just as important as U . S . history and calculus because they ’ re practical skills that can be used in the world outside the confines of school .
“ One thing is certain ,” writes Will Richardson in the comprehensive tome 21st Century Skills : Rethinking How Students Learn : although schools may continue to fundamentally look and act as they have for more than one hundred years , the way individuals learn has already been forever changed . Instead of learning from others who have the credentials to ‘ teach ’ in this new networked world , we learn with others whom we seek ( and who seek us ) on our own and with whom we often share nothing more than a passion for knowing .”
Learning to be responsible digital citizens .
The ability to leverage the collective wisdom that thrives online is an important part of building those muscles . But more than just practical skills , it ’ s crucial for students to be able to navigate the digital world around them without fear . To make sense of the deluge of information online , to learn what to trust , what to dismiss , to be able to find the gold that exists in the infinite number of Google searches . To know how and what to contribute to the online global community , and how to be responsible digital citizens .
These intangibles have found their way into the fiber of the curriculum in schools like Napa New Tech and its network of schools growing schools . And tech companies are looking for ways to provide value to the movement .