Partnership for 21st Century Skills

I recently visited the web site called “Partnership for 21st Century Skills”. The group mission statement is; “to serve as a catalyst to position 21st century skills at the center of US K-12 education by building collaborative partnerships among education, business, community and government leaders”. I looked at the sponsor list and discovered a collection of information technology and education based corporations. Membership includes Pearson, Intel, Adobe, Apple, Blackboard, Cisco, Dell and others. The group is working with several state governments to revise standards, develop assessments and implement professional development programs. It appears that there is a good deal of money to be made in changing the way our schools teach. However, that does not mean it is not a good idea. If modern business is conducted in a high-tech world, then our young people have to comfortable with the technology.


I have a natural tendency to be skeptical about any product developed with a financial interest at stake. However, I found the information sensible and useful. Use of technology is used to build on core subjects. The program brings educators, business and policy makers together to develop a path for student success in a modern environment.

One of the tools I found useful was a video sharing site. Teachers can view uploaded videos from other educators demonstrating the integration of technology in their classrooms. This collection can become very useful if a teacher needs to teach core content but wishes to increase engagement using technology. As I am a fairly new teacher, without a great deal of creativity, I intend to take advantage of this resource.

For anybody wishing to visit the site yourself the link is provided below.

https://thepartnershipfor21stcenturyskills238.eduvision.tv/Default.aspx

Weblogs in the Classroom?

A blog is a web page that any person with an internet connection can create and update. They are easy to modify and personalize with data, photographs, video or music (Richardson, 2009). It did not occur to me until very recently that I had technically been blogging for several years. Many years ago I would publish thoughts and comments to newsgroups from various internet companies. I would share a thought, someone would respond, I would respond back. The conversation could have been about anything. The important part was that I was publishing a written document. A small, yet valid audience was reading it and providing feedback.

A good portion of my education has been gained through this very practice. While attending institutions of higher learning such as Thomas Edison State College, Saint Leo University, Excelsior College and now Walden University, I have participated in online discussions. Usually an instructor would post a reading or research assignment. I would complete class requirements and provide comment based on the instructors prompt. Students would read the written work of others and provide comment. Conversations would ensue, and learning would take place.

Today, an entire generation of young people has grown up with weblogs. Millions of easily created and updatable personal pages on sites such as Facebook and My Space have been created with the purpose of social networking. Our students communicate with each other, plan activities and sometimes attempt to harm each other on such sites. I believe it is our responsibility as educators to demonstrate the potential of these capabilities as more than mindless entertainment.

How can I, as a fifth grade teacher, with my particular population of students and work circumstances, use a weblog to improve student learning? For starters, I could introduce them to quality blog pages, written by learners their own age. I would like for them to see what is possible if they apply themselves. My students may enjoy commenting on the work of others, and could even receive a response. We could form a class web page, complete with a schedule of upcoming events, assignments, copies of documents and links to relevant resources. If the page was updated regularly¸ it could increase parent involvement, particularly if the students are involved in the page maintenance. Another possible activity would be for students to write responses to, or share feelings on a provided prompt, much like an online classroom. Students writing may improve just to prevent embarrassment. After all, nobody wishes to appear stupid (Martin, 2008). Other options include journaling, posting class writing assignments or attacking problems young people face today.

There are many creative people out there who can come up with other methods of applying weblogs in the classroom. If we can engage a student by using technology to do different things to promote learning, then we should do it. Our students deserve it.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program number 6. Spotlight on technology: Blogging in the   classroom (Motion Picture). Understanding the impact of technology on education, work, and society. Baltimore: Author

Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (2d ed.).Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press

Can Technology Render Textbooks Useless?

My topic of discussion relates to how technology is affecting the classroom, our work, and society as a whole. As this is my first teaching job, I can only assume that my classroom is technologically typical. I teach at an elementary school with students ranging from pre-k through fifth grade. My twenty-three students and I claim home to a portable classroom. Though we are located outside of our main building, my class has the same technology available as classrooms inside. I have access to wireless internet service. I have three student computers assigned. One is functional on a regular basis, one is never functional and one may or may not be. We do not know for sure until we power it up. The only guaranteed way to make the third computer work is to have the information technology specialist come and check it. It always works then.


I am under the impression that some of us expect too much from technology. I recently read an article titled “Technology-Rich Classrooms Render Textbooks Useless” (Associated Press, 2008). I currently use modern technology to increase efficiency (Thornburg, 2004). I access my district’s curriculum and resources. I have an online grade book. I use current software to create documents and store data. I use web resources to find leveled readers, film clips, slide shows and lesson ideas. My students utilize educational web pages to reinforce skills previously taught. We use tools such as Google Earth to enhance student engagement and gain access to information. Technology can engage students, allowing them to pursue answers to questions relevant to their lives. I have yet to experience anything that would lead me to believe textbooks can be rendered useless however.

I understand that newer versions of textbooks may be available online. I also understand that homework may be assigned from online resources. The educators that rely on the internet are not taking into account student needs from lower socio-economic groups. Almost half of my students do not have a computer or internet access at home. Printing out stacks of selections is not a workable alternative either. In addition to the additional cost of wear and tear on school equipment, we must figure in the huge amount of paper and ink supply required to support a growing student population. I suggest technology is a tool to enhance classrooms, not replace textbooks.

I would like to know how others feel about this topic. Please feel free to post your thoughts or comments on the subject.

References:
Associated Press. (2008, May 9). Technology rich classrooms render textbooks useless. Teacher Magazine.

Thornburg, D. (2004). Technology and education: Expectations, not options. (Executive Briefing No. 401). Retrieved from http://www.tcpdpodcast.org/briefings/expectations.pdf