Imagine you could trace back 10, 20, 30, 40 years to the defining moments that taught you how to handle the roller coaster of life. That's exactly what authors Ron and Reina Bolles, along with 115 of their former students and colleagues, have done in "Learning That Lasts a Lifetime." Through a compelling series of powerful testimonies, the importance of arts education unfolds before your eyes. Think of this book as a mash-up of "Glee" and "Chicken Soup For The Soul" that takes a peek at the human side of "21st Century Readiness" for today's students. The back-stories, anecdotes, and lessons learned by students involved in one of the oldest show choirs on the West Coast illuminate what really matters in our schools. Regardless of their life paths, these people all found value in what they did in their high school choir and are applying it daily in their lives. Discover for yourself why these passionate and enlightening stories and thoughts transcend all types of arts classes in educational settings across the nation. "The most intelligent people I've met throughout my life have had a background in the arts." -Matthew Ferguson "Having an artistic outlet has helped me to be a more creative engineer and mathematician and has helped me relate to my students who have interests outside of my chosen career field." -Michelle Breaux "English and math may be the flesh and bone, but art is the heart." -Janna Kefalas

A visionary guide for the future of learning and work Long Life Learning: Preparing for Jobs That Don’t Even Exist Yet offers readers a fascinating glimpse into a near-future where careers last 100 years, and education lasts a lifetime. The book makes the case that learners of the future are going to repeatedly seek out educational opportunities throughout the course of their working lives — which will no longer have a beginning, middle, and end. Long Life Learning focuses on the disruptive and burgeoning innovations that are laying the foundation for a new learning model that includes clear navigation, wraparound and funding supports, targeted education, and clear connections to more transparent hiring processes. Written by the former chief innovation officer of Strada Education Network’s Institute for the Future of Work, the book examines: How will a dramatically extended lifespan affect our careers? How will more time in the workforce shape our educational demands? Will a four-year degree earned at the start of a 100-year career adequately prepare us for the challenges ahead? Perfect for anyone with an interest in the future of education and Clayton Christensen’s theories of disruptive innovation, Long Life Learning provides an invaluable glimpse into a future that many of us have not even begun to imagine.

In Personal & Authentic, Thomas C. Murray reveals the power of designing awe-inspiring experiences that are grounded in relationships and learner-centered by design. Inherently relevant and contextualized, it is this kind of learning that lasts a lifetime.

Today’s global knowledge economy requires individuals and companies alike to quickly adapt to new tools and strategies. To remain competitive, both must continually seek out the latest advancements and developments, and upgrade their skillsets accordingly. In the United States, however, support for ongoing education lags far behind other developed nations, creating a crippling skills gap between the workforce and industries in the US and its global competitors.In a country that has been multiple steps ahead of everyone else since its birth, how did this happen? Why are other countries, previously inferior when it came to technological advancements, suddenly faring markedly better? What keeps our nation’s vast network of corporate training, workforce development, and K-12 and college education so fragmented and inefficient? In the tells-it-like-it-is Learning for Life, readers will learn about:• Why America’s existing educational models are failing employees and employers• The shift in content knowledge toward new ways of thinking and working• Policies and programs that are working in the US and abroad• Recommendations for overhauling our education and training infrastructure and building partnerships between providers and employersThe stakes are too important for America to continue falling behind in its education. But the good news is, the pathways to get us back to the top are there ahead of us. Learning for Life points the way forward.

From his childhood in Waco, Texas, where he took expert care of nine small cousins while the adults ate Sunday lunch, to Princeton and an offer from Broadway, to medical and psychoanalytic training, to the exquisite observations into newborn behavior that led babies to be seen in an entirely new light, Dr. T. Berry Brazelton's life has been one of innovation and caring. Known internationally for the Touchpoints theory of regression and growth in infants and young children, Brazelton is also credited for bringing the insights of child development into pediatrics, and for his powerful advocacy in Congress. In Learning to Listen, fans of Brazelton and professionals in his field can follow both the roots of a brilliant career and the evolution of child-rearing into the twenty-first century.

Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of prac­ticing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct com­plex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By complet­ing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the meth­ods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard key­board, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the sim­ple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Fig­ure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcompo­nents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accu­rate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chain­saws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.