Timeless Learning: How Imagination, Observation, and Zero-Based Thinking Change Schools - Hardcover

Ira David Socol; Moran, Pam; Ratliff, Chad

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1119461693 ISBN 13: 9781119461692

Publisher: Jossey-Bass, 2018

Synopsis

Reinvent public schools with proven, innovative practices

Our homes, communities, and the world itself need the natural assets our children bring with them as learners, and which they often lose over time on the assembly line that pervades most of the public education system today. We see no actions as more important in school than developing, supporting, and reinforcing children's sense of agency, the value of their voices, and their potential to influence their own communities.

In Timeless Learning, an award-winning team of leaders, Chief Technology Officer Ira Socol, Superintendent Pam Moran, and Lab Schools Principal Chad Ratliff demonstrate how you can implement innovative practices that have shown remarkable success. The authors use progressive design principles to inform pathways to disrupt traditions of education today and show you how to make innovations real that will have a timeless and meaningful impact on students, keeping alive the natural curiosity and passion for learning with which children enter school.

• Discover the power of project-based and student-designed learning
• Find out what “maker learning” entails
• Launch connected and interactive digital learning
• Benefit from the authors’ “opening up learning” space and time

Using examples from their own successful district as well as others around the country, the authors create a deep map of the processes necessary to move from schools in which content-driven, adult-determined teaching has been the traditional norm to new learning spaces and communities in which context-driven, child-determined learning is the progressive norm.

About this title

From the Back Cover

A PROVEN PROCESS FOR REINVENTING PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH INNOVATIVE PRACTICES

"Though this book will cover many topics, the primary lesson design we've created is one that we hope will continue to push us and our readers to become much better at seeing children. Once we are able to see clearly what is happening with children in our schools and outside of our schools, we will then be on the path to learn how to take rapid, yet deeply considered actions to change the educational system we have inherited." —From the Introduction

Schools of the 20th century with their assembly line approach to education were designed to fail students. The current need is apparent. Schools of the 21st century must be designed so that all succeed. Written by Chief Technology and Innovation Officer Ira Socol, Superintendent Pam Moran, and Lab Schools Principal Chad Ratliff, Timeless Learning outlines a winning process that is designed to develop, support, and reinforce students' ability, and honor their voices and their potential to influence their own communities.

This award-winning author team shows how it is possible to reinvent public schools through implementation of dozens of innovative and proven practices. The processes go a long way to disrupt the outmoded traditions of today's educational system. The authors further reveal the power of project-based and student-designed learning, maker learning, connected and interactive digital learning, and much more.

The processes and practices presented can help teachers and administrators take the big ideas from the best of those who have studied education across the millennia and put big ideas into practice in their own districts.

"A must-read book by three of America's leading public school educators. Socol, Moran, and Ratliff paint a picture of what learning must and can look like in the 21st century, and how to transform outdated schools into places of powerful student-centered engagement and learning. An inspiring, rich narrative from the front lines of K-12 education. Bottom line: if they can do it, so can you!"
—Grant Lichtman, Author of #EdJourney: A Roadmap to the Future of eLearning and Moving the Rock: Seven Levers WE Can Press to Transform Education

"To prepare students for a bold new world we need to fundamentally rethink learning. The authors not only provide a compelling case for needed changes to the function of schools, but they all have played an integral part in implementing transformative practices at the classroom, building, and district level. If you are interested in how to put theory into practice then this book is for you."
—Eric Sheninger, Google Certified Innovator, Adobe Education Leader and Thomas C. Murray Director of Innovation, Future Ready Schools

"The single most important challenge our country faces is how to transform existing schools to prepare children for their futures. This remarkable team has done exactly that, advancing learning outcomes for kids in every school in a district that reflects the full spectrum of socio-economic circumstances. Read this book and treasure it for the insights and pragmatic advice it provides!"
—Ted Dintersmith, Executive Producer of Most Likely to Succeed

From the Inside Flap

Children are enthusiastic, natural learners. They yearn to actively participate in learning experiences fueled by their questions, curiosities, and interests in and out of school. However, the cookie-cutter assembly line that pervades much of the public education system drains the passion for learning from our students. As the authors of Timeless Learning explain, there are no actions more important in school than developing, supporting, and reinforcing children's sense of agency, the value of their voices, and their potential to influence their own communities.

Timeless Learning's award-winning team of leaders (Chief Technology and Innovation Officer Ira Socol, Superintendent Pam Moran, and Lab Schools Principal Chad Ratliff) clearly shows how to put in place the innovative practices that have proven to be remarkably successful. The authors present the processes needed to move from schools in which content-driven, adult-determined teaching was the old norm to new learning spaces and communities in which context-driven, child-determined learning is the new standard.

The book is filled with illustrations from the authors' own successful school district and others from around the country. For example, Timeless Learning reveals the transformative power of a diverse leadership team to successfully introduce processes such as project-based and student-centered learning, computing, a maker curriculum, and opening up learning space and time in her large, diverse public school district.

Timeless Learning offers a guide for becoming an exemplary leader who educates young people for life, not school. Or a teacher who is interested in helping children take joy in learning with them as they navigate through life rather than ensuring students pass other people's standardized tests.

Edition details

• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1119461693
• ISBN 13: 9781119461692
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320