Reflection: EDUC-6712D-1 Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom

The most striking revelation about teaching new literacy skills to my students is learning the importance of teaching students how to be literate using the Web. Until this course, I never thought about the importance of teaching students how to use the Internet in ways that would help them to improve their literacy skills. For example, students can use digital storytelling to persuade someone in writing, tell a story or retell a story to show understanding of story elements, or to recall information from something they read, and using technology to put together a multimedia presentation as part of a performance product.

In my course studies, I learned that a teacher, Vicki Davis, "empowers" her students by teaching them "how to learn" (edutopia.org). She enables her students to collaborate via the Web with students around the word. The students discuss content area learning with students across the globe who are studying the same thing. This allows students to use the Web in ways they use it in their personal lives, to communicate with others their age, and in ways that focus on learning. This empowers students by working with a method of learning the students already relate to and taking their learning across the globe to gain a new perspective from other students. My students enjoy working with each other in small groups. They would benefit from lessons, such as the ones that Vicki Davis has used with her students. My challenge is working with Internet security and school wide Internet policies. In this course, I learned of some Internet safe sites for educators and children. A wiki space for educators is one (edutopia.org).

The knowledge and skills gained in this course will help me to better prepare my students for using 21st Century Skills that will carry with them throughout their education and future careers. My students will be engaged in learning that promotes use of hands on technology and collaborative communication skills that build upon literacy skills needed to promote learning across the curriculum. My students are currently building a Wiki Space to answer essential questions related to content area studies. They will soon develop their own essential questions and answer each other’s essential questions. The Wiki Space is a nice way to get students engaged in content area learning, while promoting literacy skills by having students read and write about what they’re learning.

One professional development goal that I have that builds upon learning from this course, is making a commitment to stay abreast of new educational technology trends, and take courses related to teaching these new discoveries. The second part of this professional development is making a commitment to using what I have learned to teach my students and engage them in literacy skills using technology that will promote use of these skills.

This course has opened my eyes to thinking about using technology that promotes literacy skills and will engage my students in learning about content area studies. It's not just about teaching children how to use technology; it's more about teaching them how to learn.

References
Edutopia.org (2009) Davis, V. (Speaker). "Harness Your School's Digital Smarts." http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-teachers-vicki-davis, retrieved October 30,2009.

Walden Course: EDUC67101.5 Understanding the Impact of Technology on Technology on Education, Work, and Society

This course, EDU77101.5, Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society, has shaped my thinking about how technology should be used in the classroom. Thornburg discusses the importance of teachers providing students with opportunities to use technology in ways that are relevant providing them with 21st century skills (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008a). Student centered lessons that encompass these skills will help teachers prepare students with skills they will need later in life.

To further support the idea that the learning process should involve students using technology throughout their education, Thornburg, points out that many students will enter the workforce expected to be ready to use collaborative technologies, such as wikis. He also addresses the "drive" of changing technology that will take place in the business world, through the younger generation entering the workforce that they will come with “requirements, “such as” bandwidth and what they believe will help them to more efficiently do their job. These will be the students that "embrace technology," and Thornburg hopes that this will stem from the "education" students have received (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008b). Miners and Pascopella, point out that a student must be able to read and comprehend using Internet Communication Technologies (ICT), and be able to navigate through them in order to be better prepared for the 21st century workforce. Students need to be more connected to technology using the Web, but preferably, ones that are manageable for teachers and provide for a safe learning environment for children, such as using a Wiki.

This course has also broadened my perspective about the importance of providing students with hands on use of technology. I spent many years in the corporate world, before becoming a teacher. While many employers may embrace new technology, after seeing the benefits of implementing it, others do not, because of feeling the need to maintain control and stick with what already works. This is no different than the uncomfortable feeling that many teachers get when considering using a new technology that expands the students' boundaries. It seems the teachers and students who benefit from utilizing, are ones like, Christopher Dede, who have found a comfort zone and can effectively manage the classroom environment that uses the technology. Embracing new technology in school and the workplace is a challenge for many who are responsible for the success of the people using the technology, in addition to a commitment to the protection and safety of the people and property being used. Still, our students today may not have a choice in whether or not to embrace technology and their world will demand that they come prepared.

Throughout this course, I have learned some ways to lead my students in achieving 21st century skills that will prepare them for the future. Thornburg addresses the importance of the need for students to “thrive” rather than “survive” in the coming century. Some of my colleagues and I have addressed the problem with not having the time or technological resources to teach lessons that involve student’s using hands-on technology in the classroom. Thornburg further states that the problems of today are “wicked” and “a problem that can only be understood today through collaborative” efforts and dialogue. This will allow students to bring ideas together to construct meaning. He further discusses “cyber infrastructure” to form research teams, ones that can be on different parts of the planet, in order for students to share ideas with other students from a variety of backgrounds. (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008a). Finding the time to implement these ideas presented by Dr. Thornburg, is a challenge for me in my Language Arts and Social Studies classroom. Regardless of the challenges, cyber infrastructure would be a great tool for pulling research from all round the world. Students could share research with other students their own age, but all from different backgrounds and cultures.

One goal that I have set for the upcoming school years is, to set up a project in which my students can use 21st century skills, such as for completing a social studies project using a wiki space. In the article titled, "Partnership for 21st Century Skills," business leaders addressed three specific areas considered to be critical to success in the workforce and they are: global awareness, financial and economic, and business literacy, and civic literacy. As a social studies teacher, the Georgia Professional Standards Commission suggests that teachers incorporate the overarching themes of social studies into their lessons and bulletin board displays. Many of these themes connect to the three issues addressed in this article. By incorporating social networks, on-line reading and writing, and collaboration among students from different backgrounds and cultures, students can better connect to these content area studies and become better prepared for future success in the 21st century and beyond.

Another goal is to continue my education in the areas of educational technology. This will help me to stay abreast the current technological trends and continually provide avenues and resources backed by research to help me decide the best choices for using technology in the classroom. As a teaching professional, it is important for me to prepare my students for the future and enrich their learning through activities that are relevant to their lives. Thornburg makes the point that “technology is a moving target” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008a). By engaging in coursework and workshops involving the latest educational technologies, I can offer my students more lessons that provide them with opportunities to use some of the latest technologies. This course has been valuable to helping me to understand the importance of preparing students with 21st century skills.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008a). Thornburg, D. (Speaker). Skills for the 21st Century. In “Understanding the impact of technology on education, work, and society.” [Educational Video]. Baltimore: Author.
Laureate Education Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008b). (Thornburg, David, and DeDe, Christopher, Speakers). Program: "The Changing Work Environment" [Educational Video]. Los Angeles: Solution Tree.
Miners, Z., & Pascopella, A. (2007). The new literacies. District Administration, 43(10), 26–34.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.). A report and mile guide for 21st century skills. Washington DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/images/stories/otherdocs

Students and Technology - Interview

App5.CochranA.April5.2009 #0

">

If you have trouble opening the link or play button, please right click using your computer's mouse, then select 'open link in new window.'

21st Century Skills - other blog posts

Here are a few of my colleagues blogs, which I posted a comment on this topic. They are also discussing 21st Century Skills.

Posted on Donna’s blog titled: Donna's English Teacher Blog

http://okeydokey-donnasblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/21st-century-skills.html?showComment=1238356620000#c4728033923174515666">

Posted on Kathleen’s blog titled: Technology in the Classroom
http://katbruce.blogspot.com/2009/03/21st-century-skills.html?showComment=1238357760000#c3520151488225400027

Please keep the ideas coming and share your thoughts about teaching 21st Century skills.

21st Century Skills - continued

After reviewing the web site, Partnership for 21st Century Skills, at http://www.21stcenturyskills.org, I would like to respond to the following questions that my colleagues and I are discussing this week, as part of our studies.

What information on the site surprised you?
I was suprised at all the information and resources that support teaching 21st century skills in the classroom.

Did you disagree with anything on the site? I had a little concern about the number of businesses that have personnel serving on the board with Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Then after spending more time on the site and thinking further about this, I realized, this is a "partnership" and by having technology related business support the iniatives of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, then this could be a win-win situation for both, because the business would stand to receive increased business, but at the same time, these businesses can provide a great deal of knowledge and support to the idea that 21st Century Skills are increasingly important for students. Dr. Thornburg, states that our students will need to enter the workforce equipped with the necessary sills to work collaboratively with people from all over the globe and that with technology as a "moving target," that students will also need to be prepared using the newest and latest technology (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008).


What are the implications for your students, and for you as a contemporary educator?

In reviewing the web site for Partnership for 21st Century Skills, I was led to a link for for a site called, Education Sector. Under the heading titled "research and reports," I took particular notice with an article titled, Beyond the Bubble: Technology and the Future of Student Assessment, by Bill Tucker, dated February 17, 2009. The article states that "a growing number of testing and learning experts argue that technology can dramatically improve assessment—and teaching and learning. Several new research projects are demonstrating how information technology can both deepen and broaden assessment practices in elementary and secondary education, by assessing more comprehensively and by assessing new skills and concepts. All of which can strengthen both national standardized tests like the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and classroom-based tests meant to help teachers improve their instruction." I had not thought about how technology would impact standardized test scores among students. I can see the potential for increased student achievement, if students are taught to do more than just use technology, but rather to problem solve, use technology to complete projects, collaborate and solve problems or work toward meeting goals for particular content areas. See my earlier blog note from today, a different post, discussing information from Public School Insight. Thinking ahead, the bigger picture, students will need to be equipped with 21st century skills for their jobs, college education, and professional careers.


Dr. Thornburg gives particular emphasis to communicative technologies, such as wikis. e further states that, today, there are professionals who already use wikis and on-line communication to work on projects for their their job or as part of their college education Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). Later, there will come a point where this is a skill that employers will expect prospective employees to already know and use.

As a contemporary educator, it is my goal to stay abreast the latest technologies and try integrate them into meaningful lessons that will blend with the content areas that I reach.

References:

Laureate Education Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). (Dr. Thornburg, Speaker). Program: 7. In “Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work and Society” [Educational Video]. Los Angeles: Solution Tree.

Partnership for 21st Century Skills

http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/

http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/route21/

http://www.publicschoolinsights.org/node/2343

21st Century Skills

Have you ever considered the importance of teaching 21st century skills? Should educators place more or less emphasis on these skills?

After reading through the articles, links, and resources on the web site for, Partnership for 21st Century Skills, I would like to start a discussion as to whether or not more emphasis should be placed on 21st century skills. In other words, do you think this should be a state mandated standard? Should school districts integrate a curriculum that requires thorough integration of technology and 21st century skills into the lessons?

Here are a few thoughts I shared with some other colleagues on their blogs:

This has been one of my biggest concerns, is how educators can help our students achieve these skills, when many teachers do not have the support or resources. The key seems to be beyond integrating technology in the classroom, but integrating it into the school curriculum, instruction, and assessment, as suggested by Route 21.

As educators, we need to focus on teaching the core knowledge, such as teaching English, but find ways to connect the content to technology related lessons. I found this interesting note on-line, when delving through the 21st Century Partnership Skills web site, and came across the following link, http://www.publicschoolinsights.org/node/2343, and took notice with this statement, "Take, for example, the issue of transferable skills. Critics of twenty-first century skills argue, quite reasonably, that such skills are not "all-purpose muscles" that are effective in any content domain. The critical thinking skills I nurtured in humanities classes will not help me figure out why my car stalls when I step on the brakes, because I don't know the first thing about cars. Critical thinking skills depend on content knowledge" by Claus Zastrow, posted March 2, 2009.

First, to better integrate 21st century skills, teachers need to have access to the resources and support from their schools and districts, in order to fully integrate technology into the lessons. Many of my colleagues have expressed a concern for limited resources within their schools.

Reference for Links accessed March 29, 2009:

Partnership for 21st Century Skills

http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/

http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/route21/

http://www.publicschoolinsights.org/node/2343