Literacy and numeracy are important. We all know our children need to be able to read and write and add up, but increasingly as the pace of change in our world increases what were once seen as fundamental aspects of education need to be challenged. And, thankfully, there are people out there not just challenging our assumptions, but intelligently going about the business of rethinking what our children’s education needs to look like in the 21st century.

The Digital Age Teacher Preparation Council, established by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education, with support from the Joyce Foundation, released today the report Take a Giant Step, detailing a multi-sector action plan to enhance teacher education and a higher quality, 21st-century approach to the learning and healthy development of children in preschool and the primary grades.

Take a Giant Step is exactly the type of policy document that is needed to address the complex nature of what skills and knowledge our children will need for the future world, and the multi-layered approach needed to help them get there. This report does not just say we need to spend more on technology, or that every student needs an iPad. This report looks at the different steps and fundamental changes that need to take place if we are to ensure there is an equitable future where all children have the same knowledge and foundation in 21 st century skills and digital technology.

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