Module 2 Assignment
For our Module 2 assignment, we have been asked to answer the following questions:
- What are 21st Century Skills?
- Who are 21st Century Learners?
- Why do we need to be concerned?
- How does it apply to your classroom?
- What are the challenges?
- What are some solutions?
What are 21st Century Skills (21CS)?
When I did a Google search for "What are 21st Century Skills", I got the following definitions:
Are skills students need to be successful in the 21st century. They include: cross-curricular skills and learning to learn skills.www.curriculum21.com/pd/resources/archives/glossary
Refers to the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed as effective citizens, workers, and leaders in the 21st century. ...icw.uschamber.com/content/speak-language-stem-terminology
I then went to the second link to find the full definition. It was:
Refers to the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed as effective citizens, workers, and leaders in the 21st century. This skills set includes: information and communication skills (information and media literacy skills; communication skills); thinking and problem-solving (critical thinking and systems thinking; problem identification; formulation and solution; creativity and intellectual curiosity); interpersonal and self-direction skills (interpersonal and collaborative skills; self-direction; accountability and adaptability; social responsibility); global awareness; financial, economic and business literacy, and developing entrepreneurial skills to enhance workplace productivity and career options; and civic literacy.
To me this distills down to independent and informed consumers and users of information in both the face-to-face and technological realms.
Who are 21st Century Learners?
Looking to answer this question, I came across the wiki for the International School Bangkok. I loved this graphic that they created to show what makes up a 21st Century Learner (21CL).
They go on to further define the terms that they use in the graphic on their 21st Century Learner page.
Why Do We Need to Be Concerned? What Are Some of the Challenges?
I found this article, written for the higher ed audience, that I feel highlights many of the concerns of educators about working with the 21CL. This article also voices some of the same concerns.
Working effectively with 21CLs is challenging for traditional educational institutions. The policies and procedures that are in place are designed to throttle our students' access to the very tools that they need to be using. Our fear that they will encounter something inappropriate is stifling their creativity. Shouldn't we instead be helping our students learn to be critical consumers of the technology so that they can make informed judgments about what seems off or dangerous to them?
This video addresses the issue of teacher education and 21CS. My favorite quote from this is from Dr. Sharon P. Robinson, the President and CEO of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE). "We used to develop in students a passion to learn all the right answers. We want 21st century students to have a passion for asking new questions."
Working effectively with 21CLs is challenging for traditional educational institutions. The policies and procedures that are in place are designed to throttle our students' access to the very tools that they need to be using. Our fear that they will encounter something inappropriate is stifling their creativity. Shouldn't we instead be helping our students learn to be critical consumers of the technology so that they can make informed judgments about what seems off or dangerous to them?
This video addresses the issue of teacher education and 21CS. My favorite quote from this is from Dr. Sharon P. Robinson, the President and CEO of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE). "We used to develop in students a passion to learn all the right answers. We want 21st century students to have a passion for asking new questions."
How Does It Apply to Your Classroom?
Considering that my "classroom" will (hopefully) be an entire school, that's a really broad question. I hope to support the use of technology through my classroom guidance lessons. One of the ways that I could see me using 21CS are small group blogs. Instead of the typical model of a small group counseling lesson once a week, students could interact with each other through the use of a blog throughout our time together. This would not replace face-to-face time but would be supplemental to help students support each other more regularly. Depending on the nature of the topic, these blogs could be public or private.
I also plan on using technology to keep in touch with parents through the use of blogs and other online materials that they may find helpful in supporting their child.
I also plan on using technology to keep in touch with parents through the use of blogs and other online materials that they may find helpful in supporting their child.
What Are Some Solutions?
The biggest of the solution is for teachers to break down the barriers that they have to the use of technology. In my current position, I go out and do trainings for teachers on the use of technology in the classroom. It is both heartening and disheartening at the same time to see how they are excited by the smallest technologies. I am thrilled to be able to share with them websites and resources that will help them connect with their students but I am also saddened that here is it 2012 and SOOOOOO many of them are just now learning about these things. I'm including a link to the GoogleSite that I have created for my technology trainings. We don't go through all of these resources in every training but the site stays available (and is frequently curated by me) for future use.
The next solution is for school systems to bring down the barriers to access to technology and a commitment to valuing the process of learning rather than just the rote learning of facts. I read recently about the Republican Party in Texas' Educational Platform and it frightens me to no end. I sincerely hope that their stance of opposing Higher-Order Thinking Skills will not be implemented. If it is, then we risk that sort of mentality spreading across our country and taking us back rather than forward.
The next solution is for school systems to bring down the barriers to access to technology and a commitment to valuing the process of learning rather than just the rote learning of facts. I read recently about the Republican Party in Texas' Educational Platform and it frightens me to no end. I sincerely hope that their stance of opposing Higher-Order Thinking Skills will not be implemented. If it is, then we risk that sort of mentality spreading across our country and taking us back rather than forward.
References
(2009). Teacher Education and 21st Century Skill [Online video]. Pearson Foundation. Retrieved September 4, 2012, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eGHAuV5yLo&ytsession=QLg2RJtSWQuoj_hab_qyfRRdqAZc2BhdN7ejy30Ux1IpwKn410sAr0vEyoVFUVEQ0KEYfPYzVpMjbTg44w7uwxHL16BYpsSBZiP9HQNu_HfzxmR24-IN-6pfPBgxBBgMx8IhKwW3_NTA7-HSZnF
Glossary of curriculum mapping terms. (n.d.). In Curriculum 21: Mapping the Global Classroom of the Future. Retrieved September 4, 2012, from http://www.curriculum21.com/pd/curriculum-mapping/archives/glossary/
(n.d.). In ISB 21st Century Literacy. Retrieved September 4, 2012, from http://isb21.wikispaces.com/
Richardson, C. (2008, June 17). 21st century learners: An introduction. In Hotchalk. Retrieved September 4, 2012, from http://www.hotchalk.com/mydesk/index.php/editorial/54-students/100-21st-century-learners-an-introduction
Rodgers, M., Runyon, D., Starrett, D., & Von Holzen, R. (2006). Teaching the 21st century learner. In University of Wisconsin-Madison Distance Education Professional Development Certificate Programs. Retrieved September 4, 2012, from http://depd.wisc.edu/series/06_4168.pdf
Speak the language: STEM terminology. (n.d.). In Institute for a Competitive Workforce. Retrieved September 4, 2012, from http://icw.uschamber.com/content/speak-language-stem-terminology
Strauss, V. (2012, July 9). Texas GOP rejects 'critical thinking' skills. Really. In The Washington Post. Retrieved September 4, 2012, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/texas-gop-rejects-critical-thinking-skills-really/2012/07/08/gJQAHNpFXW_blog.html
