21st Century Skills

In the readings from my class, one of the most interesting points from this week was from Dr. Chris Dede (2007)- he described how students in the past (primarily the 19th and 20th century) were trained and educated to be independent thinkers and workers in preparation for a industrial society. In the 21st Century, most businesses and companies are dealing with much more intricate and involved problems and situations. Looking at the business world in today’s society, group work and cooperation is a daily occurrence. Obviously this brings us to a new goal as a teacher. We have to teach our students how to survive and excel in the world they are living in and the world of work they need to be successful in. These 21st Century Skills are a whole new concept for me. When viewing the website, Partnership for 21st Century Skills, I realized that schools in our country are redeveloping their content to include these necessary skills that Dr. Dede (2007) is talking about. This website is a must for all teachers. As a 10 year teaching veteran I fell uneducated at times, especially when reading all this new information and seeing what is out there. But, that doesn’t stop me from appreciating what I find!!

Specifically, what I found most useful were all of the specific resources available for individuals. Not only did the site have links to different informational sites, there were forums, blogs, and discussion boards. One specific thing that interested me was the section on “21st Century States”. I was thrilled to see that Iowa was included!!! (Yeah!!) I was able to pull up a quick description of why Iowa was included (they use the 21st Century skills as a part of the State’s Core Content and Curriculum). In addition to listing the states and giving a quick description, this site also allowed you to view the work that Iowa was using. I was also able to find some specific resources for the core content standards for my state.

The only thing that I was frustrated with from the site was I couldn’t find much on 21st Century skills and special education. The site provided resources for almost all of the content areas, provided assessment information and links. I couldn’t find anything specifically for special education. After logging on, I was able to discuss with some other teachers on the site, and figure out ways to accommodate for my students, but it was frustrating to have to dig so deep. The reason that the lack of focus on special education surprised me so much was that in my opinion, this is one area that has been on top of things with technology. Teachers of students with special needs have been using a variety of technology devices and resources to adapt content for their students, as a means of communication for our students, and as a way to easily access information. How wonderful would it be to develop a forum for special educators on this site so that we can talk as well. I’ll see what I can do…..

Regardless of my disappointment, the other information on the website was beyond interesting and helpful. Every teacher should access it. I am going to be using some of the things I found in my classroom, and also when I am developing my teaching portfolio.

Enjoy!!

Partnership for 21st Century Skills

http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/

Dede, C. (2007, February). Transforming education for the 21st century:New pedagogies that help all students attain sophisticated learning outcomes. NCSU Friday Institute. Retrieved November 21, 2009, from http://fi.ncsu.edu/index/html

Blogs in Literature

An ongoing struggle in our department has been trying to increase the reading of our students. We are constantly trying to think of ways to expose our students to new literature and to make reading enjoyable. I have to admit year two has been going more smoothly. I have students who honestly enjoy reading, so my next step with these kids is have them expand their reading base. Instead of reading a graphic novel EVERY time, maybe we could throw in a short story here or there. I think I could use a blog in my classroom as a tool my students could use to share and discuss literature. Honestly, this would best be down in combination with a few other classes, so that my students have more people to share with. Ideally, I would love to combine with a school from a different region so that my students would not only be excited to share their books, but to get to know other students. Many of my students are shy and uncomfortable sharing thoughts and ideas. I think using a blog would be a great place for my students to participate in discussions about something we are reading, or something they have independently read. My next unit will be on the story To Kill a Mockingbird, which in past years my students have really enjoyed. In many schools, this is required reading, so it might be easy to find a few teachers I know in other schools who are discussing the same book. Using a blog would enhance this unit because it would provide a non-threatening environment for my students to discuss different parts of the story. Not only could they practice their writing skills, they also could work on editing skills so they are proud of the comments they post. I will use this blog with my 10th grade Literature class. I think I will start it for discussions about our novel. I think having the students each respond to a discussion question of their choices, and then also later in the week take the time to read and comment on another students post. This would not only be a good tool for discussion, but also on peer interaction.

I think the "newness" of using a blog will catch my students interest right away. Down the line I would love for my students to use the blog to share books they are reading, and to get ideas for new books. For now, I'll start small. I'll start with a novel I am familiar with and that has sparked some wonderful conversations in the past. Wish me luck!!

A New Start

I promised myself once I would try and document my 'journey' into the world of technology- but it didn't happen, so...... let's try this again! The one thing I have learned is that practice makes perfect!