The Partnership for the 21st Century Skills

As we all know, advances in technology are rapidly changing the world in which we live.  Along with our changing world, business are changing the ways in which they operate as well.  The problem is, that the world of education has a tendency to react slowly to changes such as this or resist them altogether due to the lack of technological knowledge by many in the teacher workforce (Miners & Pascopella, 2007).  Recently, I spent some time reviewing the Partnership for the 21st Century Skills website.  This website was created by such companies as Apple, Microsoft, Verizon, Dell, Crayola, The Walt Disney Company, and the LEGO Group just to name a few.  The purpose of this website is to develop strategies created through collaboration by varying businesses, educational leaders, and governmental policy makers to ensure that students are being taught what is considered to be '21st Century Skills' in the classrooms in order to prepare them for the current trends in today's workforce.

Upon first visiting this website, I found the layout to be confusing.  Much of their layout appeared to be cluttered and I found it hard to locate exactly what their purpose was.  For a movement that is being organized by some of the most innovative and tech-savy companies in today's workforce, I would expect to find a web site that is both attractive in its appearance and easy to navigate.  However, that is not the case with the Partnership for the 21st Century Skills website.

Upon viewing the framework, as shown above, for what this movement hopes to accomplish, I found myself agreeing with many of the goals this group has developed.  In order to ensure their success, students need to master the skills of critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).  The framework above agrees with this very thinking since it places these four skills at the center of its student outcomes.  I also agree with the emphasis that 21st century skills places on technology skills as well.  With the sudden advancement in technology that is occurring throughout the world, it is vital for students to possess the necessary skills that will allow them to utilize these technological advancements.  One aspect in regards to this website was the fact that some sections of it was out of date.  Since I am always looking for new websites or lessons that feature technology that I can incorporate into my classroom, I decided to browse through the site's 'Route 21 Editor's Picks' for resources.  Once I navigated to this page, I saw resources listed that were no longer available or outdated.  For a website that is touting a social change that accompanies what amounts to a technological revolution within the education system, I was very disappointed in the upkeep and limited resources that were being touted as 'Editor's Picks'.  If anything, I expected an all-encompassing list of the newest and most efficient resources that the internet has to offer.

As stated previously, I do agree with The Partnership for the 21st Century Skills and their push to utilize technology within the curriculum along with a priority placed on such skills as critical thinking, increased communication and collaboration, along with a need for creativity within our students.  The one area I have always questioned with this movement is how much emphasis they place upon the need to master the curriculum as well.  I'm concerned that the basic need of understanding and mastering curriculum is being overshadowed by demand for increasing technology within the classroom.

The overwhelming aspect of this movement for educators is in its implementation alone.  Both administrators and teachers will be forced to shift from 'paper and pencil' style of learning that is utilized in many school districts today where the teacher is the sole provider of information to an altogether new learning style in which the students are responsible for their own learning while the teacher facilitates and guides them when necessary.  Notice, I haven't even included the need for teachers to receive technology training and continued training that will allow them to be knowledgeable with the latest technological trends as they are occurring within the workplace.  All of which is a monumental task, in the least, for the ever-shrinking school budgets.  Although, one would think that with such companies as Apple, Microsoft, and Verizon already on-board, that receiving the necessary funds for this technology and training would not be a problem for schools, especially if these companies are truly as invested in this movement and the development of 21st Century Skills for our students as they claim to be.

Reference:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Program number 11: Skills for the 21st century [DVD]. Understanding the impact of technology on education, work, and society. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Miners, Z., & Pascopella, A. (2007). The new literacies. District Administration, 43(10), 26–34. Used by permission. 

Help! Which would be better?

Even though this post is not class related, I figure I may as well put this blog to use.  I would like to create some sort of page for my 5th grade class that would allow me to communicate with students and parents via the internet.  So, my question is, which format would be better?  A traditional class website using something like Google or a blog similar to the one I'm using here?

Here are some of the things I would like to have posted on my 'site':

1.  homework / projects
2.  A list of useful websites that we've talked about during class or websites that could help students enhance their understanding of concepts or topics discussed during class.
3.  A place where announcements or upcoming events could be posted.
4.  A place where parents could post comments or questions they have.
5.  A place where I can post a 'quote of the week' or even a 'website of the week'.  For the website of the week, students and/or parents could post their opinions of the site as well if they have tried it.

Any ideas and/or comments as to which would be the best type of site or format to use that would allow me to implement these types of things would be greatly appreciated!

Blogging with 5th Graders

Where does it fit in?  The title of this blog is the question that I am currently grappling with in regards to technology.  With all of the new advancements and the speed with which they are occurring, I have been left to wonder what is the best way to teach my students?  What new pieces of technology should I be incorporating within my teaching?  Will my students actually benefit from these new techniques and/or styles?  Or, are some of these new advancements nothing more than the latest fad that will end up fading away just as quickly as they were designed?

One of these new tools that are available for teachers to use are weblogs, or their more popular moniker, blogs.  As a fifth grade science and social studies teacher, I am left with the question of where do blogs fit within my curriculum?  This spring, we will be learning about the American Revolution in social studies.  One new form of technology that I plan on using within my classroom for that unit is essentially a 'choose your own adventure' type of experience that will allow students to go back in time.  Mission US is a website that will allow students to become a character from Boston during the year of 1770.  As the character of 'Nat Wheeler', students will have an opportunity to experience what it was like to live in Boston and experience the mood of the city leading up to the Revolution.  Students will be able to make decisions and choose dialogue in regards to how they feel about the events that are happening around them.  The experience of their character will be based on the decisions they make, thus, allowing each student to essentially experience a different story from their classmates.

While utilizing this website, I also plan on having my students blog about their experience.  This blog would serve several purposes.  First, it would allow students to express their thoughts as to what they are experiencing with their character.  Are they happy with the apparent path that their character is on?  What side do they end up on?  Would they go back and choose differently based on where their character ended up?  Do they agree with the path their character is on?  Are they surprised by anything that has happened to their character?  I will also use this blog to pose historical questions about events leading up to the Revolution.  Asking students how they would react to other major events that led to the start of the Revolution based on what they have experienced with their character.  Students will also have the opportunity to predict what they think their character will do next based on their experiences as well.

Even though that research has shown that blogs enhance both critical and analytical thinking in students, I do face a challenge with the implementation of this project (Richardson, 2010).  Many new approaches or advancements for learning that are available on the Internet are blocked by my school district.  Blogs are currently one of these blocked applications.  Even though a blog may enhance the learning of my students and offer them an opportunity to collaborate with each other in terms of what they are learning, I will still need get 'permission' to use a site such as this.  Either that, or have my students who are able to blog outside of school while they are at home.  The problem with this approach is that not all of my students have a computer at home or access to the Internet.  While blogs are a good way to promote creativity in a social environment, there are still many obstacles left for some of us to overcome with their acceptance.


Reference:

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Mission US:  A Revolutionary Way to Learn History
http://www.mission-us.org/

Times are changing...

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.

George Bernard Shaw

Whether we want to admit it or not, we are living in the middle of a technological boom.  One day, history will look back on many of today's inventors and innovators in the same manner that we look back on Thomas Edison.  While advancements in technology are altering the way society and businesses function, how are these advancements effecting the classroom?  What role should technology have in the way that teachers teach and students learn?  Teachers are entering unchartered waters when it comes to how much or the ways in which technology should be integrated into their classroom.  How much of a role does it play in your classroom?  What are some devices or websites that you have found that work or don't work?  Feel free to share your thoughts and ideas here.