Synopses & Reviews
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR FUTURE WISE“Rarely does a book come along that can change the way we view the world. This is a must-read book, not just for educators, but for anyone who cares about education or, indeed, lifelong learning. David Perkins does not tell the reader what should be learned in schools – he takes the reader on a journey to clarify his or her own goals and priorities for ‘lifeworthy learning,’ a truly enlightening journey.”
—Charles M. Reigeluth, professor emeritus, School of Education, Indiana University
“We are working so hard in this country on the details of school improvement that we don’t always stop to consider the big picture – if we are actually working on the right things. David Perkins has long helped us address the essential question of how do we know what students understand. In this important book he gives us a fresh vision of curriculum: how do we know what is worth teaching and learning?”
—Ron Berger, chief academic officer, Expeditionary Learning
“In Future Wise, David Perkins, the author of Smart Schools and Outsmarting IQ, continues his tradition of insightful, visionary and original analyses of the present and the future for education. Educators, policymakers, researchers—you cannot afford to miss this book.”
—Gavriel Salomon, professor emeritus, University of Haifa, Israel
“I have worked with David Perkins for close to half a century and whenever I am in his company, I still learn from him. In this seminal book, David powerfully and gracefully shares with the world of educators his incomparably deep thinking about teaching and learning.”
—Howard Gardner, Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education
“David Perkins, preeminent authority on learning and teaching, offers profound insights into the purpose and content of twenty-first century schooling. For educators in the Information Age, this is an essential, enthralling read; a book for global excogitation.”
—Rod Rock, superintendent, Clarkston Community Schools, Michigan
Synopsis
The author contends that there's no one answer to the question of what's worth learning in schools. Instead the mission of the book is to explore better ways to think about the question. It offers a toolkit – key concepts, criteria, and ways of prioritizing-- that will help us all arrive at better answers to what's worth learning in our classes, our schools, our school systems, and our nations.
Chapters include:
1 Learning for Tomorrow – Where Knowledge Goes in Learners’ Lives
2 Learning Agendas – The Mixed Blessings of Achievement, Information, and Expertise
3 Big Understandings – Learning that Matters in Learners’ Lives
4 Big Questions – Learning Beyond what’s Settled and Known
5 Lifeready Learning – Making What's Worth Learning Ready for Life
6 The Seven Seas of Knowledge – Lifeworthy Learning from the Disciplines
7 Ways of Knowing – Powerful Patterns of Thought from the Disciplines and Beyond
8 Buckets of Knowledge – Organizing Content across the Years of Education
9 Big Knowhow – 21st Century Skills and Beyond
10 Knowledge on the Way to Wisdom
At the end of each chapter, the author presents 4 quests for reimagining education. (1) identifying lifeworthy learning in contrast with not-so-lifeworthy learning; (2) choosing what lifeworthy learning to teach from the many possibilities; (3) teaching for lifeworthy learning in ways that make the most of it; and (4) constructing a lifeworthy curriculum.
Synopsis
How to teach big understandings and the ideas that matter mostEveryone has an opinion about education, and teachers face pressures from Common Core content standards, high-stakes testing, and countless other directions. But how do we know what today's learners will really need to know in the future? Future Wise: Educating Our Children for a Changing World is a toolkit for approaching that question with new insight. There is no one answer to the question of what's worth teaching, but with the tools in this book, you'll be one step closer to constructing a curriculum that prepares students for whatever situations they might face in the future.
K-12 teachers and administrators play a crucial role in building a thriving society. David Perkins, founding member and co-director of Project Zero at Harvard's Graduate School of Education, argues that curriculum is one of the most important elements of making students ready for the world of tomorrow. In Future Wise, you'll learn concepts, curriculum criteria, and techniques for prioritizing content so you can guide students toward the big understandings that matter.
- Understand how learners use knowledge in life after graduation
- Learn strategies for teaching critical thinking and addressing big questions
- Identify top priorities when it comes to disciplines and content areas
- Gain curriculum design skills that make the most of learning across the years of education
Future Wise presents a brand new framework for thinking about education. Curriculum can be one of the hardest things for teachers and administrators to change, but David Perkins shows that only by reimagining what we teach can we lead students down the road to functional knowledge. Future Wise is the practical guidebook you need to embark on this important quest.
Synopsis
“Why do we need to know this?”This standard student question can be annoying, but it is a version of one of the most important questions in education: What’s worth learning in school?
“When that ballistic missile comes from the back of the room, it’s a good reminder that the question doesn’t just belong to state school boards, authors of textbooks, writers of curriculum standards, and other elite. It’s on the minds of our students. This entire book is about how we answer that question.”
—FROM THE INTRODUCTION
In Future Wise: Educating Our Children for a Changing World David Perkins, founding member of Harvard’s Project Zero, offers a toolkit for thinking through “what’s worth learning?” There is no one answer, but with the information and insights Perkins shares, teachers, administrators, curriculum developers, politicians, parents, and even students can take a big step toward a curriculum that truly prepares learners for life in a complex, changing, and challenging world.
Throughout this vital resource, Perkins explores the key concepts, curriculum criteria, and techniques for prioritizing content so teachers can guide students toward the big understandings that matter. By reimagining the curriculum, teachers can go beyond the basic skills and cultivate critical and creative thinking, as well as the collaborative, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills that speak strongly to living and thriving in any era. With a new focus, educators can encourage learners to not simply master content academically, but also to notice where content connects to life situations, yields insights, and prompts productive action.
As Perkins explains, what is conventionally taught in our schools today may not develop the kinds of citizens, workers, family, and community members we want and need. The basic skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic, even if strongly developed, aren’t enough. Future Wise shows that only by reimagining what we teach our children can we lead students down the road to learning that is truly lifeworthy.
About the Author
David N. Perkins is the Carl H. Pforzheimer, Jr. Research Professor of Teaching and Learning at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Recently retired from the senior faculty, he is a founding member and senior co-director of Project Zero, a research and development institute at the graduate school. He has authored several books, including Making Learning Whole, Smart Schools, Outsmarting IQ, and The Eureka Effect.
Table of Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Learning for Tomorrow
1. Lifeworthy Learning: Where Knowledge Goes in Learners’ Lives
2. Learning Agendas: The Mixed Blessings of Achievement, Information, and Expertise
3. Big Understandings: Learning That Matters in Learners’ Lives
4. Big Questions: Learning Beyond What’s Settled and Known
5. Lifeready Learning: Making What’s Worth Learning Ready for Life
6. The Seven Seas of Knowledge: Lifeworthy Learning from the Disciplines
7. Ways of Knowing: Powerful Patterns of Thought from the Disciplines and Beyond
8. Buckets of Knowledge: Organizing Content across the Years of Education
9. Big Knowhow: 21st Century Skills and Beyond
10. Knowledge on the Way to Wisdom
End Notes
Index