From Students to Learners:
New Learning Environments
for 21st Century Learners
Bob Pearlman
bobpearlman@mindspring.com
http://www.bobpearlman.org
Building Learning Communities Conference
Boston, MA
July 14, 2010
PowerPoint Slides at http://www.bobpearlman.org/blc2010.htm
Assessment of 21st Century Skills
Partnership for 21st Century Skills
http://www.21stcenturyskills.org
21ST CENTURY SKILLS DEFINED
LEARNING & INNOVATION
• Creativity & Innovation
• Critical Thinking & Problemsolving
• Communication & Collaboration
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LIFE & CAREER
Flexibility & Adaptability
Initiative & Self-direction
Social & Cross-cultural Skills
Productivity & Accountability
Leadership & Responsibility
INFORMATION & TECHNOLOGY
• Information Literacy
• Media Literacy
• ICT Literacy
Partnership for 21st Century Skills
http://www.21stcenturyskills.org
The three “R”s and the four “C”s
WE MUST FUSE THE THREE “R”s
WITH THE FOUR “C”s.
The four “C”s
• Critical thinking and problem solving
• Communication
• Collaboration
• Creativity and innovation
As the three “R”s serve as an umbrella for other
subjects, the four “C”s do for other skills.
New Technology HS
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Sacramento 10 Learning Outcomes:
1. Content Proficient
2. Able to Write Proficiently
3. Orally Proficient
4. Able to Think Critically
Napa 8 Learning Outcomes
• Technology Literacy
5. Technologically Proficient
• Collaboration
6. Able to Collaborate
• Critical Thinking
7. Prepared for a Career
• Oral Communication
8. Solid Citizens with Ethical Behavior
• Written Communication
9. Able to Analyze and deal with Data
• Career Preparation
10. Possessing a solid Work Ethic
• Citizenship and Ethics
• Curricular Literacy (Content
Standards)
What learning curricula,
activities, and experiences,
foster 21st Century
learning? And what does
schooling look like?
Manor New Technology High School, Manor, TX
Watch Video and List Key
Elements of this Teaching and
Learning Practice:
1. __________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________
4. __________________________________________________
World GeoLit Integrated class at
Manor New Technology High School,
Manor, TX. Photo by Les Simpson.
5. __________________________________________________
6. __________________________________________________
7. __________________________________________________
"What is Manor New Tech?" video -- In their own words, Manor New Tech (Manor,
TX) students explain what MNTHS is to them. This video features footage of what is
happening on campus every day. Presented by students at the Texas Computer
Educators Conference, February 4, 2008.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-klc2KijMG8
Manor New Technology High School, Manor, TX
Watch Video and List Key
Elements of this Teaching and
Learning Practice:
1. __________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________
4. __________________________________________________
World GeoLit Integrated class at
Manor New Technology High School,
Manor, TX. Photo by Les Simpson.
5. __________________________________________________
6. __________________________________________________
7. __________________________________________________
At the core is a student centered,
project and problem based
teaching strategy that is tied to
both content standards and school
wide learning outcomes.
Project- and Problem-Based Learning
Keys to 21st Century Learning
NTHS teachers start each unit by throwing students into a realistic or real-world
project that both engages interest and generates a list of things the student need
to know. Projects are designed to tackle complex problems, requiring critical
thinking. New Tech’s strategy is simple:
• To learn collaboration, work in teams.
• To learn critical thinking, take on complex problems.
• To learn oral communication, present.
• To learn written communication, write.
• To learn technology, use technology.
• To develop citizenship, take on civic and global issues.
• To learn about careers, do internships.
• To learn content, research and do all of the above.
Each unit begins when students are presented
with a complex, standards-based problem
Students form a team, develop a
work contract and build a work plan
Students get to work!
Students are provided an online briefcase specific
to the project with information, resources, links
and assessment criteria that help guide them.
Students Need To Know
Student questions and “need to knows” drive classroom
lectures and activities. Sometimes for the whole class …
sometime for just one student
Students experiment and apply learning
Students test their ideas and experiment to find
solutions and breakthroughs while receiving
ongoing feedback from instructors.
Students get back to work!
Students work and collaborate in a business-like
environment, where they know their deliverables
and have the technology tools to do their jobs.
Students prepare to present
Students work on building presentations to represent their work and defend their solutions
Students present their solutions!
Students present ideas through debates, skits, panels,
presentations, etc… where their work is evaluated by peers,
teachers, parents, and community
The New Language of
School Design
"Classrooms are out!
No more classrooms!
Don’t build them!"
-- Roger Schank, Institute for Learning
Sciences
Columbus Signature Academy, Columbus, IN
Figure 2: Learning Studio for integrated interdisciplinary class at Columbus
Signature Academy, Columbus, IN. Figure 2: Learning Studio for integrated
interdisciplinary class at Columbus Signature Academy
Primary Student
Work Area
Presentation Space
Large Group Space
Extended Learning
Spaces
Specialty Labs
Furniture
Columbus Signature
Academy
Learning Studio
Presentation Room
Multi-Purpose Room
Breakout Area
Project Conference
Room
Graphic Media Lab,
Science
Rolling Tables and
Chairs; Flip-up tables
New Tech High @ Coppell, Coppell, TX
Figure 4. Student project teams at work in double-sized classroom at New
Tech High @ Coppell, Coppell, TX. Photo by Kate Jenkins.
Figure 6. Student collaborative project teams working in the digital media library
and in the corridor, some of the many extended learning spaces at New Tech
High @ Coppell, Coppell, TX. Photos by SHW Group, Plano, TX.
Primary Student Work
Area
Presentation Space
Large Group Space
Extended Learning
Spaces
Specialty Labs
Furniture
New Tech High @
Coppell
Dual subject matter Learning
Environment
Large Multi-Group
Collaboration Zones
Large Multi-Group
Collaboration Zones
Corridor Alcoves
Project Planning Rooms
Media Library
Outdoor Benches
Science
Mix and match tables; office chairs;
lounge chairs and sofas in Extended
Learning Spaces
The Met, Providence, RI
Figure 7: Students in advisory room at the Met, Providence, RI.
At the Met, the curriculum is
Learning Through
Interests/Internships (LTIs).
To the Met, LTI sites are part
of their facilities. And the
school site is designed to
support students working on
their LTIs.
Figure 8: Floorplan of Met East, Providence, RI, showing advisory
rooms, project labs, and commons area.
The Met
Primary Student
Work Area
Advisory/
Project Room
Presentation Space
Large Group Space
Extended Learning
Spaces
Commons
Commons
Conference Rooms,
Meeting Rooms,
Commons
Fabrication
Soft, cushioned seats,
contour chairs, flexible
tables
Specialty Labs
Furniture
High Tech High, San Diego, CA.
Figure 9: Cluster area studio surrounded by four flexible classrooms at
High Tech High, San Diego, CA.
High Tech High
Primary Student Work Clustered classroom/ common
Area
studio
Presentation Space
Commons
Large Group Space
Extended Learning
Spaces
Commons
Small and large conference
rooms, Common studios,
Commons
Specialty Labs
BioTech, Engineering, Art,
Music, Multimedia, Digital Arts
Benches in Extended Learning
Spaces
Furniture
New Line Learning Academy, Maidstone, Kent, England
Figure 10: Learning Plaza prototype at New Line Learning Academy,
Maidstone, Kent, England, shows Learning Plaza divided in multiple ways for
large group, small group, and individual learning.
Figure 11: Ground Floor, Learning Plaza prototype at New Line Learning
Academy, Maidstone, Kent, England.
Figure 12: Mezzanine,Learning Plaza prototype at New Line Learning
Academy, Maidstone, Kent, England.
New Line Learning
Academy
Primary Student Work Learning Plaza
Area
Presentation Space
Learning Plaza
Large Group Space
Learning Plaza
Extended Learning
Learning Plaza watering
Spaces
holes and caves
Specialty Labs
Art, Technology,
Science
Furniture
Modular tables and
mobile lecture style
amphitheater seating
Columbus
Signature
Academy
New Tech
High @
Coppell
The Met
High Tech
High
New Line
Learning
Academy
Primary
Student
Work Area
Learning
Studio
Dual subject
matter
Learning
Environment
Advisory/
Project
Room
Clustered
classroom/
common
studio
Learning
Plaza
Presentation
Space
Presentation
Room
Large MultiGroup
Collaboration
Zones
Commons
Commons
Learning
Plaza
Large
Group
Space
MultiPurpose
Room
Large MultiGroup
Collaboration
Zones
Commons
Commons
Learning
Plaza
Extended
Learning
Spaces
Breakout
Area
Project
Conference
Room
Corridor
Alcoves
Project
Planning
Rooms
Media Library
Outdoor
Benches
Conference
Rooms,
Meeting
Rooms,
Commons
Small and
large
conference
rooms,
Common
studios,
Commons
Learning
Plaza
watering holes
and caves
Specialty
Labs
Graphic
Media Lab,
Science
Science
Fabrication
BioTech,
Engineering,
Art, Music,
Multimedia,
Digital Arts
Art,
Technology,
Science
Furniture
Rolling
Tables and
Chairs; Flipup tables
Mix and match
tables; office
chairs;
lounge chairs
and sofas in
Extended
Learning
Spaces
Soft,
cushioned
seats,
contour
chairs,
flexible
tables
Benches in
Extended
Learning
Spaces
Modular
tables and
mobile lecture
style
amphitheater
seating
Some Cautionary Tales:
It’s about a lot more than design and technology
• UK Open Learning Environments – 1970s
• Massachusetts –New High Schools, mid1990s
• NW England– new Learning Centres
Are the teachers ready to teach in the new
learning environments?
Putting it all together
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Learning spaces and environment
Technology
PBL
Assessment for Learning
Contact Information
Bob Pearlman
21st Century School and District Consultant
bobpearlman@mindspring.com
www.bobpearlman.org
520-881-9965
PowerPoint Slides at www.bobpearlman.org/blc2010.htm