U.S. Innovative Teachers Forum

September 27-28, 2007

Updated: June 8, 2007

Forum links • Frequently Asked Questions • Forum Data Sheet (Adobe PDF, 645 KB) • Forum Criteria (Adobe PDF, 215 KB) • Innovative Teachers Home

Rewarding 21st century learning teams

The 2007 U.S. Innovative Teachers Forum will recognize and reward learning teams practicing the elements of 21st century learning in their own professional learning and then incorporating these skills into the student learning environment.

The 2007 Forum, supported by the National Staff Development Council and the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, will bring together exemplary K-12 learning teams for two days, September 27-28, 2007, on the Microsoft corporate campus in Redmond, Washington.

The Forum will provide learning teams with the opportunity to share expertise and engage collaboratively with their peers from around the country.

Apply for your learning team to have a chance to attend the 2007 U.S. Innovative Teachers Forum. Applications must be submitted using the online form by midnight Pacific time, July 11, 2007.

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Focusing on teaming and the elements of 21st century learning

The flattening forces driving change at an exponential rate have redefined the necessary skills required to be successful in the 21st century. In order for today's students to acquire these skills and be competitive in a still-evolving global economy, learning environments within schools must become seamless and emulate the characteristics and behaviors of the outside world. Furthermore, a learning environment which is conducive to enabling students to acquire 21st century skills must not only exist for the students but also for the educators tasked with preparing the students, as they themselves must be well versed in and practicing these skills as professionals. Given the norm in U.S. education where teachers are working alone in isolated classrooms, (behavior attributed to our factory-era schools), how are educators expected to acquire these skills, let alone infuse them into their teaching and learning with their students?

Microsoft, the National Staff Development Council, and the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future support the growing consensus that teaching, even good teaching, is better when teachers have the support of their colleagues and opportunities for continual reflection, inquiry, problem solving and learning together. Groups of teachers engaged in this kind of work on a regular basis are the learning communities that make good schools great and enable sustained professional growth for educators in the 21st century.

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About the 2007 U.S. Innovative Teachers Forum

An independent panel of nationally recognized education leaders will select up to 25 learning teams, based on team applications, to participate in the Forum. Up to three teachers plus a principal or vice-principal from each team will be invited to attend the Forum. The Forum will be held on the Microsoft corporate campus in Redmond, Washington, September 27-28, 2007.

Following the U.S. Forum, a subset of attendees will be selected to represent the United States at the Microsoft Worldwide Innovative Teachers Forum in Finland in November 2007.

Each learning team will be reviewed on the following criteria which demonstrate learning teams practicing the elements of 21st century learning in their own professional learning and then incorporating these skills into the student learning environment:

Application Criteria	Weight
21st Century Learning Teams Part I: About the Team	5 points
21st Century Learning Teams Part II: Goals and Team Time • Team goals • Common norms, agreements and learning beliefs • Team meeting time, duration and frequency • Team communication tools and strategies	10 points
21st Century Learning Teams Part III: Teamwork in Action • How does the team organize its work to stay focused on student achievement? • How does the team use best practice strategies to foster professional growth and student achievement?	20 points
21st Century Learning Teams Part IV: Team Success • How has the team directly contributed to improved student achievement? • What has been the most significant team learning thus far? • How has the team impacted the school structure and culture? • What are other indicators of success? • Team challenges and solutions • How does the team demonstrate 21st century skills? • Anything else that your team would like to share	15 points
Implementing 21st Century Projects Part I: Project overview	5 points
Implementing 21st Century Projects Part II: Project Development • Idea source and design steps • Concepts/themes • Essential questions • Core subject area integration • Standards • 21st century content • Learning and thinking skills • Life skills	20 points
Implementing 21st Century Projects Part III: Project Implementation • Student learning strategies • Required resources • Information and communication technology • Implementation steps • Implementation tips	10 points
Implementing 21st Century Projects Part IV: Project Results • Assessment strategies • Student products/performances • Students' most significant learning	10 points
Implementing 21st Century Projects Part V: Project Artifacts • Student work samples • Project descriptors and rubrics • Other key project files, links, etc	5 points
Total Value	100 points

Applications will be accepted through midnight Pacific Time, July 11, 2007. Learning teams selected to attend the 2007 U.S. Innovative Teachers Forum will be notified by August 15, 2007.

If you have questions about the Forum, please send e-mail to teachers@microsoft.com.