Reaction to Partnership for 21st Century Skills Website

My reaction to the website:

My initial reaction to the website was that it was not very user friendly. I had trouble navigating it, and finding information about the purpose of the website. However, as I continued to browse through the website, I was able to find some useful information through looking at the frequently asked questions page. Once I was able to find the mission and purpose of the website, I was pleased that there was an organization that is devoted to helping students develop the 21^st century skills that are needed to compete in today’s global economy.

Information that helped me to develop an understanding of the issues surrounding 21^st century skills:

I really liked the graphic that depicted the framework for 21^st century skills. It helped me to understand what the outcomes are that we want students to achieve with 21^st century skills, as well as the things that help you achieve those outcomes. The graphic did a good job of pinpointing exactly what students need to develop in order to have a good set of 21^st century skills. The outcomes were life and career skills, learning and innovation skills, core subjects, and information, media, and technology skills. The supports for these outcomes are standards and assessments, curriculum and instruction, professional development, and learning environments. The part of the graphic that helped me the most was the learning and innovation skills outcomes. This is because it is broken down into four C’s: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. I think focusing on implementing these four C’s into all aspects of my lessons will really help my students in developing 21^st century skills.

Information on the site that I disagree with:

I did not agree with the website’s stance that our educational standards should be rewritten to fit with the 21^st century skills. I think that standards should be written according to the content. I think that we can definitely change the process in which we teach our standards by including the 21^st century skills, but I think it is a stretch to rewrite standards according to these skills. After all, the standards are content specific because they pertain to a subject of the curriculum that is necessary to have a well-rounded education. I think the content in math, science, literature, social sciences, and the arts should usurp the 21^st century skills when it comes to creating those standards. However, I do think it is extremely important that we focus on those skills in our teaching. But, we should not change our standards because of those skills.

Implications for students and teacher:

The implications of this website for my students are that the skills that they need in their lives are different from those that their parents had. The skills they need are based very much on the advancement and development of technology. Their ability to learn to adapt to changes in technology, as well as their ability to work and communicate with a team are things that will be crucial to them being successful. They also need to be willing to be lifelong learners because the way we communicate and share information is changing rapidly with the advancement of technology. As a teacher, it is important that I make sure I am preparing them for this in the way that I teach and assess them. I am responsible for helping them become successful, and now that includes helping develop their 21^st century skills.

How can you use blogs in the classroom?

There are many ways that blogs can be utilized in the classroom, such as online discussions, communicating with parents, or completing assignments (November, 2008).

I teach 10th grade mathematics, and I feel that one way blogs can be best utilized in my classroom is through collaboration with other classes or students. My school will soon begin placing an emphasis on cross-curricular projects, and I feel that a blog can help my students communicate with other classes if they are working on a project together. A blog should help alleviate some of the logistical issues that arrive from this type of project because students from one course can present their information or findings to the other class within the blog. Students could log on to find information on the project, or to ask questions or discuss issues that arise during the project.

Using a blog in this way enhances the lesson because students are creating classroom community and learning about the content of the lessons. Also, students are able to continue their learning at anytime or anywhere just by having access to the internet. Students from both classes can learn from each other without teachers having to set up times for each class to meet together during the school day. If you have any ideas on how teachers are using blogs in the classroom, please share them as I am trying to develop how I will use them within my classroom.

Thanks,
Bryan

Reference:

November, A. (2008). Web literacy for educators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Welcome!

Hello!

My name is Bryan, and welcome to my blog. I will be using this platform to discuss the impact of technology on work, education, and society through my Graduate course at Walden University. Feel free to comment and any pertinent content that will add value to the blog.

Thanks!