About the author
JAMES BELLANCA – Jim is an educational consultant, executive director of the Illinois Consortium for 21st Century Schools and editor of the national blog for the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. He was recently named a Senior Fellow for the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Jim’s recent books include "The Focus Factor: 8 Essential 21st Century Thinking Skills," "The Leader’s Guide to The Common Core Standards," and "Wad-Ja-Learn? Deeper Learning Assessments for the 21st Century Classroom." He and his wife, Gerry, live in Glencoe, Illinois and tend to their award-winning garden (Chicago Tribune, Garden of the Year, 2007). Their children and grandchildren live in Winnetka, Illinois; Glenview, Illinois; Boulder, Colorado, and Sydney, Australia.