Most Likely to Succeed

July 1, 2015

Wagner (expert in residence, Harvard Univ.'s Innovation Lab; Creating Innovators) and Dintersmith (partner emeritus, Charles River Ventures) outline a convincing agenda for fixing education. They contend that the pedagogy at the heart of instruction is based on outdated philosophies of the Industrial Revolution. Transforming education today, they say, will require approaches better suited for the 21st-century's innovation-driven economy. Comparing and contrasting old and possible new approaches in all the content areas, the authors make a strong case for how student-driven inquiry methods can empower learners with critical skills. Extensive critiques on the failings of testing conventions also embolden the author's claims. Making their case for transformation takes up the majority of the text, but the concluding chapters offer concrete ideas of what teachers and communities can do to improve their schools. Even though the visions outlined here are not entirely new, having been described somewhat in the authors' additional works and also by other scholars, this text offers a well-articulated argument that will be accessible and convincing to many. VERDICT For anyone interested in ways to engage with ideas that can lead to fundamental and lasting change for schooling in the modern age.--Rachel Wadham, Brigham Young Univ. Libs., Provo, UT

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