Background+Information


 * Time Magazine in their Dec. 18, 2006 cover story concluded that to be successful in the 21st Century economy students need to be able to:

 However, core subjects at most schools in this country are still emphasizing the memorization of large amounts of discrete and often isolated information.
 * 1)   collaborate and work well in teams;
 * 2)   develop global awareness and speak another language; and
 * 3)   know how to evaluate information.

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) highlights similar requirements. Skills that are now more important for the 21st century learner are:
 * 1) Life and career skills: such as adaptability; initiative; self-direction; time management and the ability to prioritize and be flexible with a project that spreads out rather than operate on a bell schedule; humility; punctuality; and the ability to take risks and learn from mistakes
 * 2) Communication and collaboration skills: skills that allow a person to work well in teams—grace and courtesy; negotiation; conflict resolution; having a global perspective
 * 3) Learning and innovation skills: critical thinking (i.e. the ability to figure out the right questions and use information creatively to solve new problems); the ability to work across discrete subject disciplines; the ability to take initiative and lead others in “flat” organizations; and the ability to work with left and right sides of brain together
 * 4) Information literacy, media literacy and Information Communication Technology (ICT) skills: ability to sift through vast amounts of information to find the relevant pieces quickly; ability to communicate information in a way that captures interest of others; ability to apply information; ability to interact in a multimedia, graphics-based environment

And where has No Child Left Behind left us? Of every 100 US 9th graders, only 18 will graduate college on time. The US is ranked 16th worldwide in high school graduation rates! Nintendo invests more in R&D than the US Government invests in research into promising ideas in education!

 Don Tapscott, in his book "Grown Up Digital," wrote that the Net Generation (those who are now between 11 and 30 years old) has 8 characteristics: They want freedom in everything they do; they love to customize and personalize; they are the new scrutinizers; they look for corporate integrity and openness when deciding what to buy and where to work; they want entertainment and play in their work, education, and social life; they are the collaboration and relationship generation; they have a need for speed; and they are innovators.  ||