"Preparing students for the 21st century" is a phrase on the lips of school administrators everywhere. Our own suburban New York high school principal has asked study groups of staff members to form to study the question - Are we preparing our students for the 21st century? As an assignment for my Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society grad. school class, I visited the website: http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/. They are the self described "...leading advocacy organization infusing 21st century skills into education."
I watched an interesting YouTube video link to a speech by president Ken Kay expressing ideas every teacher would agree with, specifically that all students deserve both "world class content and world class skills." I agree with their basic premise and many of their ideas appear to be sound ones. Weaving curricula together through interdisciplinary themes and adding global awareness into the core curricula should be features of all schools today. More lessons on Learning and Innovation, and Information, Media and Technology Skills seem in order to prepare our students for a different future than we were prepared for.
I was inspired and intrigued to read what they had to say yet found myself frustrated by the web site they had created. As I navigated the site I was constantly redirected to the colorful logo any business executive would love. Called the "framework for 21st century teaching and learning", it is a bit obscure -- a rainbow on a pedestal labelled with terms that need defining and complex ideas that deserve elaboration. Browsing Resources I consistently hit walls - The link 21st Century Information Fluency/Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy took me to a page explaining how the info is now proprietary. The link 21st Century Skills and ePortfolio High School Curriculum took me to a page that linked me to a sakai to join. But I perservered and found the link -http://www.cellt.org/diglib titled "For Immediate Download" and there were pdf files of interesting lessons to try.
This project shows that important work is underway studying and exploring how we can best prepare students for this centiry of innovation and comminucation and could be a useful resource for contemporary educators. The biggest change I would appreciate and advocate for is the focus on Life and Career skills of flexibility, adaptation, initiative, self-direction, productivity and accountability. These skills are highly prized and lacking in many high school students in my classes. Interestingly, they are not skills that require high tech tools to teach either.
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I think the ideas raised in you post should be connected and posted in every classroom because they summarize the role of every classroom teacher. “World class content and world classes “ best work together when woven together “ through interdisciplinary themes.” After exploring the site do you feel that your district will embrace the views of the Partnership or simply take the central ideas and say “we are already implemented this skills” ?
ReplyDeleteI think the ideas raised in you post should be connected and posted in every classroom because they summarize the role of every classroom teacher. “World class content and world classes “ best work together when woven together “ through interdisciplinary themes.” After exploring the site do you feel that your district will embrace the views of the Partnership or simply take the central ideas and say “we are already implemented this skills” ?
ReplyDeleteChristine to Jon:
ReplyDeleteOur school district leadership is a progressive and proactive group on the whole. Global Awareness has been emphasized as a central pillar to build a sound education upon for at least four years now. Classes from K -12 teach using Glogal Awareness themes. Advancing technology in the classroom has been a priority in recent years as well...But only this school year has the stated goal of preparing students for the 21st century begun to be presented and discussed during staff meetings. Questions are being presented -- not answers as our professional staff figures out if we're doing all we can to best prepare our students in all sorts of ways. Whether the Partnership for 21st century will be incorporated remains to be seen.