Looking at 21st Century Skills

Throughout the past couple of days, I have spent some time exploring the website and a report presented by the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills which is “a national organization that advocates for 21^st century readiness for every student” (Partnership for 21^st Century Skills, n.d.). The business and everyday world around us is constantly changing due in a large part to advancing technology. According to the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills, “today’s education system faces irrelevance unless we bridge the gap between how students live and how they learn” (n.d.). This organization is working with states and schools on bridging that gap by focusing on six critical elements. These six elements are: (1) emphasizing core subjects; (2) emphasizing the learning of information, communication, thinking, problem solving, interpersonal, and self-directional skills; (3) using 21^st century tools to develop learning skills; (4) teaching and learning in a 21^st century context; (5) teaching and learning the 21^st century content of global awareness and financial, economic, business, and civic literacy; and (6) using 21^st century assessments that measure 21^st century skills (Partnership for 21^st Century Skills, n.d.). The hope is that if schools address these six elements appropriately our students will be prepared for the world they will enter after high school.

During my research, I found that my beliefs are aligned with the organization’s mission and goals. I completely agree that our students need to develop the appropriate skills to enable them to be successful in the future and competitive in the workforce. When our students graduate and begin looking for jobs, they are going to have to compete globally and against machines (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010b). It is essential that we as educators realize this and prepare our students in the best manner possible. I feel that the six elements listed above can help our students learn what they really need to know in their futures. The Partnership for 21^st Century Skills is aligned with the No Child Left Behind mandates and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) skills which I find important. We are becoming less competitive in our STEM skills globally and this needs to change (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010a). Another aspect of the site and organization that I like is the fact that they emphasize collaboration and professional development. I believe that those are two key factors in the growth of any educator or educational system. Overall, the information provided by the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills is great because it explains its goals and mission, describes why and how it is beneficial and needed, and provides steps and resources for people, schools, and states to follow to begin implementing these skills into curriculum. I found all of the information to be helpful in understanding the importance and necessity of incorporating 21^st century skills into our classrooms.

Looking at this information makes me think about the implications it presents for my students and for me as a teacher. I know that I am going to make a huge effort to provide opportunities for my students to develop the skills they will need in the future to be successful. Learning more about the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills has validated the importance of integrating more meaningful and innovative technology into my classroom. I truly feel that doing so will aid in my students’ development of the skills they need. There truly can be nothing greater professionally than to really feel that your students are receiving the most relevant, meaningful, and beneficial education possible. I am working hard to ensure that I can provide this type of education for my students.    

Resources

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010a). Skills for the 21^st century. [Video webcast]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2819318_1%26url%3D

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010b). The changing work environment, part 2. [Video webcast]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2819318_1%26url%3D

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/storage/documents/P21_Report.pdf

Incorporating Blogs in the Classroom

As stated in my previous post, I am trying to plan how I will incorporate Blogs into my high school (grades 9 – 12) ELL classroom during the upcoming school year. I believe that blogging can always be beneficial in the classroom, but it will be especially so for me during this specific school year because I am going to be on maternity leave during a portion of the first semester. Having my students create Blogs will enable me to continue to be involved without actually being present in the classroom. I can check on their posts whenever is convenient for me and provide the necessary feedback to help them continue to grow.

My first step of this project will be to get parent approval. According to Will Richardson (2010) in Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, the best way to do this is to send a letter home that includes “a description of the technology, how it will be used, what security measures have been put in place, what [my] expectations are for [my] students, and what the curricular goals are for its use” that parents must sign. I will also discuss the proper use of Blogs, my expectations, and internet safety with my students. From there, we will begin our blogging journey. My idea right now is to utilize the Blogs to have my students answer specific questions or respond to prompts. They will need to log into my Blog where I will post questions and/or prompts either related to whatever topic is being covered in class or general topics that will enable them to work on their writing abilities. I will post a rubric or detailed explanation of the requirements and deadlines for their responses as well. After students respond, I will then read each response and provide feedback. I have not decided whether or not I would like the students to comment on each other’s posts in the beginning. I may simply have them get used to sharing information online and being comfortable stating their opinions and responses at first. ELL students may be shy and nervous about their ideas being visible to other people, and feedback from peers may not be beneficial in the initial stages. Once they become more confident, I would like to have them begin writing comments on classmates’ Blogs. We will discuss proper methods of doing this before it is actually required, and students will know that I have no tolerance for inappropriate posts and/or comments of any kind. I am not exactly sure how often I will have students post. I will probably begin with one post a week and make adjustments from there.

The general purpose for the Blogs will be to enhance writing abilities in regard to content, organization, and language usage. It will also be beneficial for preparing students for discussions we will have in class. In my ELL classroom, I try to create an environment where students are participating and talking as much as possible. We do a lot of oral questions and discussion appropriate for the language abilities of the students. Having students organize their thoughts prior to a discussion is an excellent tool. It helps students to feel confident and able to contribute. Another benefit of the Blogs is that the questions and prompts that I post will force students to think deeper about the topics being covered. They will be able to work on skills such as stating opinions with rationale, relating text to real life, answering questions with support from resources, and more. They will also practice writing academically on a computer rather than with slang and abbreviations. Kathy Martin, a 6^th grade teacher who utilizes Blogs in her classroom, found that her students really did not understand how to appropriately answer a question on a Blog that was visible to everyone (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010). It is important that students are able to do this. These skills will help my ELL students to be more successful in all their classes and in their futures beyond high school. Many of my learning goals could be achieved through simply answering questions on paper, but incorporating Blogs ties more into the interests, language, and skills needed for the future of high school students.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Spotlight on technology: Blogging in the classroom [Video webcast]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2819318_1%26url%3D

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

A New Adventure

I have recently decided to venture into the world of blogging. I am an English Language learners (ELL) teacher at the high school level. Through this blog, I am going to share my plans and experiences of incorporating technology into my ELL classroom. In the past, my use of technology in teaching has been limited to PowerPoint presentations, video clips, and programs like Microsoft Excel. This can be viewed as doing the same old things differently rather than doing different things with technology (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010). I have been very cautious about doing different things because I have not taken the time to truly understand how to use many of the new and exciting ideas that are available. That is all about to change though. I am currently working on my Master's degree of Integrating Technology into the Classroom. As I learn about new and innovative ways to utilize technology in my teaching, I will bring them into my classroom and document the results. I know that there are a number of ways that technology can be used to assist my students as they progress in their English language acquisition. I am excited about sharing my experiences and hearing ideas and suggestions from others.

I am currently in the planning stages of having my ELL students create their own blogs during the upcoming school year. I have not decided exactly how I will do this, but I do know that it will be a great way for my students to practice and progress in their English writing abilities. Creating my own blog will allow me to be more of an "expert" when I help my students begin their own. I would love to hear from others who have used blogs in their classrooms. I am always open to tips and tricks.

 

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). The emergence of educational technology [Video webcast]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2819318_1%26url%3D