1. +
A Summary of Curriculum
21: Essential Education for
a Changing World
By Amanda Ellis
Georgia Southern University
Summer 2012

2. +
Where did our education system
come from and where is it going?
The main idea of chapters 1-4 in Curriculum 21: Essential
Education for a Changing World, is that we need to
upgrade our curriculum to prepare students for our vast
changing world. We are teaching using a curriculum
template that was created before the first the first
computer. Jacobs (2010) suggests, “to meet this
challenge, we need to become strategic learners
ourselves by deliberately expanding our perspectives and
updating our approaches” (Loc 116 of 3890). She
includes the idea of letting go of some content to make
room for other more relevant content, an idea that would
create much debate.

3. + In chapter 1, Jacobs describes the current
school design as something that reflects the
factory model of organization and was result of
the industry expansion in the late 1800’s and
early 1900’s (as cited in Feldman, 1999).
2013 and
2012 beyond
Still using the How will we
same standard change our
1897 to organize practice to
Educational curriculum prepare 21st
Standardization century
learners?

4. +
The Four Key Program Structures
In chapter 1 of Curriculum 21: Essential Heidi Jacobs explains that there
are four key program structures that influences the curriculum in the
school. Jacobs explains that it will take a shift in the structures not just
the curriculum to effectively install a 21st century curriculum.
 The Schedule  How Learners are
Grouped
Short and long term
 Personal  How We Use Space
Configurations
Physical and Virtual

5. +
What is the starting point to
upgrading our curriculum?
In chapter 2 of Curriculum 21: Essential Education for a
Changing World, Jacobs provides a straight forward answer to
a teacher at a workshop she is facilitating. She believes the
place to start upgrading curriculum is with assessments.
Heidi Jacob’s Model for Upgrading the Curriculum
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5
• Develop a pool • Teachers and • Replace a • Share the • Insert ongoing
of assessment IT, identify the dated assessment session for skill
replacements. existing types assessment upgrades and
of software, with a modern formally with assessment
hardware, one. colleagues and upgrades into
Internet based students. the school
capabilities. calendar.

6. +
How do we upgrade our content?
Jacobs describes updating content as an area that
must be debated. This must be done by a thoughtful
review committee and should regularly review the
content. Jacobs also provides readers with a
Curriculum Mapping Review Model that addresses
specific tenets for upgrading curriculum. She
furthers the discussion of curriculum mapping review
by specific examples in each subject area. These
suggestions clearly showed the importance of higher
order thinking in the 21st century.

7. +
Socio-Technology Trends
Social trends in education are changing undoubtedly. The
author of chapter 5 Five Socio-Technology Trends That Change
Everything in Learning and Teaching, Stephen Wilmarth
explains the importance of the influence of technology on social
trends. In this chapter he brings to light the reality of, “social
networks being an essential part of the experience of everyone
under the age of 20”(Loc 1329 of 3890). He also poses the
following question that will encourage the educator to think
critically about what social media may do for their classroom.
“Do social media applications shift power and responsibility for
learning from institutions to individual learners?”

8. + In chapter 6, the author Vivien Smart
explains that, “education in the United
States must prepare students for a world
where the opportunities for success require
the ability to compete and cooperate on a
global scale” (Loc 1506 of 3890). She
Walls are no explains that there are gaps in our global
education that has not been there before.
longer the
There are 6 Global Trends that a 21st century
boundary of the student should be knowledgeable.
classroom. 1. Economic
2. Science and Technology
3. Demographic
4. Security and Citizenship
5. Education

9. + Making Learning Irresistible: Extending
the Journey of Mabry Middle School by
Tim Tyson
The author begins chapter 7 with an inspirational story about a student
who wanted to learn how to put podcast online. This brought to his
attention that there were no classes that this skill is being taught.
Tyson then explains the difference between the music class at his
school, which is filled with highly motivated students, and a typical
academic class that is not performance-based.
The author of this chapter, Tim Tyson stresses the importance of
learning being an active process rather than a passive process. Tyson
believes that the evolving role of the teacher, “is to keep students
focused on the point of the movie (they are creating), to keep them
centered in meaningful curriculum content and message, to guide and
facilitate the creation process” (Loc 1945 of 3890). Tyson gives
several examples of how digital technology can be integrated into
lessons in order to make learning exciting and an active process.

10. + It Takes Some Getting Used To: Rethinking
Curriculum for the 21st Century Written by Arthur
L. Costa and BenaKallick
Most educators can say they have had the experience of
working with those who are reluctant to change. The
mere thought of change will throw them into a tizzy and
you may even hear, “that’s not the way we used to do it”.
Costa and Kallick (2010) express that, “changing our
mental models about what we teach, how we teach it,
and how we assess students’ learning growth with take
some getting used to.” (Loc 3171 of 3890). Costa and
Kallic developed The 16 Habits of Mind, which is more
like a guide to thoughtful learning.

11. +
The 16 Habits of Mind
by Arthur L. Costa and BenaKallick
1. Persisting
2. Managing impulsivity
3. Listening with understanding
4. Thinking flexibly
5. Thinking about your thinking (metacognition)
6. Striving for accuracy and precision
7. Questioning and problem posing
8. Applying past knowledge to novel situations
9. Thinking and communicating with clarity and precision
10. Gathering data through all senses
11. Creating, imagining, and innovating
12. Responding with wonderment and awe
13. Taking responsible risks
14. Finding humor
15. Thinking interdependently
16. Remaining open to continuous learning

12. +
Conclusion
The future of education is changing and we need to demand an
education system that will get them ready to be successful
leaders in a global world. Jacobs (2010) believes that
assessment is the place to start when we are beginning to
upgrade our curriculum; however, it must be an ongoing
commitment. In Curriculum 21: Essential Education for a
Changing World, the authors give ideas that would transform a
classroom into a 21st century classroom by integrating
technology and using strategies that require real world thinking
and problem solving. The ideas that the authors suggest would
give students a high interest education and help increase the
likelihood to finish school and continue their education.
Educators must be willing to push for upgrading the curriculum
if we wish to upgrade our results.

13. +
References
Costa, A., &Kallick, B. (2009). Learning and leading with habits
of mind: Sixteen dispositions of success. Alexandria, VA:
ASCD
Feldman, D. (1999, Fall). National policy, local interpretation: The
American rural curriculum, 1897-1921. Rural Educator, 21(1),8-
14.
Jacobs, H. H., & Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development. (2010).Curriculum 21: Essential education for a
changing world. Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision
and Curriculum Development.