Curriculum and Assessment

Current trends in educational theory include personalized learning, project-based learning, social-emotional learning, and culturally responsive teaching. The 21st-century library can provide a flexible space for exploring these skills and ideas, and for shifting the focus of education from content delivery to metacognition. To address historical inequities in traditional curriculum, teachers must intentionally incorporate diverse voices and representations, including auditing library collections and involving students in curriculum development. Project-based learning can promote metacognition, student voice and choice, and culturally reflective teaching, particularly when teachers adapt existing curriculum to address real-world problems within students' own communities. This approach can also support social justice by empowering students to critically analyze and reflect on underlying structures and systems.