Enriched Learning Projects : A Practical Pathway to 21st Century Skills

Translate standards-based content into enriched learning projects that build 21st century skills. A valuable tool for teachers, this book uses an enriched learning projects model to develop student skills in communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and global and cross-cultural awareness. It highlights e-tools that enhance projects and presents research-based instructional strategies that engage students.

Benefits:

• Gain strategies that maximize student chances for higher achievement while meeting standards.
• Enrich your instruction with electronic tools that facilitate collaboration, communication, critical and creative thinking, and problem solving.
• Get a template and examples for designing and assessing enriched learning experiences.

Contents:
Chapter 1: A New Paradigm for Instruction
Chapter 2: Planning Your Enriched Learning Project
Chapter 3: Technology Tools for Enriched Learning Projects
Chapter 4: Which Instructional Strategies Count Most?
Chapter 5: Nurturing Quality Thinking
Chapter 6: Making Critical Thinking Matter
Chapter 7: Creating a Collaborative Classroom Culture
Chapter 8: Assessing Enriched Projects
Chapter 9: An Enriched Project Sampler
Appendix: The Research on Project-Based Learning

James A. Bellanca is nationally recognized as a practical 21st century skills and deeper learning innovator who provides educators with the how-to knowledge to make project- and problem-based learning ready to go on the next school day. He is a senior fellow with the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and editor of their innovative online P21Blogazine. He is the 2013 recipient of the Malcolm Knowles Award for lifetime contribution to the field of self-directed learning from the International Society for Self-Directed Learning.

With his extensive experience as a classroom English and language arts teacher, alternative school director, professional developer, intermediate service center director, business owner, and not-for-profit executive, Jim has developed expertise for transforming mandates, such as the Common Core State Standards, into practical classroom tools that enrich instruction and engage students.

He is executive director of the Illinois Consortium for 21st Century Schools and lead trainer for Mind Quest: Project-Based Learning in the 21st Century Classroom, which helps schools with large English learner populations and children of color/poverty adopt the Project-Based Learning model of instruction.

Jim has worked with educational leaders in Chicago, Los Angeles, Cleveland, New York, Illinois, West Virginia, New Jersey, Michigan, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and Israel. His specialty is the application of group investigation and inquiry models of learning as the primary methods for assisting school leaders and teachers adopt 21st century models of instruction. His aim is to assist school districts to design, implement, and assess programs that promote 21st century skills to increase academic performance among all children, including high-risk student populations.