My immediate reaction to the website was amazement at how involved and pro active this group of people is in emphasizing the importance of teaching 21st century skills. This organization believes that “[t]he nation needs a compelling vision for education that will inspire education leaders, teachers, parents and students alike. Clearly, we must work together to fully prepare people for the challenges of work and life in the 21st century” (Partnership for 21st Century Skills).
I filled out a questionnaire that was provided on the website to see how well my school district is implementing 21st century skills. I was encouraged and not surprised to see that we are in the emerging category. I am hopeful that my school district will continue to strive for greatness instead of being content with our current state. I was also excited to see the different resources provided on the website. I watched a few videos which gave ideas of how to implement 21st century skills within a math classroom. There were also other links that lead to a variety of lesson plans specific to other topics.
The beliefs about “the bridge to 21st century learning” consisted of using 21st century tools, learning skills, core subjects, 21st century context, and 21st century content. I strongly believe that we cannot take focus away from the core subjects; we need to adapt our teaching to meet the needs that are presented before us.
I was not able to find anything that I disagreed with on the website. I like the fact that they are trying to inspire all parties involved with education; teachers, students, parents, and leaders. If we could get students and parents more involved it will also benefit teachers, which will lead to better results.
The implication that I see for myself as a teacher is the fact that many students have limited access to the internet. This creates struggles when trying to get students to e-mail one another. There are also many students that do not have computers at home. This hinders their ability to learn new technologies as compared to their peers who do have a PC at home. In addition, I often worry that my students will not use the resources properly.
“Successful businesses are looking for employees who can adapt to changing needs, juggle multiple responsibilities and routinely make decisions on their own” (Partnership for 21st Century Skills). My goal is to continue to teach my students the core subject of math and also teach them necessary skills to become successful citizens within the 21st century.
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I really liked the videos as well and found them very engaging and useful. After reading your post I plan on getting back on the site and taking the questionnaire to see how my school is doing when it comes to implementing 21st century skills. I tend to agree with you that it can be difficult when students do not have computer access at home so it is vital that we use our time wisely when covering these skills in the classroom. No matter what we teach there is always a way of incorporating these skills into our curriculum.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to agree that the necessity of learning core subjects is compatible with learning how to use twenty-first century technology. Some seem to fear that attempts to incorporate new technologies into our curriculum would distract us from teaching core subjects, but I believe the opposite is true. What makes these tools worthwhile in the greater world is their ability to facilitate learning and communication. Like all tools, these are a means to an end. Learning the use of the best tools is a necessary part of learning any craft.
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