Last Thing: P21/C21/etc

Some folks are just too big for their britches.

We know that. GM right now is proof of that. MS is proof of that every time a new virus scares the bejesus out of half the world. Google is sure as heck getting there, though in a much different way (stay out of Twitter, guys).

What I'm personally hoping for, as a paperless classroom teacher and as someone who really sees a lot of positive in this Digital Age, is that both individual thought and collaborative innovation can continue to bloom. I want to see teachers actually enjoy teaching and I want them to get the most out of all technology has to offer rather than spend all their precious time freaking out about it.

As for the players in the C21 debate: I am sure that somewhere deep down, all of those board members of P21 really do want to help kids. And I'm sure that deep down all those folks who pretend that 21st Century Skills are the greatest blight on the future of humankind really just want to help kids.

But what we really need right now is some common sense. The future is upon us. We, the people, have to be the leaders we want. We, the teachers, have to be the teachers we want. And our kids have to be prepared for their future and not our past.