While researching methods for integrating technology into the classroom, I was directed to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2004), an organization devoted to improving the use of technology in US K-12 school systems. My initial reaction to this website is that there is much to see. It has taken several days to sift through the information on the website and determine its usefulness to me as a teacher. One item which is helpful is that news items are not updated several times a day, so it is possible to keep up with the knowledge provided and it is an obvious sign that careful thought is put into what is displayed.
Miners and Pascopella (2007) discuss the testing mandates required by the No Child Left Behind Act as inclusive of technology by the end of eighth grade. However, since little or no federal funding supports the integration of technology in classrooms, it goes largely untested and unobserved (Miners and Pascopella, 2007 p.28). Fortunately, even though each state has its own unique standards, the Partnership is active in encouraging more growth through its initiatives.
One of the pieces of information on the site (http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/) that surprised me was the section for "State Initiatives" on the site(2004). This served as proof that this is much more than an individual or group of people spreading an idea. They are involved, helping to bring 21st century skills into classrooms around the US and willing to work with states to promote technology education. As Levy and Murnane (2006) suggest, this involvement is key to the success of the movement and will lead to the “complex communication” we need as 21st century learners (Levy and Murnane, 2006 p. 58). I was also surprised how few states were on the list, currently, and hope more will be added soon.
As I reviewed the information today, I found one aspect with the site (2004) which I disagreed with was the use of politics on the website. There is a certain amount of lobbying which this site is used to promote. I believe this issue is strong enough on its own merits and does not require political commentary. That being noted, I do also see the unfortunate need our society has imposed upon people to use the political arena to accomplish goals.
The implications for us as educators are varied - we will require training (which can be assisted with the "professional development" page on the site (2004)), we will be required at some point to publish these works for the benefit of our students and we will be held accountable for the implementation of 21st century skills in our classroom. Students will be required to use this technology productively to prepare them for the global economy in which they will be employed. Hopefully, the mission can be realized to help both teachers and students increase awareness and capability in using learning technologies.
References:
Levy, F., & Murnane, R. (2006). Why the changing American economy calls for twenty-first century learning: Answers to educators' questions. New Directions for Youth Development, 2006(110), 53–62.
Miners, Z., & Pascopella, A. (2007). The new literacies. District Administration, 43(10), 26–34.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2004). Retrieved March 25, 2009 from http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
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Hello~
ReplyDeleteYour initial reaction to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills website was very different from my own; as you will see if you visit my blog ( http://inschoolsuspension.edublogs.org/ ), I was initially very suspicious of so many corporations being founding members of the site. However, my stance softened once I explored some of the site’s tools and resources in more depth.
I empathically agree with you that educators will require training in order to be able to properly implement the skills and technology that the Partnership for 21st Century Skills website wishes to see used in schools. My greatest concern with the training is that teachers will not be given the proper amount of time and training that they will need in order to be effective with the new style of learning and technology that the site champions. The root of the problem all goes back to funding, and America’s lack of commitment to invest in what it wants to see become a reality in education. Students having a lack of basic education-fundamentals is the another concern that I did not mention in my initial post. Through personal observation, I have noticed that while students appear to have a lot of technical savvy, in general they are not developing a sound foundation of fundamental knowledge in certain essential areas, such as spelling, grammar, and basic mathematical skills. I fear that with all the focus on technology, some of the basic fundamentals of education will not be fostered with today’s students, and as a result, they will not receive certain knowledge that should be essential to all educational experiences.
Theo,
terryfoxfan
Hello msg_music,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your response to 21st century skills. I too reviewed the site and thought that more states should initiate their practice. I'm impressed by the many companies, from various aspects of technology, that have a partnership with 21st century. As for the political arena, I did not access any commentaries of that nature. I will go back to view the types of advertisments by politicians that are being made. Overall, I would be delighted to be a part of initiating skills from 21st Century into my students' curricula. I am a sole believer in teaching skills that will help students be successful in life beyond high school. I don't agree with teaching skills that only prepare students to pass exit exams. Overall, the way 21st Century promotes mastering curriculum while integrating technology, seems like the type of program that every district should make available so that teens are prepared for the challenges of the real world. Do you agree?
Hello~
ReplyDeleteYour initial reaction to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills website was very different from my own; as you will see if you visit my blog
( http://inschoolsuspension.edublogs.org/ ), I was initially very suspicious of so many corporations being founding members of the site. However, my stance softened once I explored some of the site’s tools and resources in more depth.
I empathically agree with you that educators will require training in order to be able to properly implement the skills and technology that the Partnership for 21st Century Skills website wishes to see used in schools. My greatest concern with the training is that teachers will not be given the proper amount of time and training that they will need in order to be effective with the new style of learning and technology that the site champions. The root of the problem all goes back to funding, and America’s lack of commitment to invest in what it wants to see become a reality in education. Students having a lack of basic education-fundamentals is the another concern that I did not mention in my initial post. Through personal observation, I have noticed that while students appear to have a lot of technical savvy, in general they are not developing a sound foundation of fundamental knowledge in certain essential areas, such as spelling, grammar, and basic mathematical skills. I fear that with all the focus on technology, some of the basic fundamentals of education will not be fostered with today’s students, and as a result, they will not receive certain knowledge that should be essential to all educational experiences.
Theo,
terryfoxfan
Stephen,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you spent a lot of time and energy sifting through the website. I agree there is several ideas that are relevant to education and the 21st century skills. The challenge with so much information is having the time to find what is applicable for your individual classroom. That is where the training available would benefit each educator.
The political aspect appears to me as a report of current news and not a lobbying tactic. I do agree that this partnership could stand on its own merit. Unfortunately with the large scope of this project and importance in the educational realm of making changes, politics tends to become more involved.
Stephen,
ReplyDeleteYou are correct when you state that teachers will need training to implement 21st Century practices. I have had the good fortune to participate in a 21st Century Learning project (http://www.bestpracticescenter.org/21stcentury.htm). It was an amazing experience, and I learned much from it. We received many hours of training via online meetings,and I took what I learned back to faculty meetings and offered training to my fellow teachers. I was surprised by how difficult most teachers found these new tools to learn and use. There were several teachers that began blogs or online bookmark accounts that needed constant help to use them. A one-shot workshop will not create 21st Century teachers. For true change to take place in schools, most teachers need on-site technical and instructional support. They also need time to explore the different tools that are available.