This week I was looking at the Partnership for 21st Century Skills web site. This is an advocacy organization that focuses on fusing 21st Century Skills in education, with the hope of driving change. The belief is that students need skills in core subjects, life and career, learning and innovation, and information, media and technology. The teachers role in their students learning is by teaching to the standards/assessments, curriculum and instruction, professional development and learning environment.
I thought that this was a very informative site and that the organization definitely has the right idea. Students today need to be prepared to work in a 21 Century Environment. They way we teach has not changed a great deal, we are doing some things differently (such as using document cameras instead of overheads) but we are not doing very many different things. Students today are different types of learners and we need to prepare them to work in a digital society. The way we do things in the work place has changed drastically in the last ten years. Can you imagine not using your email, cell phone, smart phone, or computer for a day? Today's students need to be taught how to succeed in the global workplace.
I am surprised that only ten states are 21 Century Skills states. This should be something that every state strives for. The implications that I see for a student or an educator is having the resources (funding, materials, and time) available to reach these standards.
Please visit the Partnership for 21 Century Skills Web Site for more information: www.21stcenturyskills.org
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I'm surprised that there are only 10 states as well. Unfortunately, the state I live in, California, isn't one of them. It's hard to understand why there isn't a national standard for technology in the schools instead of a state by state ruling. But if I think about it, there really isn't a state by state....sometimes not even a district by district. My point is that the uneven way funds are dispersed for technology is sometimes disheartening.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how much the world has changed. I remember being in High School and thinking I was advanced because I had a pager. Now kids are playing music and movies on their cell phones. We surely can't teach how we were taught because those times are history. We need 50 states to be 21 century skills states. We also need more focus on how teachers need to teach technology as well. You brought up some wonderful points in your blog!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your point about only having ten stats meeting 21st century skill standards. If education is going to turn the page and move towards having better schools, we need more than ten states meeting that standard. Has anyone heard President Obama's stance on this issue? Is there the possiblity of improving technology funding throughout the country?
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