In the December 10, 2006, issue of TIME magazine, author Claudia Wallis created a new plot for Washington Irving's classic character, Rip Van Winkle.

"Rip Van Winkle awakens in the 21st century after a hundred-year snooze and is, of course, utterly bewildered by what he sees," wrote Wallis. "Men and women dash about, talking to small metal devices pinned to their ears. Young people sit at home on sofas, moving miniature athletes around on electronic screens. Older folk defy death and disability with metronomes in their chests and with hips made of metal and plastic. Airports, hospitals, shopping malls — every place Rip goes just baffles him. But when he finally walks into a schoolroom, the old man knows exactly where he is. ‘This is a school,' he declares. ‘We used to have these back in 1906.'"

Though we may initially laugh at this story as a joke, the harsh truth is that Rip's fictional statement is not far from reality. As we continually get further into the 21st century, the need to transform schools is rapidly increasing. Tom Carroll, president of the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, emphasized this need for change and offered a solution in a July 22, 2009,  eSchool News article titled "Let Retiring ‘Boomers' Transform Schools."

"Every day that we give a standalone teacher a standalone curriculum, we're recreating this outdated model," said Carroll. "We need to start thinking about transforming these learning organizations into a 21st century learning system."

In response, Carroll promotes an innovative approach of learning teams in the classroom. Consisting of teachers and retired experts, these teams give students real-life lessons and classroom instruction. It also removes the burden from the teacher as the sole person responsible for raising 21st century leaders. Carroll believes that teachers are the only professionals who work without teams assisting them.

"Would we visit, and have confidence in, a doctor who worked completely alone with no nurses and no technicians?" asked Carroll. "If we lived in a society without schools and had to invent them, would we invent the same kind of schools that we have today?"

This collaborative teaching model not only supports teachers, but it also benefits professional retirees and most importantly, the students.

"There are 78 million baby boomers in the workforce, and they will be the largest, healthiest, most accomplished generation of retirees we've ever had," Carroll said. "Many of these baby boomers are not ready to stop working and would like to work with children, as they have years of knowledge and skills to share. It creates a powerful learning environment for students."

Are there retirees in your community who can share their real world experiences with your students and give your teachers the support they need? Why not reach out to your community and beyond to find helpful partners in the learning process? Take a moment to share your thoughts in the comment section below.