Curriculum 21: Essential Education for a Changing World
Edited by Heidi Hayes Jacobs

Author and educator Heidi Hayes Jacobs considers this… a student leaves his or her house ahead in the 21st century, marches through the 21st century neighborhood surrounded by other girls and boys, and wanders right into the 19th century… the school. While the demands we place on students are certainly more sophisticated than they were 100 years ago, the means for supporting them are remarkably lacking. Jacobs and her team of 9 collaborating authors launch a powerful and persuasive case for upending, amending and upgrading our schools’ curricula.

Jacobs and other leaders in education cover a host of topics – ranging from content and assessment, programming, creative age models as opposed to hierarchical models, international studies and standards, technology, media literacy and social networking, globalization, sustainability and the building designs we rely on to support all of these items. Curriculum 21 is the ideal guide for transforming our schools into modern day, real-time learning organizations that support the lives we lead today, and will continue to lead for the rest of the century, as drastically different as that may be. Jacobs also provides a glowing review of DesignShare, “one of the most exciting sources for ideas on improving the quality of life and space for learners. With a truly global reach, architects, educators, planners, and designers visit the site for inspiration regarding their work for all levels of education, nursery through university.” Schools aren’t just about physical space anymore; they exist more and more in virtual space as well.

To borrow the inspiring words of contributing author Vivien Stewart, we must hope that “students’ education is not bound by the four walls of a school but can be as wide as the world.”