Group items tagged

Are we preparing our students for the 21st century?

It is hard to forecast what the 21st century needs from the students in school today. The smart phone was developed just a few short years ago and now it seems everyone has one and can use it proficiently. What technologies do we need to prepare students to use? What are we doing in class that students can take and use for the rest of their lives? These are very hard questions to answer. One of the "skills" I try and teach in my classroom is to make each lesson relevant to every student. In the video the student was able to do a project in his AP Government class that was relevant to him and he was able to find meaning in the project. Many students today can use their smart phones, tablets or PCs to help reserach, problem solve, critical think and collaborate. How do we as educators foster the desire in the students to use these technologies to do these things. It can be a big hurdle in some school districts that do not have the technology resources that other districts have. I do not think we can every really know if we are really preparing students for the 21st century but we have to give it our best shot and hope what we teach them carries over to the real world.

New technologies are coming out every year with new and improved features. The best thing for teachers is to expose the students to what is available out there and make them comfortable with technology. I expose my students to a variety of technologies and sometimes they are just amazed at how I created it and I tell them that is it something I learned from one of my college classes. I encourage them to continue their education after high school if they want to live in a nice house and drive a new car. If you give them the tools, we will be surprised at what they come up with and maybe they will invent something new. It is our job to make learning relevant and meaningful.

According to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, students must learn the essentials for success in today's world, such as critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and collaboration. As a fifth-grade teacher, I attempt to promote these elements, but am often unable to do so because of the spotlight on standardized testing and AYP. This year I planned on integrating PBLs in the classroom, but was informed that my students would be unable to use the computer lab and/or the COW for anything except a specific program. This was very disappointing, but I made the most of it. The problem is that even if this "program" is improving my students reading ability (which seems to be the case), it not truly preparing them for the 21st century. Students are losing the ability to think critically, solve problems, and collaborate. I am confident that if given the opportunity to integrate PBLs, I would see an even greater improvement in my students reading abilities, as well as, there overall abilities. We have to move forward, but getting everyone to "buy-in" is proving to be a difficult task! I found this video on "21st Century Learning" and thought I would share, it is long, but has some great information: http://youtu.be/zSNWr_QYyPw. Enjoy!

I don't believe we are preparing our students for the 21st century. Yes there is some teachers who will take the time and integrate technology into their lessons, but if administration doesn't support this then its very challenging to do this. We as teachers have a lot on our plate and we must make sure that students pass the state assessments. Teachers and administrators lose focus on what is really important and what our students need because of state assessments. If they don't see us doing passages or word problems then we aren't doing our jobs. I do agree it is our job to make learning relevant and meaning but will we ever be given the opportunity to do this. My students are always collaborating in class and applying the knowledge they have learned to real world problems. I challenge them to think and come up with their own answers and ideas instead of me doing it for them. I know there is much more that I can do, but its a start.

To Heather & April: The "STAAR" test I hear is very higher order thinking. It makes the students think outside of the box. The students have to analyze and internalize the data or read the stories very carefully because there are two really good answers. Unfortunately, we have a large number of students reading below level that we are trying to catch up those students. We can only try to do our best to integrate technology into the classroom.

Now should we add computer literate as well? Since this is the way we are heading. Plus the students will eventually be STAAR testing in the area of technology.

As new technologies are coming up, I feel that teachers and students should "keep up with the Jones." The more you are familiar with computer features the more comfortable you will be with computers and be able to adapt to new technologies. A lot of the web 2.0 tools we have been using are similar in some ways. For example, Spicy Nodes and bubbl.us are very similar tools. It is just a matter of exploring! The creativity in students will come out as they incorporate new tools into their projects. In addition, everything is now online..college admissions, financial aid, housing, and work study.

This is so true. We need to teach our students how to use the information that is out there on the web. However, we must also teach them how and where to look for reliable data on the internet. They need to understand that not everything that is on the internet is true.

We do need to educate our students that not everything on the web is valid, just like commercials that are just gimmicks or have a "catch" to it. We need to teach them how to look for credible sources and that anyone and even them can write something on the Internet and that doesn't mean that it is true. There are even pop ups or emails that can invite viruses or can sell your emails for scams. It can be dangerous if the wrong people get a hold of your personal information.