Every year the world of education invests billions of dollars in professional development. A large amount of that cash is wasted, given that the best professional development in the world might be under your nose…

Last month I wrote about the schools in the RSA’s Opening Minds Curriculum who dump school subjects – and the rigid timetabling that goes with them – and engage learners with as much real-world, project- and enquiry-based learning as possible. The feedback in the Twitterverse was significant, but mostly of a “it would be nice if we could, but…” nature.

At a time when so many Governments see gaining a higher position in the PISA rankings as the be all and end all, it’s a brave curriculum that bucks traditional subjects as the core of learning and instead focuses first and foremost on the skills and attitudes of learners.

But that’s what a growing group of schools, counting 200 at the moment, are doing by harnessing the RSA Opening Minds Curriculum.

What are the most compelling examples of interesting teaching and learning around the world, examples which any other school could put into place this week, if they wanted to?

As social media continues to pave inroads into college classrooms, it’s worth pausing to consider some of the ways it can illuminate and, in turn, question deeply embedded academic values.

Michael Wesch is at it again. The Kansas State anthropology professor, made famous in 2007 by his provocative YouTube video “Web 2.0 … The Machine is Using Us,” has launched a new project.  

Benjamin Zander’s The Art of Possibility is an uplifting and – yes, I’m going to say it – life-changing book. I read it nearly three years ago, and I still dip into it for a guiding push when leading a group feels more stick than carrot.