21st Century Learning

Creating a Vision for 21st Century Learning

We are redefining Northville Public Schools' vision for what the school district will look like five to 10 years down the road in order to maximize the success of our students in the 21st century. In October 2013, 35 members of the Northville community came together to discuss the impact of the changing 21st century landscape on the education of Northville students. The group’s diversity contributed to a thoughtful and engaging exchange of ideas as students, parents, teachers, administrators, Board of Education members, and alumni shared their insights about what education will need to look like for this generation of learners and beyond.

The dialog continued in a November 2013 Board of Education Study session, and with teachers through facilitated workshops focused on the question of what teaching and learning should look like in the next decade to provide the best opportunities for success in a rapidly changing global environment. We have been supported in this groundbreaking work by Dr. Shawn K. Smith and Modern Teacher®, whose work is focused on maximizing teaching effectiveness in the digital world, through 21st century instructional design and delivery grounded in educational history and research.

Our vision work was expanded in spring 2014, as more stakeholders were asked to explore the key attributes of 21st century learning. They joined in this discussion through a visioning activity facilitated by district leaders, together with students, at PTA and staff meetings across the district, as well as with student, business and community leaders. Throughout this effort, we have focused on crafting a vision that invigorates the culture of our district, deepens our work, and goes beyond simply having words on a page.