Keeping faculty one step ahead of emerging technologies--and providing them with the support to manage what often feels like a rising tide of new tools and learning research--can indeed be difficult. Managing the widening gulf between early adopters and less technologically savvy faculty can be downright frustrating. And then there's the delicate balance between promoting technology tools and encouraging "teaching and learning" with technology. Members of the EDUCAUSE community are challenging themselves to take action and work together to generate a network of solutions that reflect "uncommon thinking for the common good." Through focus groups held during the summer of 2008 and with virtual brainstorming and survey participation by the wider teaching and learning community throughout the fall, EDUCAUSE embarked on identifying "The Top Teaching and Learning Challenges," with the final list released in January 2009. Ranked by popularity, the following are the top-five challenges for teaching and learning in 2009: (1) Creating learning environments that promote active learning, critical thinking, collaborative learning, and knowledge creation; (2) Developing 21st-century literacies (information, digital, and visual) among students and faculty; (3) Reaching and engaging today's learners; (4) Encouraging faculty adoption and innovation in teaching and learning with IT; and (5) Advancing innovation in teaching and learning with technology in an era of budget cuts. Since the authors opened the wikis in February 2009, numerous "community snapshots" have been contributed, spotlighting the ways that institutions are addressing the top challenges on their campuses. This article offers a preview of the "uncommon thinking" that is being shared by the community. (Contains 4 notes.) ["Charting the Course and Tapping the Community: The EDUCAUSE Top Teaching and Learning Challenges 2009" was written with Kristen Betts, Stephanie Boone, Patrick Faverty, Tanya Joosten, Elizabeth A. Kiggins, Jessica Knott, Erin Long, Alana J. Mauger, Jeffrey McClurken, Maureen McCreadie, Nils Peterson, and Celeste M. Schwartz.]