EDUC 6710---Week 4 Application Post--The Importance of 21st Century Skills

This past week in my coursework I have been introduced to the importance of building 21^st century skills within my classroom.  I have been refereed to numerous resources and provided with an array of suggestions for incorporating these skills into my own curriculum.  Although there are challenges that may accompany the inclusion of these skills, the benefits which may be redeemed conquer and outweigh any obstacles.  In fact, the development of 21^st century skills in our children seems like an essential component in the future success and advancement of our nation on a global level. 

Many of you may not have a clear definition for these skills.  In fact, even after completing my own research I still do not have a solid definition.  This is due in large part to our society; in other words, 21^st century skills encompass a large amount of knowledge which changes on a daily basis given the demands of our society.   However, the foundation for these skills seems to remain consistent.  This foundation includes skills such as collaboration, problem solving, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and analysis.  All of these skills require the learner to do much more than just regurgitate a given set of facts.  They must be able to use new illiteracies to adapt their current thinking and create their own knowledge.  Most importantly they must be willing to change, remain flexible, and at times conform to meet the demands of different situations.

Luckily, as an educator I have access to a variety of resources that will assist me in my pursuit of incorporating 21^st century skills into my curriculum and classroom in general.  I do not feel as if 21^st century skills should be a separate entity.  Instead, I feel as if I should be able to mesh these skills into my core standards particularly through the use of project-based learning and assessments.

            After exploring the website of the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills (2004), which can be found at the following link http://www.p21.org/, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of support there is for the inclusion of these skills within our classroom.  There seems to be plenty of “big name” corporations who are willing to spend money and provide funding in support of professional development for 21^st century skills awareness and research.    This support from major affiliates and corporate leaders in our society can be found under the Strategic Council Members page.  It is nice to see such major organizations realizing the importance of these skills within our schools.  This gives me hope that society may be realizing the importance of preparing our children for the future and global competition within our world.   

I found this site to be extremely informative in regards to the use of 21^st century skills in our schools and society in general.  Furthermore, the information provided correlated well with the resources used during this current week.  My favorite aspect of this organization is the fact that they are advocates for educators.  They are attempting to close the gap between the skills that are in demand and the skills which are emphasized in our current educational system.  I am pleased to learn about their emphasis on local, state, and national policies to compliment this advocacy.  

The one thing about this site that did not sit well with me was the fact that my own home state is not included in the initiative plans.  I’m sure that this is based on decision making at the state level and not from the organization as a whole.  Hopefully, Wyoming will follow the lead of other states and become a part of this initiative framework.  It would be pleasing to see us take these necessary steps and receive help in the area of integrating these 21^st century skills into our schools and classrooms or at the very least to develop more awareness.  

Therefore, as an educator in the great state of Wyoming I may not have access to the same resources as states that have chosen to be a part of this initiative, but there are still plenty of steps I can take to ensure these skills are used and present inside my own classroom.  The most important implication this can have on my students is the development of a set of skills that they can take with them into the future.  However, these skills must be taught in ways that encourage each individual to remain flexible and at times think outside the box.  The 21^st century has given way to a world where the possibilities seem endless and given the right skills and mindset my children will have every chance of success possible. 

Resources: 

Partnership for 21^st Century Skills.  (2004).  Mission, tools, state initiatives, events, about us.  Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/

WEEK 2 APPLICATION--EDUC 6710

Wow, this new form of communication, is actually turning out to be very entertaining.  Not only am I noticing the potential for my blog to help me learn and understand, but I am also seeing the entertainment that it can provide.  Perhaps this entertainment could also be extended to my wonderful group of little learners; by allowing them to help me with the blog I can spread the learning to them as well.  There is even a great chance that this blog can create meaningful situations by allowing them to take ownership of their work.

After experimenting with my blog and the possibilities I have several ideas for incorporating this piece of technology in my classroom.  While it does not seem feasible or realistic to provide each 5 and 6 year old Kindergarten student with their own blog, it does make sense to create a classroom blog where we can navigate and produce an educational site together.   Fortunately, there are several choices and options for creating this classroom learning piece.

As a Kindergarten teacher I could use my blog as a class journal, for class investigations, and class points of interest.  In doing so I would allow the children to help me by informing me on what to include and even how to spell some of the words (perhaps typing), similar to an interactive writing lesson.  Only this would be more of an interactive typing lesson and would help the children with their literacy development as well as their fine motor skills. 

Our journal could be used to discuss, review, or develop further ideas for any part of the curriculum, such as math, science, social studies, etc.  Therefore, children would also have an online documentary to look back on with their parents at home.  An added bonus would be the encouragement of communication between school and home.  Not very often do 5 and 6 year olds remember exactly what they did in school on any particular day when asked by their caregiver.  In fact, I can still remember the day I asked my 5 year old, “What did you have for lunch today?”  His response, “I give up!”  This is a classic example of a Kindergarten’s memory ability.  However, the blog could provide parents with specific details on any given day so that they may prompt their children to discuss school topics at home.  What a great way to link the two together!

Speaking of home communication, I could also use my blog to post important dates and reminders for the parents.  While, my school does provide each teacher with a website, a blog would allow the parent to immediately communicate back to me with any question, comments, or concerns.  I have found that many parents may have the same question, but only one is brave enough to inquire.  Therefore, a blog would allow all parents to benefit from the answers and information I provide.  This would definitely save me time and energy as an educator.

Finally, I could also use the blog to publish student work.  Obviously, the majority of Kindergarteners may not be able to type and publish their own work.  Furthermore, they would never be able to publish their own coloring and artwork without some form of adult assistance.  Therefore, I could use my scanner or document camera to save images of their work onto my computer and transfer them into the blog site.  After all, pictures are an integral part of writing development and should be celebrated and included in a portfolio for a Kindergarten classroom. 

Ultimately, I believe using a blog within my classroom would enhance my curriculum by providing an opportunity to visually demonstrate student work, especially when using the blog in conjunction with my SMARTBOARD.  Furthermore, the children would realize the importance of their work given the fact that the whole world can now view it.  This would in turn give them a sense of pride and achievement on a greater level than posting their work in the halls of the school.  Knowing the whole world is looking would make them feel important, provide meaning, and hopefully be a motivational tool to try their very best.

A Work in Progress

It has been awhile since I updated this blog so I thought I would check back.  Over the course of this last week I am already becoming more and more comoftable with the use of my very own blog.  I am eager to actually start interacting with other bloggers.  I have began to use my Google Reader and have set up subscriptions to other educational blog sites.  I am glad there are so many other educators out there in cyber land who are more than willing to share their ideas and thougths.  As I begin this coming week I am going to dive further into the possibilities that this site can provide for my students' learning as well as my own.

READY, SET, GO...

Here we go...we are now in the third week of the school year.  My Kindergarten class is adjusting nicely and are responding well to the expectations that have been placed upon their tiny shoulders.  The last 3 weeks have been filled with rules and routines.  I finally feel as if we are gaining ground and we can start getting to the fun stuff.  While I expose my class to technology everyday, they each do not always get the opportunity to actually interact with this technology on a daily basis.  This is something I hope to improve as the year proceeds.  However, like previous classses, the SMARTBOARD has been an eye-catching feature.  Hard to believe I taught without one only a few short years ago.  Now, I'm not sure what I would do without this tool!  I absolutely love to use it and all of my students are crazy about the interactions it provides; I try to give them every possible opportunity to experiment and learn by using such a powerful tool!

Here's to a great week filled with technology and learning!  Once again, I look forward to input and responses!