21st Century Skills

21st century skills will require students to collaborate, communicate and problem solve through discovery. They will need to analyze, think critically and creatively to succeed. As educators, we must be constantly looking for ways to embed this learning into our curriculum – not try to squeeze it in somewhere. And, it needs to be integrated into every subject matter we teach, not just in a computer lab once a week. We must shift our position to that of a facilitator rather than dictator. Control of the classroom needs to be relinquished to the learner to be accountable for his/ her own education. I remind my students daily, “Why are we here?” “To learn!” they say. If the purpose of presence is to learn, then teachers need to empower their students to discover, to create, to evolve. Their minds are like sponges, soaking up everything they can get their hands on. If we allow them the freedom to choose how they learn and give them the resources they need to do it – guiding them and facilitating their thinking, the heights to which they soar will astonish us!

I firmly believe, and research agrees, that to develop 21st century skills in a child – they need a solid foundation in a positive learning environment where they feel safe to explore their own thoughts and share with their peers. Building on that is the idea that they need to develop relationships. Collaboration and communication is key to the success of the student. Next is the emotional intelligence and assessments for learning, followed by teaching and learning styles. As teachers, we need to know the different learning styles of our kids. Very few students learn by hearing a lecture, taking notes and studying for a test. The content needs to be emotionally relevant for the student and often times they need to see it in many different modalities… seeing, hearing, touching/ moving, manipulating, etc. (Beere, 2005)

One of the things I keep telling myself is that I would like to write a grant to get a set of ebook readers – such as nooks or kindles into my classroom. Kids are fascinated by them, and they really are the future. I really see the future of education coming to the realization that it is more effective and efficient to load an ebook reader with all the textbooks a student will need for the year and assign them the reader instead of the bundle of books. It will eliminate students carrying 30lbs. of books home to study each night, bindings breaking, students writing in them, and endless fines placed on parents who may or may not be able to pay them.

As a teacher, I would love to say that I am preparing my students well for the 21st century. The truth is that I am doing the best I know how with the resources I have available to me at the time. As I continue to learn and develop my own skills, I strive to incorporate them into my own teaching to facilitate student learning. I want my students to have the kind of education I want my own kids to have.

I would like to see the district provide more training for teachers to better facilitate 21st century learning skills for our students. I would like to see better technology to help us make that happen. An hour a week is not enough technology for kids in the age we are in today.

One goal I have for myself this year is that I want to create and design a Project Based Learning unit for my class. I have yet to pick the topic or driving question; but that will be something I do this year. I attended a PBL class at Indiana Tech this summer and was amazed at the critical thinking skills required to accomplish the tasks desired. I know this is one way that I can empower my students to think more critically and make a difference in how they approach the goal of learning.

The strengths I bring to the classroom are a willingness to learn new things – I LOVE TO LEARN! I get excited about trying something new. I discovered “wiki’s” for the first time this week. I have already set up a wiki account for my small group at church and got the group going on our next get together… embedded a Google map for the location and added all the members… even added another organizer so that we can both update and collaborate with the rest of the group. It was exciting to see the ways I could use this for friends, outside of the classroom – but even more exciting to realize all the ways I could get kids using wikis in the classroom!

Challenges facing me – lack of time (doesn’t everyone have this challenge?!) and funding for the resources I want. I want it all! I want iPads; a 1:1 ratio for computers to students; eBook readers and training on how to maximize the use of it all.
Fortunately. . . God gave me patience, and a good sense of humor!

Beere, J. (2005). Learning in the 21st Century. Independent Thinking Ltd. Retrieved from http://www.independentthinking.co.uk/Cool+Stuff/Articles/164.aspx

Fear Not!

"I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?" (Redman, 2006, track 2)

If I am truly trusting in God, my father, my fears are replaced with faith; anxiety with peace.  This is one of my favorite songs because it puts my mind in the right place, my focus on Him and the things I need to accomplish to serve Him better.  If I put my faith and trust in God, there is nothing I cannot do!

Technology is certainly not something I fear, but rather clamor toward.  With new technology comes a learning curve, not without frustrations as I learn, but with new understanding comes even greater excitement!  I have always loved learning.  I walked out of first grade knowing I wanted to be a teacher!  I am.  I love learning new things and then sharing the new knowledge with others… that’s the teacher in me.  Technology is a wonder.  I am constantly amazed at the things we are able to do today that weren’t possible when I was in school.  Making technology accessible to everyone is what I do best.  So no, I do not fear technology – I love it!

Our school currently has only two smartboards for approximately 16 general education classrooms.  I consider myself blessed to be one of the two!  Our new math adoption has a phenomenal technological piece with it that allows me to show a visual learning animation on the smartboard to the students and then turn the textbook page from the student book into an interactive page that students can write on to solve and work problems.  The kids really enjoy doing math on the interactive whiteboard!  I  have enjoyed discovering all the little perks that come with the digital math adoption and showing other teachers how to access it. 

We have a computer lab in our building that the students get an hour of computer lessons each week.  They learn skills such as Word processing, Google searches, KidPix creations, webquests, and PowerPoint presentations.  With my math stations kids get to experience math games on the whiteboard and four student computers in the classroom.  A class favorite is “Questionaut” from the BBC website.  I feel that I do a good job meeting the NETS goals for student and teacher standards.  I know there are things I could improve upon, but there will always be things I can do better.

The technological barriers I see in our professional setting today are numerous.  We have old equipment.  The laptops the students use in the computer lab need to be replaced.  The jacks for headphones have been jostled so much that they don’t keep the headset plugged in anymore.  Students now have to deal with the sound everyone else’s computer around them is making as a result.  There are limited resources available.  I already stated that we only have 2 smartboards in the building.  Every classroom should have one and every teacher should know how to use it in every subject.  Student computers in the classrooms are old as well.  They are large and cumbersome.  The motors run so loudly that they disrupt instruction and student learning at times and must be shut down.   The district just can’t keep up with the growing demands of technology today.

As I progress though this class, I hope to learn many new presentation programs… I have seen a Prezi before, but I know there are many more out there.  I want to learn tips and tricks to better use what I have available to me and I want to have a deeper understanding of the ways I can get students utilizing technology in the classroom and computer lab.  I am fairly knowledgeable, but you can never know too much!  My biggest triumph will be figuring out all the things I don’t know now that I didn’t know, I didn’t know!  :o)

Stay tuned!


References:
Redman, Matt. (2006).  You never let go. On Beautiful News CD.  Roswell, Georgia:  Sixsteps Records.