21st Century Skills

21^st Century Skills

            Technology changes daily and schools and educators must find a way to keep up with the changing times.  Using blogs, wikis, and podcasts in the classroom are becoming more common and something the students look forward too.  Before viewing the Partnership for 21^st century skills website I knew technology was important in the classroom but I never realized how much new technology is also changing our workforce.  Teachers must incorporate technology in the classroom or they will be letting their students down.     

            After visiting the Partnership for 21st Century Skills website for the first time my initial reaction was this was a step in the right direction to help formulate a plan to keep our young students prepared to compete in the international job force.  The website spoke about the model framework they have created to help students and teachers understand the importance of technology. “The Framework present a holistic view of 21^st century teaching and learning that combines a discrete focus on 21^st century student outcomes with innovative support systems to help students master the multi-dimensional abilities required of them in the 21^st century” (Partnership,2011). 

            After reading their mission statement, “To serve as a catalyst to position 21^st century readiness at the center of the US K12 education by building collaborative partnerships among education, business, community and government leaders” (Partnership,2011) I was able to gather a better understanding of what this site wanted to accomplish.  If you explore the website closely almost every subject taught in public schools has its own map for the future.  The website breaks down new technology terms and maps out what the students should be accomplishing in each grade level.  It closely resembles a curriculum map but this map focuses mainly on technology.  For example when reading over the science map, the introduction of the map states  the following, “This map provides opportunities  to engage students and teachers in geographic inquiry that align with contemporary methods and concepts for studying Earth in terms of natural and human characteristics” (Partnerships, 2011).  As you read through the map all different skills are listed and after each skill the break down what should be accomplished by the end of fourth grade, eighth grade and high school is listed.  Each skill for each grade level has a learning outcome, three to four examples and technology that should be used to accomplish your learning outcome.  Not only is this site helping students and teachers use technology but also focusing on 21 century jobs.  As Dr. Thornburg stated in this week’s video employers are listing similar job requirements they want in each candidate.  The skills he discussed were, critical thinking, problem solving, team work, communication skills, familiar with information technology, leadership skills, is a lifelong learner, strong ethics, has professionalism and most importantly are creative and an innovative thinker (Laureate Education, Inc, 2008).  The site also touches on the importance of speaking opportunities and oral presentations.  All skills needed for a 21^st century employee.  I will often revisit the site to make sure I am properly preparing my students for the new technological world and properly prepare them for the international working world.

            Information that I was disappointed with rather than disagreeing with was the absent of physical education and health on their website.  As a physical education teacher and health teacher I am always looking for ways to incorporate technology into my classroom.  There were maps available on the site for world language, English, science, math and social studies.  While there was a map discussing the importance of collaboration and teamwork which takes place in the gym but I wish it was more detailed and explored more ways to incorporate technology into the classroom.  As American students are becoming more comfortable with technology and it is becoming more accessible the growth of child obesity grows.  I think this website should examine the importance of active and healthy lifestyles while incorporating technology.  Students spend hours on the computer now a days but lack exercise habits and nutrition habits.

            The implications are clear, all teachers and students must adapt to the changing age of education.  I must continue to learn about technology and use my many resources to help brainstorm ideas and concepts to incorporate technology into the classroom.  Not only will it help the students in the classroom and at this current time but it will help prepare them for their future.  Technology has become a must of everyday life and teachers now must make it a part of everyday education. 

            “Regardless of how educators feel about the potential of wikis, and I can understand the hesitancy many teachers feel, one thing remains certain:  The collaborative environment that wikis facilitate can teacher students much about how to work with others, how to create community and how to operate in a world where the creation of knowledge and     information is more and more becoming a group effort” (Richardson, 2010).

As the author Will Richardson stated above, we may be hesitant to use technology in our classrooms but it is becoming increasingly clear if we do not we would be falling behind the times and letting our students down.

References:

http://www.p21.org/index.php- The partnership for 21st century skills.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Skills for the 21^st century. Baltimore, Maryland

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