21st Century Skills

         “There is a profound gap between the knowledge and skills most students learn in school and the knowledge and skills they need in typical 21st century communities and workplaces” (2004). I think the information on this website is where all states need to go. I was surprised that there were only a few states have taken the initiative. It does seem like a lot of steps to get started. The website says you need to “get commitment from the governor and chief state school officer and submits an application to P21 that describes the state’s plan to revise standards, create assessments and implement 21st century skills professional development programs” (2004). I wonder if many states have very similar standards, but they have not gone through this program. Getting my masters specializing in integrating technology is helping me become a better educator of the 21^st century. There are a great number of businesses on board which will only help get more schools started. Reading the mission statement as well as the “P21 FAQ” page it shows how important technology is for students and for teachers. We need our students to grasps on to the future, and we are the people who need to bring it in. This is where we are headed, if schools are not already there. I enjoy using and learning about 21^st century learning, and I hope I will continue to add this excitement in my classroom.

 

http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php  

Ideas for Blogging in Classroom

I would like to start using the blog for students to post answers to discussions topics. My 5th graders have many literature circles throughout the school year. I would like to post different questions about parts they have read to increase critical thinking. After a little practice, I could have the students come up with the ideas they can chat about over the blog. I use a “chat sheet” now where they students write down three ideas they want to chat about. This could easily be done on a blog. The blog would be helpful because everyone is participating and I can read what they students have to say even if I am not with there group. Another idea is to use it at the beginning of a unit to get students to start thinking about the topic, like a KWL chart. Students could share what they already know about the topic. One of my favorite parts about the blog is that it gets all of the students involved. The students are reading more ideas than what might be shared out loud in class. It is also a great tool for integrating reading and writing. I teach math, reading, writing, spelling, and science, and the blog could easily be used in any of those subjects.

Getting Started

This is my first blog that I have set-up. I am excited to see how it goes! I am now in the last month of the school year. We will finally be finishing our state testing next week. I sometimes wonder how hard the students try on the tests. For one, they know they aren't getting graded. Also, they have so many different tests these last couple of months, that they get tired of them.