What surprised me was the easy of finding information. This site was very well organized, detailed and planned out. I went directly to the Information, media and Technology Skills section. Tons of resources at the easy of a click.
There is nothing I could disagree with but I wondered why in today's day and age, technology is not considered a core class. Is technology just a tool to enhance learning for core classes? There was a section under global that contained useful information for educators.
As an educator, my goal is to provide a foundation of learning for every student to become successful human beings. Furthering my education is allowing me to open up many more educational doors for my students. The more comfortable I become, the more I can introduce to my students. The 21st century of work ethics and learning is a different world.
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Terri, I was also very impressed with the amount and organization of information that was presented on the Partnership for the 21st Century skills website. You bring up an excellent question about technology not being considered a core class. Three years ago my elementary school had a computer lab that was available for use by all classes in the elementary. Since the recent high stakes testing criteria has been tied to funding, the school has taken away the computer lab and made it a pull-out room for students who need additional help. If we are going to use technology in the classroom we want our students to understand how to use them correctly. It would make since to have technology be one of the core classes that students need to be successful in the future.
ReplyDeleteTerri, the website was a bit overwhelming for me as well at first, but once I got into it, it was actually very interesting. We are very lucky at my school becasue we have 4 working computer labs for student production(for 1100 students) and the teachers are required to take their class to the lab for at least 2 hours each week. (This include K-5 Many of them go more often. we also now have a mimio board in all 3-5th grade classrooms. K-2 will be added soon. My concern is that if technology were to become a core subject, then something would be deleted, and my fear is that it might be my program - PE. That may sound selfish,; however, if we produce students that are 21st century students that are unhealthy, we have another another issue all together. I really like the idea of having technology as a core class, but not at the expense of the students health.
ReplyDeleteBarb,
ReplyDeleteYour though is not selfish by any means. Sitting around on the computer is causing our younger generations to fight weight problems, so I think they need both of our subjects as core classes. What about deleting study hall? Or my thought was alternating gym and computers. Three days of PE and two days of computers to create more of a balance.
Sometimes when we are in these discussion I forget the size vaiances of schools. My average class is 20 students, for the middle school.
Next week I plan on sitting in on some of the high school computer classes just to see what they are doing and if there is anything that I can incorporate at the student level to get them a head.
Our students take technology classes, but they are an elective. Maybe your idea to require it for every students would certainly give the students exposure to technology every day. I am also on the verge of incorporating the laptops which we have shared access to in our classrooms. It is difficult in the math classes to utilize the student use of the computers. I have been using a promethean board and find united streaming videos to show. My next goal is to have some projects (webquests possibly) for the students to do as a way to apply concepts.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to add, that the work ethics of the 21st century will change due to all of the technology at our finger tips. Company's will be more flexible as far as hours and that meeting can be done via podcasts, skyping, and blogging. This will cut down on traveling expenses for the consumer and for the business. I believe students today have an edge on previous generations. Dr. Thornburg mentioned that current generation have an edge due to playing video games, childern are learning to make quick decision, to communicate on a different level.
ReplyDeleteLook at the loyalty in the work place today compared to our parents generation. It was unheard of to jump every three years. My parents generation participate in 30 year anniversaries with a company. Employers now have to worry about keeping the interest of a new generation.
We as educator have to to do the same thing. We have to be able to keep up and to expose them to the technologies that will be competing against other students for a place in society.