Book excerpt: Discover ways to empower students to build confidence in sharing their learning, becoming more responsible digital citizens and evolving into classroom creators. In researching the top skills students need to succeed in the future, author Rachelle Dene Poth identified the following: ability to communicate, work in teams, think creatively, problem-solve and design. This book shows educators how to help students develop these essential skills through authentic, real-world learning experiences, building a pathway for the future of learning and work. In Chart a New Course, educators will get the tools they need to design more purposeful learning experiences to drive student engagement and motivation, promote creativity in learning, model risk-taking and build classroom culture. Readers will discover how these activities can be woven into instruction rather than layered on existing curriculum, with ideas for getting started; suggestions in response to the statement, “If you’re doing this, try this instead;” and lessons learned along the way. The book will: • Foster authentic learning through integration of digital tools and emerging trends. • Serve as a resource for emerging educators and those with varying levels of tech experience, helping them explore the use of different digital tools and concepts to prepare students for the future. • Offer clear examples and narratives from students and other educators who have implemented some of the tools discussed, focusing on themes of empowered learning, innovative design and student choice. • Explore risks taken, failures experienced and fun in working through the challenges, illustrating ways to weave established and emerging topics into curriculum. This accessible resource opens up a variety of learning experiences for students and illustrates how to implement different technologies into multiple content areas and grade levels.