I recently had the pleasure to look at a website from an organization called 21st Century Skills. I though that it was a great website and I am happy that I got to see it. You can find it here... http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/ It is a well designed site with lots of information pertinent for educators.
What is on the site? Of course the mission and purpose of the organization. Publications with information supporting their vision of educating students with the skills that will be needed for folks after they graduate.
The site also contains examples of teachers using their suggestions through video. There are dozens of videos available to look at demonstrating teachers in real world teaching situations. I looked at a few...very nice and very informative.
The site also had over 500 resources linked directly to their site with a rating for each.
I was surprised that the website actually had a few articles from publications that were in direct disagreement with the premise of 21st Century Skills. I didn't expect to see that. I tried reading one of them, but the link took me to a site that I had to be a member...and I wasn't going to register.
I did not disagree with anything on the site. Believe me, I made an effort to find something that I would disagree with, but to no avail.
Implications for my students and myself? Many. The fact is, the world is changing. We are becoming more and more technologically advanced. We also rely upon technology more than we ever have. If our students are going to be successful when they graduate, they are going to have to learn these skills. the website gave me lots of ideas that I will use in my classroom. The explanations 21st Century Skills gave to their ideas are fantastic and easy to follow...so long as you are at least a little technologically minded yourself. Check it out for yourself!
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Rob,
ReplyDeleteI think that the articles that disagreed with the mission statement of this organization were valuable in the sense that it showed two very different opinions on the topic of education. When you are in constant agreement with what is being said, it helps to see what other perspectives are on the situation to make you think more adamantly about your cause. The debates on the issue of education are so vast; it is shocking at times to see what people really are thinking. You kind of ask yourself, "do people really think like that?" I think it makes you more aware of your own issues.
Rob,
ReplyDeleteI picked up on one thing you mentioned in your blog posting. "The explanations 21st Century Skills gave to their ideas are fantastic and easy to follow...so long as you are at least a little technologically minded yourself." But, most of the teachers who need help getting into the 21st century are not very technologically minded.
This is a more advanced site. I agree with you that if you are looking to take your class to the next level of technology, it could be very useful. So for a tech person such as yourself, it would be great, but as for those tech rookies such as myself. I was not a big fan.
I might even give it two big thumbs down!
Tyler
Thanks for your responses guys! Although there is disagreement about the usefulness of this site, I think it is good to have it in an educators "backpack" for future reference. As we become a more technologically advanced society, groups like this will serve a purpose in setting policy for educators in regards to technology and its role in education.
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