This week, our assignment is to explore this website, http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php
This website's mission is to "Serve as a catalyst to position 21st century skills at the center of US K-12 education by building collaborative partnerships among education, business, community and government leaders". As I explored the site further, I was pleasantly surprised to find that since 2002, there have been several familiar businesses involved with this movement.
- AOL Time Warner Foundation
- Apple Computer, Inc.
- Cable in the Classroom
- Cisco Systems, Inc.
- Dell Computer Corporation
- Microsoft Corporation
- National Education Association
- SAP
I was also surprised to find out that there is a State Initiative Program that states, "P21 Leadership States design new standards, assessments, and professional development programs that prepare students with the 21st century skills they need to be successful in school, work, and life. To become a P21 Leadership State, a state demonstrates commitment from the governor and chief state school officer and submits an application to P21 that describes the state’s plan to revise standards, create assessments and implement 21st century skills professional development programs." There are several states that take part in this initiative but the state that I currently teach in is not listed, which did not surprise me but was kind of disappointing.
I did not disagree with anything I found on the website, as a matter of fact it was very refreshing to know that we as educators are not alone. There is a gap between the way our schools are structured with respect to curriculum and the skills our students need to acquire for success in an increasingly global society. After viewing this website I have no doubt that there are other sites out there like it and that the gap is indeed closing for the better.
My mother always taught me that it is better to be part of the solution than to be part of the problem. So how can do my small part for my first grade students to help close the gap?
I have decided to incorporate technology as much as possible into my lesson plans. I have already taught my first graders to ask "why" during the learning process. Why are we reading this book, how does it compare to other stories we have read? How could you have handled this situation better? Would it had ended differently if...? I think I could encourage 21st century thinking by looking up answers to some questions on the computers. Better yet, I can teach my first graders how to research on their own using computers. Last week we explored wikis and I am eagerly waiting for the right time to introduce them to my class. I also have several students in my class who have family members who are deployed in Iraq/Afghanistan. I can start a blog newsletter to keep those family members up to speed on the progress of their students. There are endless possibilities!
I like your mother's advice,
I like your mother's advice, and it is very relevant here. What a great plan; to incorporate technology as much as possible. It sounds like you are already engaging your students in thinking critically as they learn. You have great ideas that your students will surely benefit from. I was wondering what kinds of questions you were considering looking up on the computers with your students?
Kids ask the darnest things
Hi Caroline!
Well since we ask so many questions in my class I am planning on letting the questions flow from our discussions. For instance when we were learning about Presidents and Black History month in Social Studies, a student wanted to know if Harriet Tubman and Abraham Lincoln new each other. That is something we could have looked up on the computer and then talked about time lines and dates, ordering numbers, etc....instead of me just answering the question and moving on.
"Excellence is not an act but a habit. The things you do the most are the things you will do the best" Marva Collins
21st Century Skills
I teach first grade and I think that it is very important that we incorporate as much technology into our lessons that we can. Teachers need to take the responsibility of seeing that our students of the 21st Century are as prepared as they can be. I do realize that many schools do not have the updated technology as other schools, but we can utilize our neighborhood resources, utilize our colleagues and what we do have in our schools to prepare the best we can. I agree with you in regards to teaching our little ones to ask "why." Many teachers teach and do not take the time to explain why, they need to know, and they have the right to know.
I have been a military wife for over 28 years and I remember keeping my spouse up on what our kids were doing by letters that use to take forever to get back and forth. Now with so many different types of technology we can communicate in minutes through e-mail, tele-conferencing, BLOGS, and WIKI's. My parents are so grateful when I can send a quick e-mail to let them know how their child is doing. It is also wonderful and I encourage it, for my parents that are deployed to write e-mails to me for me to read to their child. When a student walks into the classroom first thing in the morning and I call them over to my computer to let them know they got mail puts the biggest smile on their face and starts their day off even better than you can imagine
Ditto!
I too am a military wife as well a military child (my dad was in the Army). Technology has made it do much easier for us to communicate with our loved ones overseas. I remember writing letters to my dad while he was away and waiting weeks to get them back. HA! Not anymore. The possibilities are really limitless as to what doors we as educators can open with our students. Have you done a wiki with your class? If you have, besides a computer, what other tools do you have available when starting a wiki? I have yet to start that wiki I am so excited about....it's the end of the nine weeks here and crunch time, testing etc....I would love to collaborate somehow before the school year is over! :-)
"Excellence is not an act but a habit. The things you do the most are the things you will do the best" Marva Collins
I think it is important to
I think it is important to incorporate technology into the classroom no matter what grade it is. I feel that the younger the better so that students are gaining awareness of the technology available and the things offered with those sources of technology.
What are the basics of 21st century skills?
The basics of the 21st century are no different from the basics of the 19th century.
Reading (including library research), writing (taking thoughts in you mind and let others share) and arithmetic (being able to solve problems that involve numbers)
Reading really has not changed whether you use book or Kindle, but the Internet has taken the place of the library.
Writing has evolved into the word processor. But when is a child allowed to type on the computer? Too often only after they have mastered paper and pencil. Somehow the paper and pencil of the 19th century has survived into the 21st. Paper and pencil is still a useful skill, but it is secondary to keyboarding. Concentrate on keyboarding as the best way to write. It is easier for the child and let paper and pencil be in the background as another skill.
Arithmetic used to be essential until calculators, computers, and spreadsheets have automated arithmetic. In the 21st century, arithmetic is not as essential but we spend too much time on simple computation. Children need to be able to compute, but all too often the arithmetic stands in the way of the rest of mathematics. I personally think that a first grade child using a spreadsheet can advance in mathematics while the arithmetic is made invisible. The child still should be taught to compute (especially using estimation) but that should not be the basis of moving to different areas of mathematics.
You make some very valid
You make some very valid points, especially when it comes to arithmetic. Math is so much more than computation. I feel that for our students to succeed we educator's need to equip them with the tools to come to logical conclusions through estimating, problem solving, and creative thinking. This is missing from a lot of our classrooms.
"Excellence is not an act but a habit. The things you do the most are the things you will do the best" Marva Collins