Crucial+Readings

We call these CRUCIAL readings because we believe that not only is the world changing, flattening and globalizing, but it is doing so in a way that demands certain responses. These readings share our understandings and provide food for thought.

First, [|Framing the Future of Literacy] (and I would argue that these may actually be seen as "Framing the Future of **Education,** NOT literacy" In this article, three visionary educators describe their views of our global participatory culture: Alan November speaks to the **connectedness** of our world and specific skills we need to survive--and thrive--in it. Kathleen Tyner illustrates ways "to harness the expertise of youth media makers and bring it into 21st century learning initiatives" through open access to the three tools of literacy- **tools, texts and training** . Henry Jenkins expresses the need to go // beyond // the participatory media culture skills of //play, performance, expression// and //collaboration// to add **judgement**, empowering students to //not only recognize, but fully consider// ethics and responsibility as we create and shape our world and our beliefs-"how we will live, work and vote in the future."

Secondly,[|Universal Intellectual Standards] Following upon the need to help students develop a sense of honor, ethics and judgement mentioned in the first article is what can be found in this second reading: universal intellectual standards to which we hold everyone: "To help students learn them, teachers should pose questions which probe student thinking; questions which hold students accountable for their thinking; questions which, through consistent use by the teacher in the classroom, become internalized by students as questions they need to ask themselves. The ultimate goal, then, is for these questions to become infused in the thinking of students, forming part of their inner voice, which then guides them to better and better reasoning."

Thirdly, the [|Art Of Effective Questioning] Asking the //RIGHT// question to support thinking is crucial, as our students need to be self-directed learners more now than ever before.

**Michael, I don't think this is the right questioning article--I've seen an AMAZING one in the last week or so, but can't find it right now. Basically, though, isn't this the crux of our presentation? Connectedness, judgement, higher level thinking, great teaching for great learning?**

A link to make you think: Shaping the Future of Teachers and Students: http://www.mobilelearninginstitute.org/21stcenturyeducation/index.html