21st Century Skills

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is a Web site dedicated to infusing 21st century skills into education. I spent several hours perusing the site and reading many articles (http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/). It offers information on the topic of technology and its importance to education. One of the things I discovered that surprised me is that there are only ten states that have initiated discussions and programs to address the issue of specific technology skills. My state is not one of them. This surprises me because we have a great education system that seems to be in the forefront of new initiatives. Perhaps we are in a “wait and see” mode.

My initial reaction to the Web site is that it seemed to be one-sided, a “cheer-leader” for 21st Century Skills and a shopping mart for education resources. As I delved deeper, I was happy to find opposing viewpoints. Bill Tucker, the author of “Beyond the Bubble: Technology and the Future of Student Assessment” comments that these 21st century skills will be invaluable if they result in more equitable and effective schools. I worry that the access or non-access to technology will create an even wider education gap between those students with home access to computers and those without. I especially agree with his comment about American education, “…a tendency to run after every shiny new idea often leads to faddishness that slights the most disadvantaged students” (Tucker, 2009). In the quest to do what’s best for our students, it’s easy to jump on the nearest and newest bandwagon. I’ve been through a myriad of “this will work; use this!” vocabulary programs, reading programs, thematic units, grammar teaching, no grammar teaching, etc. and it’s hard not to think that this focus on 21st century skills is just another wagon. The article, “What to learn: ‘core knowledge’ or 21st –century skills, debates whether one or the other is the best way to go. E.D. Hirsch is quoted as saying that without core knowledge, critical thinking can’t occur. He advocates leveling the playing field for all students by teaching extensive background knowledge (Toppo, 2009). I believe that a more centric approach is important; to teach content in a technological environment. Claus von Zastrow proposes this in his blog that, as educators, we shouldn’t have to choose between content and skills (Zastrow, 2009).

The implication of this debate is not earth shattering at this time. I will continue to teach the English curriculum content. I will however, acknowledge and implement critical thinking skills and the collaborative process in my lesson planning. This knowledge of the possible (and probable) future expectations my students will most likely meet requires innovation on my part as an educator and also as a leader of other teachers in my department. It reminds me that teachers need to be learners too.

References
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Retrieved March 25, 2009, from http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/

Toppo, Greg. (2009, March 5).What to learn: ‘core knowledge’ or ‘21st-century skills’? USA Today. Retrieved March 25, 2009, from http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-03-04-core-knowledge_N.htm

Tucker, Bill. (2009, February 7). Beyond the bubble: technology and the future of student assessment. Education Sector Reports. Retrieved March 25, 2009, from http://www.educationsector.org/research/research_show.htm?doc_id=826893

Zastrow, Claus von. (2009, March 2). Do we have to choose? Blog. Retrieved on March 25, 2009, from http://www.publicschoolinsights.org/node/2343

How to Get Students to Care?

I've just survived the first day of state testing. My students were well-prepared and ready. We have read, written, discussed, quizzed, laughed, wondered, re-written, developed, homeworked, graded, peer-graded, reading strategized, etc. all year. Why, then, do some of them choose to RACE through the state test? Either I've helped them become brilliant and efficient test takers and students, or they just want to finish and move on to something else? I'll keep my fingers crossed that it's the former! Have other teachers experienced the same feeling of disappointment, dismay, or disbelief that I am at this moment? What can we do as educators to help children see that everything really does matter?

On the other hand, there were many wonderful, dedicated students who took the test today very seriously. I guess I've answered my own question...

Any ideas?

Blogs in The Classroom

My 7th grade English students have just chosen an independent novel related to the unit theme. They read the books on their own and then meet every so often in a Literature Circle to discuss (with three other students who are reading the same novel)questions related to theme, characterization, plot, etc. Instead of the traditional "sit around four desks and talk about the book when the teacher walks by," discussion, I wonder if students could be assigned a specific question on a blog, asked to respond to the question, required to read the posts of the other students in the group, and then asked to respond to a certain number of comments. It seems to me that the students might be more interested if they actually put their comments where others can see them and then have the opportunity to also put their comments in a public place.

I have several concerns about this:
Is it possible to create a blog that is only used by students in my class? At this time, my school district does not allow for public blogs, so I'm wondering if there is a "private" blog.
To keep it appropriate, do I have to monitor every post and comment before it goes up?
How does a teacher manage this without having to read a huge amount of entries?

The other idea I have is to use a blog to showcase student work. Students choose a writing assignment to post and share with the rest of the class and perhaps the school.

I look forward to hearing from teachers who have done this before.

Donna

English Teacher Blog

Teaching English to middle school students is a challenge, a trial, and an exciting opportunity. On the one hand, students strive to show their knowledge, sophistication, and maturity. On the other hand, they like to play, dream, and act silly. The adolescent learner wants so much to be grown up, respected, and cherished. Being around middle school students makes a teacher feel old and incredibly young. Bringing technology to my classroom and my students may help to combine the old and the new. If I'm interested in the newest technology, I imagine my students are too.

Donna