While the CCSS are an American project, devising standards and benchmarks for American schools, we discovered first hand  in our travels to other countries recently that most, if not all, countries have versions of the CCSS - or they are working toward it.



There has been enormous controversy surrounding the CCSS in the United States.  I'd like to share with you our views of what education is in the 21st century, and offer 12 Cures for the Common Core State Standards.

For those of you interested in star gazing and meteorites, one of the most active meteor showers of the year has arrived.

Called the Orionids Meteor shower, it started October 2, with it's peak on October 21. 
At peak, the average velocity of the meteors is 66 km/s,  which makes for fast, bright meteors.  During the peak, you can expect an average of about 25 meteors per hour with an average magnitude of 2.5.

This event is well worth watching for those of us interested.

This information was provided by the Android phone App "Meteor Shower".

If you watch this shower, we encourage teachers and students to post a comment

Eucation is one of the institutions the human race has created to serve certain needs.  The curriulum of the cave dweller was quite different from increasingly formal types of schooling invented over time.  Techniques for coping with the woolly mammoth may well have been of paramount concern to prehistoric man.  But the woolly mammoth has disappeared, and no educator would dream of arguing that techniques for coping with the woolly mammoth should be part of the curriculum of schools in the 21st century.  However, the woolly mammoth syndrome still persists.  Schools "woolly mammoth" children when they offer a curriculum that does the following:  (Continue here) 

It was a warm, humid Wednesday morning.  I had lots of work to do, but I was "brain-locked".  Usually, I just switch tasks for a few minutes - but not today.  It's an adventure into a part of Austin known as SoCo (which stands for a community on South Congress Avenue).

For a long time I've wanted to try that cute little cupcake stand with the giant cupcake on top of it, and today's the day.  Off we go to Hey, Cupcake!

Read more below to see the creative menu at Hey, Cupcake!  Also see a great video created by some friends of Wes Hurt about The Story of Hey, Cupcake!  Continue to learn about other Austin SoCo businesses that can serve as models for your students in developing entrepreneurship and innovation!  

Here I am enjoying my first cupcake at Hey, Cupcake!  (And I do not believe it will be my last!)

This was an incredible demonstration of Innovation and Entrepreneurship!  The creator of Hey, Cupcake! is Wes Hurt.  He now has five locations in Austin.  


Here is a good article/interview with Wes Hurt and how he teamed up with a childhood friend to start Hey, Cupcake!   

Below is a film some of Wes' friends made about Hey, Cupcake!

This post will be followed up with an analysis of how the Cupcake Project would be great for developing 21st century skills, especially Innovation and Entrepreneurship, how to develop all the core 21st century skills on our Compass Rose, and how to far exceed the content standards.

Play, Passion and Purpose are the key elements for developing creativity identified by Tony Wagner in his new book, Creating Innovators - the making of young people who will change the world.  You can see how these elements are present in Wes' business, Hey, Cupcake.  And you can imagine how easily these would be fully integrated into a curriculum unit or project for students.
 
Come to our Summer Institute in July where we will be analyzing and creating other possibilities for Innovation and Entrepreneurship!  

As many of you who subscribe to our newsletter know, we just sent out an announcement for the annual Summer Institute in July.  

As usual it will be in San Antonio, and attendees will experience not only fabulous workshops, but plenty of opportunity for enjoying the Alamo, the beautiful River Walk and many other things to see and do!

Next week we will be sending out our regular newsletter which will once again be stuffed full of ideas for your classroom.  We will have some of those ideas on this blog as well!

I hope that you come to the Summer Institute.  The topics could not be more relevant to teaching and learning in the new millennium:

You will find that Media Literacy is not only absolutely required, but it's a lot of fun;  the students will be highly motivated and learn more when you incorporate it into your lessons in the classroom.

And of course Greening the Classroom - I can say the same thing - it is equally necessary, fun and motivational.

Designing the 21st Century Classroom is where you will learn and utilize all the nuts and bolts of a truly 21st century curriculum, and create a framework to use when you return to your school.  If you have attended Media Literacy and Greening the Classroom, your experience, and the product/framework you create will be that much the richer.

Our travels this past year to many countries served as a real wake-up call to us regarding the desperate need for schools to develop Innovation and Entrepreneurship in their students.

The final workshop, Web 2.0 Tools for the Classroom, will introduce you to so many incredible tools and great strategies for everything from motivating students to creating significant, real-life global classroom projects - and so much more.

So you see, if you are able to attend the entire Institute you will experience an intensive, holistic round of professional development that 1.) is not offered elsewhere, and 2.) will provide you with enormous preparation and enthusiasm for the new school year.

Please help us spread the word about 21st Century Schools!  I hope to meet you in San Antonio.  Yes, it's hot here!  But after an incredible day (in air conditioning) you will be free to explore, relax and have dinner on the Riverwalk, perhaps enjoy one of the famous Margaritas, and take a ride on a river taxi, enjoying the sights as well as the cool breeze from the water.

Please see our latest newsletter here.  

You will find ideas and resources for several relevant and rigorous thematic units.  They are flexible enough to be adapted for any age group, and can be integrated into one or two courses, or (the best method) be implemented by an interdisciplinary team of teachers. 


The next newsletter will be out later this week.  Please share with your friends and colleagues.  They may subscribe here.

Where?  San Antonio on the beautiful River Walk!


When:  choose one or more -

July 9 & 10 - Media Literacy

July 11 - Greening the Classroom & the Curriculum

July 12 & 13 - Designing the 21st Century Classroom

July 16-18  Innovation & Entrepreneurship for Education

July 19 & 20 - Web 2.0 Tools -integrating into the curriculum.

For complete information see Summer Institute

Register Here