If you haven’t already please take a look at the Partnership for 21st Century Skills website located at Partnership for 21st Century Skills. This site has useful information regarding skills, knowledge and expertise our students should master in order to succeed in the working world as we know it today. I have found valuable information including what the 21st Century Skills look like, guidelines for teachers to follow when planning professional development as well as videos that have really brought this framework to life for me.
Some of the information on the site that helped me develop a new understanding of the issues surrounding the 21st Century skills were the articles because, they had so much information that helped me understand what this framework is, and could do if we were all on board. I like the fact that the 21st Century Skills is real, rigorous, and rewarding for all that take a part in it. It doesn’t just stop when you graduate high school this is information and knowledge that is linked to learning a career that you pick and can take with you. Also to support what it could do were the videos which I felt, were a big part as well.
For me as a contemporary educator I feel that if educating my students the 21st Century Skills way will help the attendance issues that we have state wide and decrease the drop out rates that we face each year this is what I would want to be teaching. If we can engage our students with new approaches to career and technical education to benefit them for their future why are there only 15 out of 50 states on board and mine is NOT one? The students that take part in the 21st Century Skills are better prepared to succeed in today’s real world than those that do not get the chance to.
I liked the 21st century site. Too many students today feel like what they are learning doesn't apply to their lives. The 21st century skills drive this point home. The skills they need to learn are for future careers. I liked reading your post and your blog is looking great!
ReplyDeleteLisa,
ReplyDeleteI like how you say the website gives you an explanation to help you to, “understand what this framework is, and what it could do if we were all on board.” I absolutely agree. For me, it’s easier to understand things if it’s laid out there for me. This site does precisely that for me…lays it out.
I think about a couple of things here: the classroom that I work in and the one lonely computer in the back of the room and about what might happen if we had more computers and the students were given working communities to work in with those computers! Can you imagine the exploring and learning that could be facilitated there?
The possibilities here are endless…
I like your point about the attendance issue. I too agree that if we were incorporating technology more often students would want to be at school. A lot of our attendance issues, at my school, are because the students decide that they do not want to come or the parents do not want to walk them. If the students were more excited about coming to school then we may not have this issue. I think the next step we also need to take is helping educate our parents. We are constantly updating our knowledge of technology, what about the parents who do not have access to it? It would be nice if schools could take some time to educate the parents on some of the technology also. It could also help with our parents who struggle to make ends meet if we introduced them to these important skills.
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