• Homework As We Know It. The idea of independent practice as a means of increasing skill mastery sounds appealing and necessary. But homework, as it’s become known, does not do this. Indeed, homework has become mundane and repetitive work not grounded in increasing skill development, but rather compliance. It’s time to re-think the whole thing. Let’s come up with not only a new name, but a whole new approach. Most of us can remember when our work outside of class - homework - became meaningful, successful and relevant. And that’s when we got engaged in a project or deeper learning. We then chose, on our own, to perfect or improve our work.

• Lecturing, Note Taking. It’s long been researched, evaluated and established that this represents the lowest form of learning. Whether we’re using Bloom’s Taxonomy or other models, it is very obvious that we are operating at the ground level of learning if this is what we’re having our students do with any content or information. Students need to apply, inquire, create and be critically engaged with any knowledge in order to not only retain it, but to truly understand it. We know this. We know this. We know this. But still, we ignore it and allow many of our classrooms at both the secondary and post-secondary levels to operate with lecture and note-taking as their primary pedagogical approach to learning.

• Non-Digital Approaches. I’m not saying that there is still not a place, in some instances, for paper, pen and printed books. However, that being said, our dominant tools and resources should be digital. I’m ashamed that on the eve of 2017, we are still debating or considering anything but digital. All professional work and the entire global economy are digital. Having our students not work primarily in digital formats shortchanges them. Additionally, the resources and applications expand daily and we need to use them to maximize student experiences and opportunities.

• Textbooks - Digital or Not.. Since the advent of the internet, we should have abandoned the dependency on a single text. Regardless of subject, there are endless types of reliable, relevant and ever-developing resources. To be critical thinkers and true problems solvers, our students should be seeking the best and brightest information from these sources in all of their academic endeavors. The idea of a textbook, digital or not, is a holdover to outdated curriculum. Single source curriculum is dead. What professional, scientist, inventor, entrepreneur, or researcher would use only one text in their professional environments? The answer is none, especially with the quality and quantity of online resources today.

• Factory-Style Classrooms. Many educators, as well as students, parents, industry professionals and others have long acknowledged that too many of our classrooms still resemble those of the last century, as well as the factory floors that inspired them. It’s not just aesthetics or style, it’s directly related to the instructional models of the past. When we are in seated individually in rows facing the front of the classrooms, the mode of instruction is dominated by lecture pedagogy. Our classroom environments, layout and design need to resemble those that our students need to be successful in a new, more globalized and digital economy. These include, but are not limited to classroom configurations that are collaborative, comfortable, high tech, friendly, warm, inviting, friendly, flexible and ultimately conducive to project-based work.

• Final Exams. I do not mean that we should not have culminating activities or projects that are reflective, summative or comprehensive. But I am talking about the final exam. This is the 100-question multiple choice, short answer traditional final still given in thousands of high school and college courses across the country. They create an environment where students cram in order to regurgitate material versus applying that material in some meaningful way. They were designed with grades, teachers and structure in mind and not learning or students. Our finals need to be presentation type that includes like one’s digital portfolio, defense of learning, showcases & exhibitions, and more.

• Fear & Compliance. Finally, we need an entirely new cultural approach to learning and school. The system that depended on fear and compliance has long worn out its stay. We used to often tell new teachers to “not smile until Christmas” or “don’t be friendly as the students will see that as a sign of weakness.” These are not only archaic, but truly counterproductive to teaching and learning. Teaching and learning are relationship endeavors. Students need and require teachers that are excited, passionate, communicative, flexible, available, caring, creative, innovative and forever working on connecting to their students. Anything less will not produce anything more than sub-par results. Our students need and deserve authenticity versus authority. Current or future teachers not up for being in a relationship business need to find another career. There is no people-oriented pursuit that that of teaching and learning.

1. Ask Students What They Think. Seems simple right? But do we realize how little we do this? Students have great ideas about everything, but we rarely consult them. My dominant complaint ever since I became a teacher was how we don’t ask the students what they think. Students have great ideas about everything, but we rarely consult them. This includes about their own learning and education. But regardless of the subject, ask students for their opinion. If you haven’t done this much, it will take awhile for them to believe you actually care and for you to actually hear/listen.

2. Listen To Their Music. Naturally, most educators, or adults (older people), have different musical tastes in general. My best memory of my late grandfather was that he took interest in my music. When I was a fourteen year old aspiring hard rocker, he made an effort to listen and ask questions. I’m sure he didn’t understand, appreciate or grow accustomed to much of it. But he tried very hard and that’s what mattered. Today’s young people, like all young people ever, use music to comprehend and connect with the world. It’s their identity just like it was ours. If we dismiss their music, we are dismissing them. There has been lots of music my students listened to that I didn’t like or connect with very much. But when I tried harder to listen, and even more importantly to talk to them about it, I learned two things. One, there was always something creative, interesting and relevant in the music. Two, it was the beginning of a further connection between myself and my students.

3. Spend Time With Them Outside Of Class. I realized early on that it was an honor to just hang out with my students. Yes, we had class time together and even beyond class time (project work, practices, rehearsals, etc.). But what about unstructured time? Good teachers realized long ago that if you open up your room or space at lunch, they will come. I always loved taking students to competitions, conferences or other events because we got to travel and hang together. That’s when you learn a lot about them and who they are. And they are interesting people. There are too many teachers that have never spent a single moment with their students outside of class. There are many ways to do this, but good teachers, especially those that want to be successful (as well as stay young), find ways to not only do this, but maximize this.

4. Be A Mentor.  This is not an automatic for all educators. Indeed, many educators never even thought about this element when entering the profession. We have lots of teachers, but fewer mentors. To be a mentor, one has to be interested in the relationship you curate and appreciate with one’s students. More than anything, young people are eternally seeking mentors beyond their families and immediate circles. Your mentoring skills and influences will have more long-term impact than any curriculum. Plus, real learning is reciprocal. When you mentor, you will learn as well. Being a mentor is not about telling students what to do, but rather getting to know them and letting them know you are willing to support them with what they want to do. Finally, those we mentor do not need to be in our classrooms. Mentoring opportunities await all of us - inside and outside of education.

*(photos courtesy of Teach Thought, Foter, Image Stock)

1. Instructional Foundation is Digital. There are no textbooks.  If you are buying a textbook and using a single source for curriculum in 2016, you should not only re-think your entire approach, but also not be able to use anything that says “21st Century.” This does not mean that teachers and students cannot use books such as novels, non-fiction, etc. - either in print or digital. But it does mean that your classes do not use or rely on one printed, official textbook. If I have to explain this, you are also not 21st Century.

2. Project-Based is Dominant Pedagogy. You can call it whatever you want - PBL, Place-Based, Challenge-Based, Problem-Based, Design-Based and many others. But the bottom line is that the students, with their teachers’ facilitation, embark on real world educational endeavors that include, but are not limited to student voice and choice, collaboration (peer and professional), community or work-based connections, presentation, publishing, digital portfolios, showcases/exhibitions and more.

3. Democratization (Student Voice). Students have a voice in all aspects of the school. They have input on their project choices, school governance, school policies, hiring and more. All students should be surveyed about their educational and cultural experiences on a regular basis. Students should be able to voice concerns about all aspects of their educational environment. Students will be represented on all interview panels. Get the idea?

4. Contemporary School Policies/Procedures. If you can’t fit your rules, expectations, dress code or other on one document equaling a single page, it does not meet the 21st century standard.

5. Social Media/New Literacies. If you block or ban social media use on campus, you’re out as a 21st century educational entity. Yes, you can have parameters and expectations, but more importantly all teachers and classrooms should model on a regular basis the professional and educational use and application of social media tools. Today and tomorrow’s companies, leaders and professionals will define much of what they do, make, sell, create and design through social media.

6. Culture of Learning. There is a clear and obvious culture of learning where all of the adults model lifelong learning. They don’t say it but do it. Teachers and staff are actively engaged in their communities and their profession. They are involved in professional reading, writing, blogging, publishing, presenting, speaking or something. If the teachers or leaders disappear over the summer and don’t respond to emails, texts, direct messages or something, then it’s not a 21st century program.

7. Cell Phones. It’s simple. If you allow them and use them like in professional environments, then you can be 21st century. If you don’t, you’re not. Easy….

8. Accessability. If students can dialogue and communicate with teachers and staff via text, email, cell, instant messenger or something similar, then you’re good. If not, you’re not 21st century.

9. Community Connections. This can be done through many vehicles, but is an imperative. For high schools, it can be work-based such as internships, externships, job shadows, professional mentors and more. For all K-12, it can be partnerships with local non-profits, advisory groups, expert presentations in classrooms, project feedback from professionals, solving local needs through client-based relationships and work and more.

10. Continuous Innovation. The days of being enamored with tradition are gone. We need to enamored with embracing continuous change through innovation. Our students are entering an economy and world that will continue to go through rapid change. Our only hope to prepare them is to model that for them each and everyday at school. This means that each new year, each new teacher, each new class, each new day and each new project needs to build on the past, but not be satisfied just repeating it. We need to constantly ask large questions and embrace bold possibilities. We need to challenge our educators to get away from lesson and activity design, and rather focus on project design. If so, regardless of the question or challenge, innovation and “new” will always rise to the top.

1. Media Coverage: if an idea, a product or piece of work gets media coverage - whether local, regional, national or international - it seems to have some credibility. One of my colleagues often said that if a project or lesson in school could make the New York Times, would that be the ultimate assessment? We know media coverage can now be accomplished in many ways including social media. But the bottom line is that someone out there in the world with some expertise or credibility in a given arena acknowledges our work. That make it badass.

2. The Critics: Speaking of expertise and credibility, what about a panel of experts evaluating or judging our work? Movies are judged by movie critics, music is judged by music writers, food is judged by foodies and food critics, etc. Why can’t we do that in education? What if teachers and schools brought in panels of experts in the respective areas to evaluate our lessons and projects? Maybe engineers should look at our math lessons and projects. Maybe researchers should look at our students’ work in history. Maybe scientists can come to our science classes? You get the idea. All communities have professionals and many of them would love to be involved in our schools. Maybe they help decide if our learning is relevant and successful. Afterall, they know what’s badass in the real world. For the record, there are already schools doing this in some capacity.

3. General Public Acclaim: We also judge success by the number of everyday supporters - whether they are fans, customers or other - who support an idea or project. They do this by purchasing or buying in, but they also do it by writing reviews and liking/following, etc. on social media. When a great video hits YouTube, there is a response. Our lessons and projects can be the same way. If we do something amazing at school, do our parents and community members, as well as students, know it and recognize it? They can do this is many ways, but will only do it when it’s amazing or exceptional. So, if we want to know if our learning and outcomes are exceeding standards and scoring well, why don’t we take a look at our fans in the general public? Chances are the same old work sheet, exam, notes or other will not garner that attention or support. And maybe that’s what we should be aware of responding to.

4. Replication/Duplication: there is an old saying that I won’t repeat. But in business and most of the real world, we can gauge success of an idea often by how many others begin to adopt. Think about new food or restaurant success, it’s almost always replicated by others. When you see one food truck, you usually see many more. You get the idea. So, what if we applied this to education? What if teachers began implementing learning methods and projects based on what they see their colleagues having success in? Seems so simple, but so elusive too. Every school has a handful of really badass teachers, but we often don’t try to replicate them. We often don’t turn to them and challenge one another to do what they do. And these days, one’s colleagues can be on the same site, same district or anywhere in the international education community you want to go online.

5. Students - This is the ultimate badass barometer and the obvious best for last. How often do students come home and rave about their learning? How often do they share publicly on social media that they are excited about their learning and outcomes? Answer is simple: not often enough. Indeed, in many cases never. That’s a problem. Our students should be excited and engaged enough about their learning that they talk about it. Sharing and reflecting on our own learning is evidence of higher levels of learning. As educators, we should care about what our students are saying about their learning and be very concerned if they rarely talk about if at all. It’s easy to compare the difference when someone is truly engaged and when someone is not. Students, like everyone else, know when something is badass. They will let you know. If we don’t hear from them, it’s not badass. It’s that simple. One, we need to ask for their opinion. Two, we need to create something that will elicit a positive one.