Partnership for the 21st Century Skills

http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/
My initial reaction to this website was wow! Here we are in the 21st century and this website is dedicated to teaching the necessary skills our students need to not only adapt but succeed in the global business work world. As I was looking at the overview of standards, the one that caught my eye was their focus on teaching interdisciplinary themes, especially in the core subjects. Furthermore, it was nice to see an organization that is focused on teaching critical thinking skills that emphasizes a deeper understanding of content rather than just touching the basics for recall on a state test. Secondly, I was amazed that there are already fourteen states with initiatives to incorporate these skill sets into classrooms. I was not shocked to see that California did not make the list, but hopefully this will change in the near future. Thirdly, I was surprised that this organization had ways to implement these skills into state school districts. They have the blueprints already made up and methods for implementation for a number of states already using this curriculum. I am curious to see as to which of these states on the list are applying for federal money (Race to the Top funds) for revamping their educational systems. Finally, the press releases found on this site is proof that even President Obama himself is encouraging students of today for the jobs of tomorrow to be taught the necessary skills of the 21st century. He outlined his thoughts in is State of the Union Address, and if this is not enough evidence to influence these changes, then what is? Overall, this organization is making a strong argument to pursue change in education. If it were not for this particular class, I would have opposed these changes, but the introduction of teaching technology in the classroom has opened my eyes to today's business world and has forced me to accept this gleaming realization. Finally, I was surprised to see the wide variety of corporations and groups responsible for the creation of 21st Century Skills in 2002. The US Department of Education and the National Education Association were two of the many founders. I find this fascinating considering this organization has been around for almost eight years, yet this is the first I have heard of it.

I realize the significance of the question regarding to information from this site that I disagree with, and I know why Professor Wolsey posted this question because of the fact the information from this organization seems to good to be true. The only aspect I disagree with is the notion that this organization's standards are aligned with the No Child Left Behind Act. Let me explain. As I was conducting a survey of my American Government classes this past semester in regards to their education, an overwhelming majority stated their education was based on preparing them for state standardized tests. Many concluded on a scale from 1-10, with 1 being the low, many rated their public education, especially in high school from a range of 4-6. Again, their reasons for such low marks was to the fact that their education was mainly devoted to preparing them for standardized tests. Unless state governments and education policy officials begin to change how students and schools are measured (API scores), then integrating these 21st century skills will only be a dream. School districts across the United States must fight to either change the NCLB standards to include the skill sets of the 21st century, or simply repeal the act and start over. I think the Obama Administration is making strides by implementing the Race to the Top for states to receive federal funding to overhaul their education system. Hopefully these changes will include more focus on technology, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), and changes in how students' intellect and education are measured.

After looking over this site thoroughly, from its mission statement, to its focus on standards and implementation of technology in the classroom, to even the press releases, I have come to realize that this is simply not a fad that will become obselete in a couple of years. The truth and reality of technology and the skills necessary to compete in the global work world will only grow, and it is up to teachers to foster that education in the right direction. Skills such as critical thinking and problem solving are imperative for educators to teach. I do my best to implement these on a daily basis, but due to time constraints, state standards, benchmark exams, and pacing guides, it is difficult to include these skills because of the demand and rigor of teachers in the classroom. We are expected to do more with less, but technology and its implementation in the classroom is one aspect of education that all teachers need to utilize in order to truly prepare our students for the "real world." On a daily basis, I need to evaluate and sometimes reevaluate my classroom lessons. Were they effective? Did my students understand the standards and expectations? In other words, did they get it? Through reflection and reevaluation, I need to evaluate the effectiveness of my lesson plans and assignments. One aspect I will include from here on out is the use of some sort of technology. For example, my government students have to respond to a question of the week (QOW), which promotes critical thinking and using technology, blogging. There are really no right or wrong answers, but students have the opportunities to address their own view points but also assess and evaluate other points of view as well. Here are some examples:

Question of the Week: Considering the current economic status of the United States, is it reasonable for the United States to continue to pour economic resources into the War in Afghanistan? Also, considering the political scenario in Afghanistan, in the long run, will the United States be doing more harm than good by trying to stabilize the country? Be sure to use complete sentences and provide specific evidence to support your arguments.

Student responses: chickenkoongoose said...
Concerning our current economic status,it is still reasonable to keep pouring economic resources into the war in afghanistan. For one reason only, we and other nations may be in danger. This is why it is very important for the United States to stabalize the Afghani Government. The United States, however, must be precise and efficient in there plans and strategies because we can not stay in the war for to much longer. Only then will it be unreasonable to use such resouces on the war. We must go in accomplish a stable Afghani Government, stop al Qaeda momentum, help build a stonger Afghan security, create in the people the right political view or knowledge of to have or want a stabilize government, and then have a moderate move out. Now knowing reality all of these wont be 100% but if every task is met to an average level the people should be used to the reconstruction and begin to keep the process going. This should last no more than 2 yrs. After this point it becomes our greatest economic problem and we will start to dramatically suffer for it.
January 14, 2010 7:24 PM

Also, I will start to implement the use of podcasts (beginning next week) for my class discussions in my government classes. Not only will these be available online to students, but these can be a valuable resource for students to go back and listen to the comments their fellow classmates made in class. Furthermore, if a student was absent, this will also give them an opportunity to catch up on what they missed. But in the end, the use of technology, critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration are skills that our students must have in order to succeed in the global work world. Without these necessary skills, we would be doing not only ourselves, but our students a great disservice. The world of education is changing and with that change, teachers need to change as well in order to meet the needs of our students. I think that the Partnership for the 21st Century Skills is a great start for all school districts across the United States to take a look at and truly consider implementing some of these technological skills into the daily curriculum.

References:
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. www.21stcenturyskills.org.

How to use a blog in the classroom?

I have used a blog in my American Government and World History classes for the past year and a half. It started out as an online calendar, designed to post in class work, homework assignments, due dates for homework, or upcoming tests or quizzes. The primary purpose was to give parents an outlet as to what we are doing in class. If their child said to them they did not have any homework in my class, then they could always check my blog online to see for themselves. After awhile, I made my Government classes create blogs, so they could post responses to questions in an online forum. This is called "Question of the Week." Every week on Monday, I post an open ended question that requires some outside reading and research for them to answer. I give them the entire week to respond to the question, and on the first day of class, they were given a rubric as to how they would be graded. Thus far, this is how I have utilized my blog, but I am always open for new ideas.

Blogging is a good instructional tool because it allows students that may be shy or passive in class an opportunity to truly display their thoughts, opinions, and feelings in written form rather than orally presented in class. This allows all students to be heard, if the blog is used correctly.

Mike Palo
HS World History/American Government

Welcome!

Welcome classmates to my blog for our third class together. I look forward to collaborating with all of you in the future on how we can integrate technology in the classroom.