Thoughts and Notes on 21st Century Learning

Blog #2

Notes on 21^st Century/Shift Happens/Education Today and Tomorrow, Vision of K-12 Students/Growing up Digital/P21st Learning

Just some notes and thoughts on 21st Century Learning......

As an educator preparing students for the 21^stcentury is daunting but very exciting. Having the goals of the 21^st century student always in mind as a teacher forces a teacher to examine their curriculum, teaching methods and assessments in light of how they will best prepare their students for their role in the future. Much of academia is still aligned with preparing students for a world that no longer exists, a world where many people worked in manufacturing as either worker drones or managers. It was okay for teachers to present the material as is and be satisfied with a bell shaped curve results of their students. Now each student must be prepared to be able to actively engage, transform, collaborate, critique, consume, produce and lead to be able to survive in the 21^st century. I think this makes working in the field of education very challenging and exciting! The material I read from P21 encourages me to not just apply 21^stteaching practices to certain material, situations or students but to guide all of my teaching each and every day to all students.

China the largest English speaking country – Wow!

More honor students in China that total U.S. students?

 That's a sobering thought, we need to go full speed ahead in the U.S!

Is Technology a pro or con for students?

The world is changing so much faster than in any other time in history – you can hardly catch your breath!

 

Quotes I found interesting..

“Brains are rewarded not for staying on task but for jumping to the next thing,” Michael Rich, associate professor at Harvard Medical School – executive director of the Center on Media and Child Health in Boston.  “Kids brains wired differently.”

 

“Computers are often used for entertainment, not learning, particularly in low-income families”, Jacob L. Vigdor, economics professor at Duke University. Knowing this piece of information, does this change how students/teachers use technology in the classroom?  It appears you can’t just hand out I-pads or computers and expect them to be just used for learning.

 

A look at the “new social types… not the thespian and jock but the “texter and gamer, Facebook addict and YouTube potato”

Student Sam Cocker, “Facebook is amazing because it feels like you’re doing something and you’re not doing anything.  It’s the absence of doing something, but you feel gratified anyway.” 
“My attention span is getting worse.”

 

“Brains studies suggest to researchers that periods of rest are critical in allowing the brain to synthesize information, make connections between ideas and even develop the sense of self.”

University of California, San Francisco brain scientists  downtime is needed

“Downtime is to the brain what sleep is to the body” Dr. Rich Harvard Med School

 

Synopsis and Notes on P21 – Partnership for 21^st century skills

Summary: “Holistic view of 21^st century teaching and learning, with focus on 21^st century outcomes with innovative support systems to help students master the multi-dimensional abilities required of them in the 21^st century.”

 

What is P21? – a national organization that advocates for 21^st century readiness for every student.  Fusing the 3Rs with the 4Cs (Critical thinking and problem solving, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity and innovation)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 c’s  Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration

 

Outcomes:

                    Mastery of core subjects & 21^st century themes

 

21^st century interdisciplinary themes

                    Global awareness

                    Financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy

                    Civic Literacy

                    Health Literacy

                    Environmental Literacy

 

Learning and Innovation Skills

                    Creativity and Innovation

                    Critical thinking and Problem solving

                    Communication and collaboration

 

Information, Media and Technology Skills

                    Information Literacy

                    Media Literacy

                    ICT (Information, Communications and Technology) Literacy

 

Life and Career Skills

                    Flexibility and Adaptability

                    Initiative and Self-Direction

                    Social and Cross-Cultural Skills

                    Productivity and Accountability

                    Leadership and Responsibility

 

 

Thoughts on video spotlight “Going Places” – encourage thinking outside of the box, collaboration, creativity, recognition of strengths (in this illustration in the video the students’ ability to build something, ability to dream up ideas)  Link to video "Going Places"

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KMM387HNQk

 

 

Toolkit - Assessment – integrated projects that demonstrate multiple standards and skills (I loved the colorful, creative projects that demonstrated students’ knowledge and skills in a meaningful, multi-disciplinary outcome.)

 

From Dr. Chuck Cadle’s blog of Destination Imagination, Inc, a P21 member, May 9, 2013, “the 4Cs are important but the skills of perseverance, self-direct learning and courage are important to long-term success.”  I want to remember these: Perseverance, Self-Directed Learning, Courage!