Partnership for 21st Century Skills

I must admit I was a little overwhelmed with the site at first. There seemed to be so much information that I was unsure of where I wanted to start, but like the first day of summer when the pool is still a little cold, sometimes you just have to jump right in!

The first place I choose to explore was “About Us”. I was surprised to see the variety of companies that were represented by the board members. How is it that I have never heard anyone mention this site and concept before? When I saw that my state was not included in this program (why am I not surprised?), I realized that may be the reason I have not heard of the site.

I was impressed by the extensive list of skills presented on the site. It seems as if no stone has been left unturned. The skills range from learning and innovation skills to life and career skills. I was glad to see that core subjects such as math, science and English were included and pleasantly surprised that the arts were included in the list of core subjects. The interdisciplinary themes kind of reminded me of electives we have in high school and included such things as global awareness, civic literacy and health literacy.

Further exploration took me to video clips of schools where innovative teaching was taking place. Being a math teacher, I was drawn to the section on Critical Thinking/Math and Science. Viewing the clip at http://www.edutopia.org/mountlake-terrace-high-school I was impressed by Reeder’s students and a collaborative 6-week project they complete that involves designing a high school for the year 2050. Reeder incorporates many areas into the project, from architecture design to financial needs to community involvement.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills seems committed to success of students. The “partnership” has created open lines of communication between education and business. When educators are aware of what students face when entering the “real world”, they can better assist the students in being more prepared.

Blogging in the classroom

The class I am considering starting a blog in is my 9th grade Geometry class. My plan is to begin the blog by have them post pictures of things they see daily that we discuss in class, such as parallel lines, blinds on a door should be parallel (that's my daughter). I thought this may be an interesting way to begin a blog. The students I have now love logic problems, through the blog they could also share logic problems, questions or riddles they have found.

I would really like for it to be a place for them to share ideas and content. Maybe a blog for them to rewrite definitions, theorems and postulates in their own words, would that be better as a wiki? I was thinking I could post proofs and each person could post a statement and/or reason that would lead to the students building the proofs. That one may take a little work. I am really new at this, any suggestions?

Sorting through the information?

As I watched the videos and read this week, the realization of how much technology has changed over the past few years grew. Resources and information is there, but time to find it is scarce. I spent a few hours last night looking at different sites.

Finding a blog dealing with technology and my content area has not been easy. I find myself wondering if I am looking in the wrong places. I joined 2 or 3 different educational blog sites and still did not find exactly what I was looking for. With such of wealth of information out there, how can I streamline my searches to find what I need?

Although I did spend a lot time looking through different sites and blogs, I did find a diamond in the rough. As a high school teacher, if I had realized this site was mainly for elementary teachers I may have overlooked it. Let’s just say I am glad I missed that information…. I found the video on this blog intriguing. The images and message is clear – as an educator, I need to get with the program and engage my students in new and innovating ways. I plan to share the video with my colleagues. I hope you will take the time to view it.

http://eledblog.com/content/teaching-21st-century#comment-50

Tech Savvy??

Beginning a master's program for me was not an easy task; it was something I had put off for many years. Once the decision had been made, Technology in the Classroom seemed like a natural choice. Technology in education is changing so rapidly, taking courses to become more knowledgeable was an interest I could not ignore. Like many teachers, I know “just enough to be dangerous”. My hope through this master’s program is to learn more and be more effective using technology in my classroom.

Students today have grown up using computers and cell phones. Today’s youth navigate through Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, and so many others sites with an ease that seems to come naturally. In the classroom, lecture, drill and kill, and other methods are not holding their attention. How can I use technology effectively to “hook” my students? How can I make the content of my class relevant to the students? Can technology make it more real to them?

As I learn more about what is floating around out there in “internet” land, I realize I am not so tech savvy. Hopefully, through this course and others to follow, my world will continue to open up to the possibilities technology offers.