References
Partnership for 21st
Century Skills. Retrieved May 13, 2012, from http://www.p21.org/Wednesday, May 23, 2012
21st Century Skills
Technology
has become so advanced and is constantly changing that as educators we have to
learn as much as we can in order to help benefit our students to the
fullest. The workplace depends a lot on
technology and the way classrooms are set up now is not based on that. Technology is slowly advancing into the
classroom but not only should the teachers change the way information is
presented, the students also need to be able to practice and learn this new
technology in a way that will help build their skills, like their 21st
century skills.
Incorporating
21st century skills into our classrooms are extremely important and
as educators we will have to start doing this sooner than later. I found the website on Partnership for the 21st century very
informational. These skills that they
consider 21st century skills are what our students need to become successful
in not only school, but the workplace as well.
I definitely agree with the six skills that they believe our students
need, core subjects, 21st century content, learning and thinking
skills, ICT literacy, life skills, and 21st century assessments.
(Partnership, 2012)
One thing
that surprised me when exploring this website was to see that Michigan has yet
to jump on board with this yet. I guess I
just assumed that they would be a part of this partnership because education is
such a high priority of our state, not that it is not in other states as well. Our district is already implying that we need
to incorporate more technology and build our students critical thinking skills
by doing more of a project based math than the normal math classes which ties
in with what this website is all about.
Along the
lines of project based math, I did find information on a 21st
century math map that has just been created.
In this brochure it shows several lesson plans for projects targeted
toward 4th grade, 8th grade, and 12th grade. Even though I do not teach any of those
grades, I know that I can still incorporate some of these ideas into my grade
levels. I would love to be able to work
with my colleagues on this and try to incorporate more. A lot of these projects I can see my students
getting excited over and would interest them, not only because it is not just pencil,
paper work but because they are able to actually use the skills that they are
taught in real life situations and use technology in order to do so. I am very excited to try and start doing this
because I know how much more my students will benefit from it in the long run
especially when these are skills that they need to be successful. I did not find anything that I disagree with on
this site.
The way we
teach our students in school is slowing changing and the needs of our students
are also changing. In order to compete
with other nations, our use of technology in the classroom has to increase,
especially when so much of the world around us is based off technology. These 21st century skills are definitely
a start and I will begin incorporating these skills into my classroom for the
benefit of both myself and my students.
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Hi Nicole,
ReplyDeleteI also found the math map to be extremely useful. The suggested activities gave me the reality that I can successfully start to incorporate 21st century skills, even if it is on a basic level. I found that I was already doing some of the suggested activities, and the website provided gave me new ideas to make my lessons more meaningful in order to cover additional 21st century skills. I think you made a great point, the needs of students are changing, and it is our job to keep up with this to meet our students' needs to help them become successful!
I agree with your statement that the way we teach our students is changing and that students are changing. It is amazing how knowledgeable students are about technology at a young age now. We have to use this knowledge to make our subject areas more meaningful to the students. Technology can significantly enhance lessons if used properly. When using technology it is important that we teach students proper ways to use it and how it can be incorporated in real-life. Like you said, students get excited when they see how it can be used in real-life.
ReplyDeleteI also was shocked that my home state was not a member of the website. I hope that, in the future, we will follow the lead of the many states that are already working on bringing 21st-century skills into the classroom. We are working on improving our 21st century skills, but I feel we are missing out by not collaborating with other states to discover the best methods.
N. Perior,
ReplyDeleteAs stated by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, there is a “profound gap between the knowledge and skills most students learn in school and the knowledge and skills they need in typical 21st century communities and work places” (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, n.d.). As educators, we are responsible for sealing the gap and teaching students the skills they need to succeed. As you had stated, technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Therefore the world outside of the classroom continues to transform.
I too found the website, created by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, informational and helpful. As an elementary school teacher I am required to teach multiple subject areas which can be overwhelming at times. The skills maps, created through the website, are a great resource and show how to incorporate 21st century skills into existing curriculums in efficient and engaging ways. I consider time, or lack there of, to be one of the biggest challenges faced by teachers today. With so much to teach and so little time additional skills or content can be viewed as somewhat burdensome. Rather than add skills, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills interweave skills.
Although you were an unable to find a skill map geared toward your grade level, I agree that it would be beneficial to utilize the skill maps that are available. Who knows what you may find. Best of luck!
- A. Legvari
References:
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.). A report and mile guide for 21st century skills. Washington DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/images/stories/otherdocs/p21up_Report.pdf