The website for the Partnership for 21st Century Skills is a site dedicated to the role of technology and its importance in 21st century education. I was quite impressed and also a little overwhelmed at how much attention the "Information Age" topic is getting.
I enjoyed the article " Learning Enviroments Must Break Through the Silos that Separate Learning from the Real World". The article talked about a balance between the traditional ways of learning with 21st century skills. It also spoke about connecting with other cultures, and the building of relationships in the real and virtual worlds. It also mentioned about how the actual physical structure of walls and furniture should be more adaptable along with the instuctional time. Instead of following the school designs of the industrial age, it is time to think of a 21st century learning enviroment. After reading this, I really started to imagine what my classroom and school could be like and what changes in achievement might occur.
I have to admit, after reading the articles on this website, I have been thinking a lot about the future of education and what changes need to be made. I was disappointed that my state was not listed as those that are taking the initiative to develop 21st Century skills in the classroom. I will have to integrate these skills on my own over time.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Thanks for pointing out this article. One of the key points in the article for me was “the greatest challenge to incorporating technology into learning environments is not finding time and money, but finding ways to adequately support the use of these tools. Technology can only make a difference when students, teachers, and administrators are provided the necessary supports to proficiently integrate it into daily routines.” My district has managed to hang on to the educational technologist teaching slots for each school for next school year but with all the budget cuts, I am not sure how much longer this will be possible.
ReplyDeleteSomeone has to take the first step to move your state forward and help others see the great things that can be done. I am glad that you are willing to help make this possible. The changes might be small, but think of the difference you could make for your students.
ReplyDelete-Melissa
Frank,
ReplyDeleteI too was disappointed that my state was not listed. I feel like my school district or at least my school has adequate student computers in the classrooms and we have a computer lab as well as a mobile lab. Our problem is the lack of training and implementation. All teachers have to be highly qualified in technology by the end of next school year. That's fantastic, but what are we going to do once we get highly qualified? When I went through the training, I built a web page, created some lesson plans, and created a document using Kidspiration. No one ever checked up on me to see if I was using what I learned in the classroom or asked if I needed additional training or had concerns. So where is the future of education headed? I try to go to technology professional development courses in the summer. So, I feel like I am doing my part to learn as much as I can so that I can teach using what I learned or I can teach them to use the technology.