Bold Moves for Schools: How We Create Remarkable Learning Environments

by Heidi Hayes Jacobs, Marie Hubley Alcock

What will it take to create truly contemporary learning environments that meet the demands of 21st-century society, engage learners, and produce graduates who are prepared to succeed in the world? What skills and capacities do teachers and leaders need to create and sustain such schools? What actions are necessary? Bold Moves for Schools offers a compelling vision that answers these questions—and action steps to make the vision a reality. Looking through the lenses of three pedagogies—antiquated, classical, and contemporary—authors Heidi Hayes Jacobs and Marie Hubley Alcock examine every aspect of K–12 education, including curriculum, instruction, assessment, and the program structures of space (both physical and virtual), time, and grouping of learners and professionals. In a new job description for teachers, Jacobs and Alcock highlight and expound on the following With thought-provoking proposals and practical strategies for change, Bold Moves for Schools sets educators on the path to redefining their profession and creating exciting new learning environments. The challenge is unprecedented. The possibilities are unlimited.

Genres: Education, Teaching, Leadership

210 pages, Paperback

Published March 10, 2017

About the author

Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs is an author and internationally recognized education leader known for her work in curriculum mapping, curriculum integration,and developing 21st century approaches to teaching and learning.
Jacobs is President of Curriculum Designers, Inc. and Executive Director of the Curriculum Mapping Institute. She works as an education consultant with schools and districts K–12 on issues and practices pertaining to: curriculum reform, instructional strategies to encourage critical thinking, and strategic planning.

Reviews

[Randy Fielding · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Shakespeare wrote "Boldness be my friend! Arm me, audacity, from head to foot!" he was foreshadowing Jacobs and Alcock's transformational roadmap for change in our schools. At the district and network level, the book provide the research, reasons and framework for change. For teachers, it's filled with links to resources on curriculum and systems that you can use now, and also references that explain where we came from and where we are going. Bold Moves gives us a vision for a holistic, integrated learning community, and then proceeds to tell us how to make it happen now!

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides an essential vision and pathway for what schools should strive to become in this century. I'm using this resource as the primary text for a graduate course I'm teaching in curriculum and instruction.

[Jennifer Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was thought provoking while at the same time giving ideas on how to make such “bold moves”. I’m using it as a staff resource for my school.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

The authors of this book certainly have a vision for a bold direction education in America can go in. And it’s a direction that I’d love to see come to fruition. With that said, this is not a book for the majority of educators as the majority of the book is not applicable to what happens on most days in most schools; it is for those who’d like to consider a set of systems-level best practices that are aspirational in nature and require a major shift of “how school works” in our society.

[Jim Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for a playbook to transform schools, here ya go.

[Jenika Herron · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the ideas; however, implementation has to occur at a district or state level.