One hundred years ago, “the three R’s” served well enough for one to provide for one’s family and to be an active citizen. With the rise of manufacturing, in addition to those basic skills, employers looked for workers that could perform one task repeatedly and accurately. Now, 21st century businesses seek employees who can problem solve, communicate effectively, and engage in ongoing decision making based on critical thinking skills and an understanding of complex systems (Hannifin, 2006). In the information age, the possession of knowledge is a difference maker in an increasingly literate society..
The three R’s are no longer enough.
A Nation at Risk, published in 1983, asked for widespread educational reform efforts across the country.
Each period of history is defined by both the tools that exist and the ways in which those tools are used. The transition to a new century gives us pause to define how learning—and perhaps the learner—has changed.
This learner, often referred to as the “21st Century Learner, is the “millennial, whose orientation to technology is innate and who views technology not as a way to do something better or more efficiently than it was done before, but as the only way to do it”. In order for the 21st century learner to succeed in the information age, schools are faced with the challenge of preparing them for an increasingly complex life and work environment.
Students will need such skills as flexibility, adaptability, self-actualization, resilience, accountability, responsibility, and the ability to work with and respect others. Continual learning will be an essential part of life in the 21st century as well as the ability to innovate, solve problems, think critically and creatively, and communicate and collaborate. Critical attributes will require students to discriminate, evaluate, and synthesize information in print, media or information and communication technologies. For more in depth information on 21st century student outcomes and standards, professional development, curriculum and instruction, and assessment see www.21stcenturyskills.org .
Schools and school districts across the United States have begun to promote 21st century skills by:
Revising content standards, curriculum and assessments to align with 21st century skills
Developing a 21st century credential for high school graduates
Training administrators to understand 21st century learning
Offering on-line professional development courses and self-assessments in 21st century skills for teachers.
Specific initiatives include:
High school journalism students in Maine worked with students in Alabama via videoconferencing to create a news magazine television show about their regions. See http://www.mainedistancelearningproject.org/pages/success/gardiner_journalism.html .
Teachers and students at the Consolidated High School District 230 in Orland Park, Ill are experimenting with instant messaging and chat applications to develop proficiency in core subjects and 21st century skills. See https://my.cosn.org/mycosn/resources/CoSNIMminireport.pdf .
Middle school students participating in the Technology Immersion Pilot in Texas are using laptops after school to communicate, solve problems, and access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information in all of their subject areas. See http://www.txtip.info/
School districts in Missouri and eight other states use eMINTS to access professional development classrooms focusing on blended instructional strategies, higher order thinking skills, and cooperative learning.
Other districts have begun to develop a collective vision for 21st century learning that can be used to strengthen American schools.
If you were to create a vision statement for your school that meets the needs of the 21st Century classroom, what would it look like?
Consider the following questions to create your statement:
What will students be able to do in the 21st Century classroom that they were not able to do before?
How does the 21st Century Classroom provide educational opportunities for all of your students?
What best practices are addressed and how are they addressed in the 21st Century Classroom?
Bill Gates in his now famous book The Road Ahead stated, “empower people of all ages, both inside and outside the classroom, to learn more easily, enjoyably, and successfully than ever before. Improving education is the best investment we can make because downstream benefits flow to every part of society.”
3 comments:
The vision of my classroom is to maximize each student’s potential through the blending of cutting edge technology and established pedagogy that supports their attainment of the highest performance standards while meeting their individual needs.
As for the meat beyond the statement, as you said Mark, successful programs are integrating technology - using laptops in Texas to solve problems, allowing cooperative meeting groups in Missouri - while focusing on critical thinking and problem solving skills. Gone are the days when you go to the computer lab just to get "computer time" and play a keyboarding game and call it a day. Technology is infused in all of our lives, and it can be both a boon and a bane, so we need to teach our students how to use the tools to get to the heart of the skill.
The research is available to school districts that indicates that a 21st century classroom provides the opprotunities for student engagement and increases student achievement. In additon, students are comfortable with the 21st century tools. In the webinar presented by Colleen and Diane, a full description was provided as to how one school district is adapting a technology bundle for students in their schools. Districts need to provide the tools and professional development for teachers. The vision for any school is to prepare college ready and/or job ready students for the 21st century with 21st century competative skills.
I am not sure our generation fully envisions the 21st Century Classroom. I am still dazzled how far technology has come from not too long ago (70's), when we were using the computer cards and had to deal with huge machines. The Internet enables global communication using a few keys on the keyboard. I think that the 'new' generation is almost pre-programmed from the early years to seek learning via technology. I am just glad that I am able to slowly come along and enjoy some of the features of Web 2.0.
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