Today’s teachers face unique challenges never encountered—or even imagined—by their predecessors. Preparing students to thrive in a global, technologically advanced society where they must use digital tools that evolve at a blistering pace to succeed at careers that did not even exist a decade ago is a daunting task! Information processing skills have become a survival skill—nearly ubiquitous access to mountains of Web-based information may expose learners to more information in just one day than those of previous generations would have been able to access in a lifetime. In order to prepare students for their future, teachers must have the support and leadership of school administrators who understand 21st century skills.

To be effective leaders for the 21st century, administrators must ensure that instructional needs, the expertise of teachers, and the ultimate needs of students are considered. These 21st century administrators should be the facilitators of a dialogue that asks:

• What outcomes do we want to accomplish in the classroom?

• What available tools and resources can and will support teachers in helping their students meet these outcomes?

• What preparation do we need to ensure teachers and students appropriately utilize tools and resources?

• How will we measure the effectiveness of these tools to gauge how well they support and improve teaching and learning?