Chart a New Course (ebook)

A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World

By Rachelle Dene Poth

ISBN: 9781564848277

Published: March 2020

Length: 144 pages

Table of Contents

Read excerpt

Interview with author on BAM Radio

Interview with author on Getting Smart

“[Poth] has generously shared much seat-of-the-pants wisdom acquired in her own classroom, hoping to guide and nourish colleague readers. Headings throughout the book with titles like “Where to Start: Resources and Ideas” speak strongly to that. I’ve finally put the book down (for now), savoring the way it delivers on the promise made on the cover’s subtitle, “a guide to teaching essential skills for tomorrow’s world!” -- Mark Gura, Edtech Digest

Discover ways to empower students to build confidence in sharing their learning, becoming more responsible digital citizens and evolving into classroom creators.

In researching the top skills students need to succeed in the future, author Rachelle Dene Poth identified the following: ability to communicate, work in teams, think creatively, problem-solve and design. This book shows educators how to help students develop these essential skills through authentic, real-world learning experiences, building a pathway for the future of learning and work.

In Chart a New Course, educators will get the tools they need to design more purposeful learning experiences to drive student engagement and motivation, promote creativity in learning, model risk-taking and build classroom culture. Readers will discover how these activities can be woven into instruction rather than layered on existing curriculum, with ideas for getting started; suggestions in response to the statement, “If you’re doing this, try this instead;” and lessons learned along the way.

The book will:

• Foster authentic learning through integration of digital tools and emerging trends.
• Serve as a resource for emerging educators and those with varying levels of tech experience, helping them explore the use of different digital tools and concepts to prepare students for the future.
• Offer clear examples and narratives from students and other educators who have implemented some of the tools discussed, focusing on themes of empowered learning, innovative design and student choice.
• Explore risks taken, failures experienced and fun in working through the challenges, illustrating ways to weave established and emerging topics into curriculum.

This accessible resource opens up a variety of learning experiences for students and illustrates how to implement different technologies into multiple content areas and grade levels.

Audience: 6-12 educators

About the Author

Rachelle Dene Poth is an accomplished edtech consultant, presenter, author, blogger and teacher. She currently teaches Spanish and a course on emerging tech that covers AR/VR, artificial intelligence, coding, gaming, digital citizenship, video animation and more. She presents regularly at conferences on technology and ways to drive student learning. Poth is the president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network and serves on the leadership team for the ISTE Mobile Learning Network. At ISTE19, she received the Making IT Happen Award and a Presidential Gold Award for volunteer service to education. She’s a Buncee Ambassador, Edmodo Certified Trainer, Nearpod Certified Educator and PioNear, Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert and Google Certified Educator Levels I and II. Poth is the author of In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking, The Future Is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead and Unconventional Ways to THRIVE in EDU. She’s a contributing author to Education Write Now, Volume 3; several volumes of the Edumatch book Snapshot in Education; and the ISTE book Gamify Literacy. Poth is a regular blogger for Getting Smart and DefinedSTEM.

More Reviews

“Chart a New Course is the book for any educator who wants to create learner-centered environments and shift traditional forms of instruction and assessment by integrating technology. Rachelle Dené Poth provides the guide as you go on your journey to cultivate innovative forms of creativity and transform your teaching practice no matter what your technology experience, budget or comfort level. If you are looking for ideas that will empower you with the right tools to design authentic, purposeful learning experiences, then Chart a New Course is the book for you.”

 -- Barbara Bray, author of Define Your Why, podcast host, speaker and educational consultant

“From the first page of this book, I was drawn to the simplicity and authenticity of the message: that empowering educators and learners isn’t difficult with a shift in thinking and some guidance. The book is divided into five parts . . . each has practical advice grounded in real classroom practice. The educator stories featured in the book lend a varying perspective, and the Five to Try for each chapter work well whether you try one or all five. The most powerful element in Chart a New Course for me, as a student-voice advocate, are the student stories. They are authentic testimonials that the strategies presented by Poth can transform learning and make a lasting impact. You must add this book to your teacher toolbox.” 

-- Jennifer Casa-Todd, learner, leader, teacher, speaker, author, Google Certified Innovator

“As a dedicated leader in education, Rachelle Dené Poth is relentless at seeking out how she can best support both educators and students to excel in our modern world. Chart A New Course serves as a roadmap to guide educators in their journey as they create dynamic and meaningful experiences that will deepen engagement and empower learning. Chart a New Course is filled to the brim with practical yet impactful ideas that can be implemented within any classroom. Complete with ISTE Standards and teaching strategies, Poth brilliantly interweaves core topics within learning with how we can leverage digital tools to deepen understanding and form connections. Educators will keep this book within their reach because it’s one that they can return to often to transform learning experiences!”

-- Elisabeth Bostwick, educator, speaker and author of Take the L.E.A.P.: Ignite a Culture of Innovation