An Opportunity to Support Leaders Interested in Realizing the Promise of the 21st Century School

Innovative educators will often share that one of the best ways to discover and implement innovative practices is by learning from others who are doing this work. Hearing about and seeing promising practices from those who are engaged in them is powerful. I encourage school leaders interested in hearing from others who are on the path to Realizing the Promise of the 21st Century School to attend Teaching Matters annual school leader forum: A Roadmap for Innovation which takes place Wednesday, July 15, 2009 from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm at 475 Riverside Drive.

At the forum they’ll be asking, What is a 21st century school? For the most part technology is radically changing every sector of our society, yet schools remain largely unchanged. However, there are schools that are breaking the mold and engaging in innovative practices to engage learners and prepare them for the world in which they live. The forum will provide participants with the opportunity to hear from a panel of innovative NYC school leaders on the vanguard of rethinking urban education. They will speak about their experiences regarding what is important, the challenges and what's possible! Featured guests include:
• Alisa Berger: Principal, NYC iSchool
• Sarah Scrogin: Principal, East Bronx Academy for the Future
• Gregg Korrol: Principal, PS 101
• Julian Cohen: Director, New School Development

Teaching Matters will also provide a new and simple assessment tool for gauging where your school lies on a continuum of the 21st century school outcomes. It will help you evaluate your school's readiness and offer a roadmap of ideas for innovation in those areas you deem most critical.

This event is free to school leaders who can attend by rsvping to lmorris@teachingmatters.org or calling 2128703505. Wine and cheese will be served and all principals who attend will be eligible to enter a raffle to jump-start a 21st century classroom with: 15 FREE Flip Video Cameras or 5 FREE Netbooks.

To get an idea of what happens at these 21st century schools, check out the students at PS 5 in the Port Morris section of the Bronx and their amazing documentary about the history and impact of Nicholas Negroponte’s ground breaking XO pilot project in their school.


XO Project Documentary - Class 501 - Port Morris School
by jelbin

You can read about some innovative schools I’ve had the pleasure of visiting below.
X's & O's for the OLPC XO - A View from the Classroom
Immunization for an Uninteresting Curriculum Found at the iSchool
The Power of 21st Century Teaching and Learning Brought to Life at Bronx Middle School CIS 339’s Open House
You Can Get a Dalton Education at a NYC Public School
Bridging The Digital Divide in NYC, Science Leadership Academy – Lessons Learned