After reading a Partnership for 21st Century Skills: http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/images/stories/otherdocs/p21up_Report.pdf, I have an overwhelming feeling of not preparing my students fully for their lives and the workforce they will enter. I feel like I am doing a good job of meeting the standards and lifelong learning skills that my students need. However, integrating technology into their learning is something that I feel I don’t do enough of. One reason, of course is lack of resources and training that I have received. This scares me a lot, because I actually have/use a lot more resources than other districts and teachers.
The six key elements of 21st Century Learning are: Emphasize Core Subjects, Emphasize Learning Skills, Use 21st Century Skills Tools to Develop Learning Skills, Teach and Learn in a 21st Century Context, Teach and Learn 21st Century Content, Use 21st Century Assessments that Measure 21st Century Skills. I was impressed that at the top of the list core subjects are still the emphasis, as should be. This site gives many good ideas for how schools can start incorporating these ideas to help our students be successful in the 21st Century workplace. The members and partners of this website are well known companies and businesses which makes me believe that the information is well planned and thought out.
As an educator, I know that it is my job to make sure I am preparing my students for their future in the workplace. This website accentuates the need for technology use, collaboration, and problem solving skills; among many other things. If I can start or improve me instruction anywhere, I believe these are the skills I can work on with my students.
~Tiffany
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Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteI understand your feeling of not being prepared to prepare our students for the 21 century. I also feel somewhat unprepared, but this is where we, as educators, demand the skills to better prepare our students. I think this class will help us in that area also. I have learned skills such as blogging and also about wiki, which I knew nothing about. I also talk to my students about what I am learning a show them as I learn.
Your idea about working on technology skills, collaboration, and problem solving skills is exactly what our students will need for the 21 century. I think we are ahead of the game, as educators, we know what our students need and we look for the best ways to prepare our students for those skills.
Thanks...Sherrie
Hi Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteI also feel as if I am not fully preparing my students for what they will encounter when they leave my classroom, not just academically but also in the workplace. Even though my school does it's best to train teachers on 21st Century Skills, it usually does not go past the teachers in the 21st Century building. That in itself is frustrating as teachers could be, and should be, incorporating these skills in the "regular" classroom.
Hi, Tiffany,
ReplyDeletePlease understand that you must start somewhere. We don't want to constantly look at the goal, but see it in the distance and make steps to accomplish that goal over time. Hang in there!
Dr. Howe