Evaluating 21st Century Skills (Application 4 for EDUC 6710)

While exploring the website Partnership for 21st Century Skills I was amazed at the amount of information that they offered in the area of teaching 21st century skills to our students. I was impressed with the amount of resources they listed, including a healthy number of publications (available in PDF format, or by ordering hard copies). They also give access to standards, assessments, and professional development ideas that they have partnered on with several states. They also give access to several of their professional development PowerPoint presentations.

I was surprised to see the inclusion of creativity and innovation in the framework. I think these get overlooked in today's high-stakes testing educational philosophy. I feel as if we spend so much time getting students ready for a one-size-fits-all standardized test that we do not have time to allow much creativity and innovation from students, let alone to teach it. This is not to say that we have tried to stifle creativity, only that it is has become harder to encourage it when everyone must complete the same test in the same way.

I was also surprised to see the inclusion of initiative and self-direction (and really the whole life and career skills section) in the framework, for many of the same reasons as the creativity framework. Again, it often feels that we are required to spoon feed a certain amount of information to our students so they can spit it back out on the test. Teaching initiative and self-direction is a very important skill, but it takes time. And time is always at a premium. Some students will pick up on it quickly, but those who do not can quickly fall behind.

I cannot say that I disagreed with any of the posted framework on the site. I would have liked to see technology integration and skill development play a slightly larger role in the framework, I suppose. Teaching the core subjects is important of course, but without a true integration of technology in them, I still feel that our students will lack what they need to know in the workplace.

The implications for my students is the fact that they must face a ever changing, more difficult future with as many skills as I can help them develop. Unlike in generations past, students today must gain new global skills such as learning new languages, technology skills, and working collaboratively with people from all over the world. For me as a contemporary teacher, it means that I must integrate many of these skills within the core subjects. Life skills, and even technology skills, are no longer skills that I can develop outside of the core subject areas. There just is not enough time. Instead I must seek a way to integrate them into all areas of school. That will be the only way to prepare my students for the future.

Utilizing Blogs in the Classroom (Application 2 for EDUC 6710)

Using blogs in the classroom can be a very beneficial activity. I teach in a self-contained classroom for students age 8-12 (give or take a year). My students have severe cognitive and physical and/or health impairments. I work with my students on communication skills, self-care skills, work routines, and even play skills. Given the physical and cognitive limitations many see in my students, the idea of a blog in the classroom may not seem all that beneficial. However, the use of a blog in my classroom is still a great idea. Helping my students post pictures, stories of field trips, and works of art to the blog will allow their families to be involved in what is going on. It also gives my students the chance to take pride in what they have done. They can spend some time with their families viewing the blog at home. Those students who are able to communicate through the use of an augmentative device or through picture cards can explain to the families what they are looking at. Most of all, it allows them the chance to participate and use technology like everyone else.

Integrating Technology into the Classroom

This is my first post for my blog that I will be using for my Integrating Technology into the Classroom Master's Class. I look forward to the process.