“Although schools have invested billions of dollars in digital upgrades...little has changed inside most classrooms. Instead of innovating, most teachers use technologies ‘to sustain their existing practices’. from, William M. Ferriter, “Preparing to Teach Digitally” in Educational Leadership, May,2010

Education must change to: Remain relevant to students Adequately prepare students for life in a rapidly changing world

“An educational system isn’t worth a great deal if it teaches young people how to make a living but doesn’t teach them how to make a life”.

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” William Butler Yeats

Procedural Memory Skills and habits that have been practiced to the point where they are automatic and unconscious (and therefore do not engage the pre-frontal cortex - there is no “thinking involved”) Declarative Memory Our general knowledge and our life experiences that we can declare or recall consciously (and therefore engage the pre-frontal cortex and involve “thinking”)

“The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.” C.S. Lewis

l more engaged in the arts and tech classes than in "academic" classes l more engaged in science than math l more engaged in math than in history or the social sciences l more engaged while writing a test than watch a movie in class l more engaged in a lecture than in watching television at home

Actively Participating Levels of Engagement Transformed Challenged Actively Participating Interested On Task

“What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.” George Bernard Shaw

Four fronts for reforming education 1. Re-think learning targets 2. Put inquiry at the heart of learning 3. Re-frame teacher-student relationships 4. Assess for thinking

Critical Thinking Vocabulary Community of Thinkers Critical Challenges TC2 Model of Critical Thinking Teach and Assess the Intellectual Tools Critical Thinking Vocabulary Thinking Strategies Background Knowledge Criteria for Judgment Habits of Mind

Intellectual tools for quality thinking 1. Accurate use of relevant background knowledge 2. Use of criteria to assist in making reasoned decisions 3. Understanding and use of critical thinking vocabulary 4. Application of thinking strategies to help organize information, make connections and see patterns. 5. Demonstration of the habits of mind of good thinkers, e.g. attention to detail, open-mindedness, fair- mindedness.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world” Albert Einstein