After reviewing the information about the importance of 21st Century skills in education, I will admit I am not surprised or disagree with the information as stated. In the state of Iowa, where I teach, we have been working to implement 21st Century skills with our curriculum and instruction as part of our Iowa Core Curriculum.
The main ideas that I take away from this website review would be that technology implementation in the classroom as well as developing skills through engaging and respectful tasks is a priority. It will be important for students to learn how to work collaboratively as well as be problem-solvers. I really like the connection of developing skills that will help in life and future careers. While the website speaks to the importance of developing basic skills along with 21st Century skills, I personally feel that in the lower grade levels, such as the 2nd grade classroom I teach in, there needs to be an emphasis on the basic skills development first, and then apply both concurrently to extend understandings to further levels.
Finally, while I think the plan has its merits and is necessary, it will mean a large investment of time and financial support from various sources. In order for these skills to be implemented in the manner they deserve, training will need to be made available for the teachers in the classroom and access to these forms of technology is a must.
Finally, while I think the plan has its merits and is necessary, it will mean a large investment of time and financial support from various sources. In order for these skills to be implemented in the manner they deserve, training will need to be made available for the teachers in the classroom and access to these forms of technology is a must.
I agree with how important it is to teach and emphasis basic skill development in the the primary grades. Often times the 3 R's are overlooked and not mastered. The basics are so vital and must be taught before the other skills can have meaning and use. The big issue as you pointed out is funding. Training is expensive and unfortunately there is no money in most states. My state is broke and class sizes continue to grow every year. The future of education in California is scary. The resources and money necessary to implement this program and provide the necessary technology is not there. The schools are headed in a very bad direction if the budget crisis does not improve.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am teaching in middle school now, I did do a couple of years teaching fourth grade. I agree that it seems as though the basic curriculum in the elementary is overwhelming enough. In my eyes, elementary teachers are the hardest working teachers there are.
ReplyDeleteI wonder though, instead of looking at this as added content, if you could look at it as a different delivery system. Your main content could remain the same but the way the students interact with the information and the relevance that is given the information would change.
I understand that technology is a huge part of this as well and I'm not aware of any districts that are suited to take on this endeavor easily. That is why I was glad to see in the skills mapping area lessons and student examples that did not always have to have the technology component. It may make it easier for those of us that are struggling for any additional upgrades to our room.
I definitely couldn't agree with you more. The frustrating thing to me is that many times, districts only jump in to new ideas halfheartedly and are not willing to invest the time or finances into implementing a program to its fullest potential. Honestly, I think that many times people become intimidated when technology is involved because they see it as this daunting task of trying to educate so many on such a large topic. However, when they begin with the basics, they may find that it less intimidating.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more with you Mrs. Estep, districts do only support new ideas halfheartedly and do not take the time to learn the positive affects it will have on our students in the future. I think administrators are overwhelmed by the amount of time they think it will take to educate us all but once you educate a couple of us and we pass it on to our colleagues the amount of time becomes less and less. I wish more administrators thought like us!
ReplyDeleteHi Jocelyn,
ReplyDeleteYou raise so many excellent points in your posting. As you share, students need foundational knowledge and skills to be able to navigate in the higher order thinking waters.
With these foundations in place, we can then move students toward the skills they need to be self-directed problem solvers--something they will need not only in the workplace but throughout life.
I find that sometimes we can tweak lessons just a bit to incorporate some problem solving and decision making--projects and activities that focus on "why" can be helpful.
I enjoyed your posting.
Susan