Review of Partnership For 21st Century Skills Web Site

Evaluating the

Website and Ideas

Today’s students lack the following 21^st century skills!

ARE YOUR STUDENTS:

ü  Critical thinkers?

ü  Problem solvers?

ü  Good communicators?

ü  Good collaborators?

ü  Information and technology literate?

ü  Flexible and adaptable?

ü  Innovative and creative?

ü  Globally competent?

ü  Environmentally literate?

In New York State, where I teach, the current education system is not preparing our students for the challenges they will face after graduation either in college and/or the workplace.   There are many reasons that today’s students’ lack these 21^st century skills, and many of these factors that are already present in our schools aren’t going to change for some time.  My close friend, who is the President of the top IT recruiting firm in the Northeast, says that he currently has 100’s of open positions that can’t be filled, because the potential employees lack the essential skills that are defined within the 21^st century framework.  He goes on to say that most employers would be happy to train, educate, and compensate these future employees, but the fact is that many high school graduates don’t have the core skills, much less the application and problem solving skills. 

        I am impressed with the Partnership For 21^st Century Skills Web Site, and consider their intention to raise the bar as essential for our future high school graduates.  The 21^st century skills framework encompasses the idea of teaching students not only the three R’s, but also the four C’s - CRITICAL THINKING and problem solving, COMMUNICATION, COLLABORATION, and CREATIVITY and innovation (ThinkInfinity, 2011).  I have a very similar philosophy as the Partnership, that we need to prepare our students to excel and succeed, and that the four C’s must be taught in order for us to accomplish it.  My philosophy is this – we must teach our students how to acclimate to any environment - in college and/or at work - be comfortable and excel in that setting, and have skills that will elevate and differentiate themselves from their peers.  I teach Computer Technology, and my students leave my program with a complete knowledge base of everything that is computer related.  Beyond my computer curriculum, I teach my students the other skills that will get them noticed and assist them in succeeding in whatever endeavor they enter in to.  Knowing what’s expected of you and being prepared to meet these expectations, makes entering any new environment a comfortable place.  For example, how we communicate with our boss is very different these days.  You may never have a meeting or conversation with your boss face to face, so you need to be able to write an effective e-mail that gets read and relays your ideas.  If you don’t know how to effectively communicate through e-mail you won’t be able to communicate with your boss, which will definitely lead to problems. 

I will use the ABOVE & BEYOND activity idea as a project in my classroom.  I think it encompasses ideas that I already try to teach, and is an interesting hands-on activity that I can use to emphasize them.  Here is the link to that Activity Page, and the Activity Graphic. 

                                                                                          Above & Beyond 4 C's Activity

        The Partnership For 21^st Century Skills Web Site presents its important framework, but falls short on elaborating actually how teachers can implement them.  For example, there is no mention of my curriculum, which is Technology.  Most of the expected student outcomes that are detailed by the Partnership For 21^st Century Skills could be included and would need to be integrated into a Technology curriculum.  I am also Math certified, but I couldn’t find a detailed curriculum map on how to implement the expected student outcomes into a Math classroom.  For this initiative to gain ground and be incorporated into schools, I think that an explicit guide on how to implement the framework for 21^st Century Skills needs to be developed and taught to teachers.  It may be a great set of ideas, but if it isn’t provided in a simple way that teachers can easily put into use it won’t progress or become universal. 

   

At my previous teaching assignment, I taught 2 intensive years of Computer Technology studies to both Juniors and Seniors.  I agree with the 21^st century ideal, that there are many essential skills that are needed and valued for a high school graduate when going forward to college and/or the profession world.  I know from my classroom, discussions with College Administrators and Employers, and from my pre-teaching business experience that the current high school graduates do not possess these 4 C Skills.  I worked professionally as an Engineer and IT Professional for 10+ years, and I have seen first-hand the need for an employee to be able to effectively communicate, conduct themselves as a professional, think out of the box, learn, apply, and problem solve.    In my classroom, I taught many of, but I had the freedom and leeway to do it.  One way I teach these skills is to first I teach my students how to approach learning, and also let each student discover their best individual learning style.  Specifically, I have a Unit where I teaching them a repeatable problem solving strategy that works on any problem, and then push them to take this concept further by students expanding their problem solving skills along with their prior knowledge to start applying and creating.  It was very fulfilling to see my graduates excel both in college and at work.  The reality is that by mastering some of these the 21^st century type skills, these students have differentiated themselves from their peers and found success.  By learning how to problem solve, my students completed projects that far exceeded my already high expectations and their grades in other classes improved.  The other side of my success is that very few teachers have the time to address or teach these essential skills, and that instead many of us are trying to help our students raise their abilities in English or Math from a level year’s below their actual grade level. 

I believe that our educational system will have a hard time acclimating and changing the system, in order to now foster graduates with these 21^st century skills.  As teachers, we have to adhere to ambitious curriculums and schedules, that don’t allow any time to go back and revisit a concept, much less to add additional time spent on teaching these 21^st century skills.  In my district, I consistently see high school students and graduates that read and write at only a 7^th grade level.  It is hard to imagine a teacher requiring students to apply what they know, when their core subject skills are so intermediate. 

RESOURCES
THINK INFINITY VERIZON

http://www.thinkfinity.org/21st-century-skills

PARTNERSHIP FOR 21^ST CENTURY SKILLS

http://www.p21.org/overview

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). Skills for the 21st Century. Baltimore: Author.

Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.). A report and mile guide for 21st century skills. Washington DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/images/stories/otherdocs/p21up_Report.pdf

Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.). A report and mile guide for 21st century skills. Washington DC: Author. Retrieved fromhttp://www.p21.org/images/stories/otherdocs/p21up_Report.pdf
 

                                                       

Week 4’s Discussion Post - Teaching 21st Century Skills

Week 4’s Discussion Post by Scott W Tinney

Teaching 21^st Century Skills

                  In New York State, the current education system is not preparing our students for the challenges they will face in college and the workplace.   There are many reasons that today’s students’ lack these 21^st century skills, and many of these factors that are already present in our schools aren’t going to change for some time.  My close friend, who is the President of the top IT recruiting firm in the Northeast, says that he has hundreds of open positions that can’t be filled because the potential workers lack these essential skills that are defined within the 21^st century framework.  He goes on to say that most employers would be happy to train, educate, and compensate potential employees, but the fact is that many high school graduates don’t have the core skills, much less the application and problem solving skills.  The 21^st century skills

framework encompasses teaching students not only the three R’s, but also the four C’s - critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation (ThinkInfinity, 2011).  In the Skills for the 21st Century video, Dr. Thornburg states that today’s employers are seeking employees with the following skillsets including the ability to think critically, problem solve, work in a team, communicate, use information technology, be a leader,  possess strong ethics, be creative and innovative, and act professionally.

        I believe that our educational system will have a hard time acclimating and changing the system, in order to now foster graduates with these 21^st century skills.  As teachers, we have to adhere to ambitious curriculums and schedules, that don’t allow any time to go back and revisit a concept, much less to add additional time spent on teaching these 21^st century skills.  In my district, I consistently see high school students and graduates that read and write at only a 7^th grade level.  It is hard to imagine a teacher requiring students to apply what they know, when their core subject skills are so intermediate. 

At my previous teaching assignment I taught 2 intensive years of Computer Technology studies to both Juniors and Seniors.  I agree with the 21^st century pretense that there are many essential skills that are needed and valued for high school graduates that are going forward to college and/or the profession world.  It is interesting to me that an employer will hire someone with even a little problem solving ability.  I worked professionally as an Engineer and IT Professional for 10+ years, and I have seen first-hand the need for an employee to be able to effectively communicate, conduct themselves as a professional, think beyond conventional thinking, learn, and problem solve  In my classroom, I taught many of, but I had the freedom and leeway to do it.  One way I teach these skills is to first I teach my students how to approach learning, and also let each student discover their best individual learning style.  Specifically, I have a Unit where I teaching them a repeatable problem solving strategy that works on any problem, and then push them to take this concept further by students expanding their problem solving skills along with their prior knowledge to start applying and creating.  It was very fulfilling to see my graduates excel both in college and at work.  The reality is that by mastering some of these the 21^st century type skills, these students have differentiated themselves from their peers and found success.  By learning how to problem solve, my students completed projects that far exceeded my already high expectations and their grades in other classes improved.  The other side of my success is that very few teachers have the time to address or teach these essential skills, and that instead many of us are trying to help our students raise their abilities in English or Math from a level years below their actual grade level. 

RESOURCES
THINK INFINITY VERIZON

http://www.thinkfinity.org/21st-century-skills

PARTNERSHIP FOR 21^ST CENTURY SKILLS

http://www.p21.org/overview

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). Skills for the 21st Century. Baltimore: Author.

Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.). A report and mile guide for 21st century skills. Washington DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/images/stories/otherdocs/p21up_Report.pdf

Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.). A report and mile guide for 21st century skills. Washington DC: Author. Retrieved fromhttp://www.p21.org/images/stories/otherdocs/p21up_Report.pdf

Integrating Technology Smartly, Securely, and Within Education's "narrow" Guidelines

       GOOD INTENTIONS CAN NOT FORSEE THE UN-INTENDED OUTCOME

        Now, I don’t like that I have to approach things this way, but I feel that I have to think “dirty” or consider from all perspectives how utilizing a new technology outlet in my classroom may create an unwanted response from a student in my class, a student in another class, an administrator, a parent,…

à I asked for permission to allow my students to pull their phones out for the first or last five minutes of class and was met with a resounding "no"

Great Job!  I try to push the envelope on embracing new technologies, but I know that I can’t afford to go against the wishes of my administrators, ‘cause if someone is offended by a technology I have integrated into the classroom and I did it on my own, no one will back me, I will lose my job, and so on.

Rule #1) We have to protect ourselves against any and all possibilities when it comes to inviting technology devices, Social Networking, and allowing Internet access into our classrooms. 

I’m extra, maybe overly cautious on this one – and I worked professionally as an IT Security Expert until some 6 years ago.  When I utilize a web-design activity or a wiki development project in my classroom, I make sure it stays classroom exclusive, INTRA-net not INTER-net.  It may sound complicated, but it is actually pretty simple to set it up (I can show you how, if you would like), and by doing so I eliminate 99% of the things that could go wrong.  I like my students to do their learning in my classroom, not on their own or in HW form.  Also, I create a highly interactive classroom environment and EVERY student is required to actively participate in class.  It does take a lot of effort to set up my classroom Intranet portals for every class, but it will be profitable for both me and my students. AND it morphs into a highly interactive learning environment – and my students really excel. 

There unfortunately are too many “horror” stories I have witnessed or heard where a well-intentioned Teacher has utilized a great learning activity like a History Wiki, and it has gone wrong due to some unforeseen and unexpected incident.

Rule #2)  EDUCATION MOVES VERY SLOWLY!!  But we don’t have to announce to the world everything we are doing in our classrooms, just ‘cause our Principal still prefers a slide-rule.   I have an activity where I try to teach and raise my students’ ability to write – specifically “How to write directions.”  My opening activity for this is to have each student write instructions on how to send a text message on their own phone to Mr. Tinney saying that I am their favorite Teacher ever and their BFT.  I know their phones shouldn’t be on their person, but of course I allow them to refer to them.  Even if my Principal or Superintendent (yes, I had this happen) walks in during this activity, I have written explicit LP’s on what we are doing, and once the initial shock wears off I can justify what we are up to. 

How do you deal with those students who are using the phones and Facebook pages for things other than their assignments? I remember in my classes that used the computer I would explore the web the whole time the teacher talked. I got my work done but I was not doing what I was supposed to either.

Not necessarily simple, but not that tough either.  One tool that I have in my classroom is a classroom management software called Vision.  Basically, I can easily see and access every PC in my room on my own monitor.  If a student is been sidetracked, I can prompt them to get back on track or end their session.  It takes some set-up to get my students to do the right thing, but my students usually stay on task.  They know what I expect of them, and they also know that they will miss out if they stray.  Plus, I also promise to hack into their Facebook account and post their nerdy 7^th grade pictures on their home page next to their ode to Justin Beiber if they cross me.  ;-)

          I think integrating technologies into our teaching can certainly enhance or aid it, though it takes a lot of additional time on our part to set it up.  I find it interesting that I have to teach so many basics first, before I can expect students to not only understand a topic, but then apply it.  I try to try integrating any or all the “gadgets” I can into my classroom.  With the logarithmic development of new technologies, it only makes sense to not remain complacent as far as using “gadgets”.  I like the distinction you point out, but I am not sure that I can evaluate how it works in the classroom prior to trying it. I introduce or explore “gadgets” in my classroom to fuel student interest, and increase their and my horizons.  Usually, this practice helps to validate that the students know enough of the basics, that they can parallel their prior knowledge and make connections to the new technology.  I’m always tweaking my teaching according to how different approaches and the in-class activities go – I don’t think I can predict ahead of time if the new approach or activity will make fundamental changes.

Exploring why it is important for a Teacher to know how Society and Technology interact, and how it affects my practices in my classroom.

Happy Veteran's Day!

Week2 Discussion Post by Scott W Tinney

Exploring why it is important for a Teacher to know how society and technology interact, and how it affects my practices in the classroom.

   It is important for a Teacher to know how society and technology interact, and to then translate this understanding and knowledge to our classroom.  Along the same lines, I think that Teachers need to “know” their audience, and there is little doubt that our students are highly influenced and affected by their society and by today’s technologies.   If we can include and incorporate these technologies into our teaching, especially the “essential” ones, like iPods, Droids, and Facebook, that our students are spending hours using every day, we can bring our lessons into their environment and comfort zone.

     I almost can’t believe that I’m now 43, and that approximately 25 years ago I graduated from high school, and there were no computers and I typed my term papers on a typewriter.  Next, I attended college at the first reported college that required purchasing a computer, my Apple IIc, a very heavy and limited green-screen calculator.  When I graduated with my BS of Engineering in 1993, there was no Internet that allowed different adjacent rooms to interact, especially if the systems and hardware were different.  Jumping to today, my 3 year old daughter thinks that Wow Wow Wubbsy is available at any time w/o any commercial interruptions, and my students have never had less than 237,000 answers to any question they have “re-searched” on Google. 

     In my Computer Technology I and II classrooms last year, I tried to constantly push the boundaries to be current and stay with the exponentially growing computer and technology boom.  Thanks to some of this technology, I could present my lessons in multiple formats, and allow my students to learn in the medium that they learn best.  The downside to this is that a former 2 page lesson plan, now translates to 20 web pages of content, full of working and meaningful links and properly formatted presentations.  It takes a lot of work and effort to integrate technology in the classroom.  Interestingly enough, K-12 education is not able to stay with the exponential growth of technology, both from a planning and budgeting perspective.  Just like kids know way more about computers than their parents, educators and the education system can’t keep up with this rapid change.  Businesses have always reacted faster than schools, because they are driven by the market directly and they must constantly change and adjust to make a profit.  Schools, on the other hand, can run in the red, and change is never rapid, and the trends and systems have to be tried, studied, and validated before a new method of teaching is allowed.  I am very lucky to be in a “specials” classroom, where I can try various technologies and change my lessons, without affecting my Regents test results. 

Opening the Doorway to Advancing My Classroom By Utilizing Professional Learning Communities

Using Technology To Expand My Teaching and Classroom

          There have been many technology innovations and evolutions that have had a life altering or changing effect on the way I do things.  Back in the Fall of 1986, I attended Jefferson CC and it was required that each Engineering student purchase a PC.  (I remember that at the time this was the 1^st time a college required you to purchase a computer, for one because they didn’t exist)  I spent around $1600 on an Apple IIc, with its exotic green screen, somewhere around 256K of memory, and absolutely no Networking ability. I also remember writing 167 lines of code in Fortran to solve a Math problem with the Pythagorean Theory.  Most of us have experienced some or all of the 25 years of the logarithmic Technology explosion, and now my Apple IIc really appears as a ludicrous machine and purchase.  Since 1986, I have gone from a “digital immigrant” to a multi-certified IT Professional and Engineer, who worked for 10+ years in IT before finding that my true calling was in the classroom.   

            The most significant Technology device that totally changed my world and I look back at in a disparaging way, was my first Motorola Pager.  The company that I worked for at the time presented me with a pager, and told me that I had earned it for all my hard work.  I soon found out that “new” expectations accompanied my shiny new pager.  When my pager went off, I had 30 minutes or less to call in, I was now available 24/7 for any pager summonses, and I should travel to resolve the technical issue that caused my pager to vibrate within 1 hour.  Previous to this, I could ignore my ringing phone or cell phone, sleep 10 hours a night, and choose to let my answering machine stand in for me, if I so chose.  My happy existence had now ceased to exist, much like today when a camera records almost every move we make and our car and cell phone can pinpoint your location to about 1.5 feet.  Wow, do I miss my landline and my answering machine, life was good then.

          I use many technologies in my classroom to increase student involvement, improve my students’ understanding and retention, and diversify my presentations and in-class activities.  I am a Computer Technology Teacher, and it is only natural that my classroom is set up to utilize various technologies and to investigate new technology innovations.  I use everything from a student-created intranet portal for each class to having every student “teach” their peers how to send a text on their specific phone – including the ultimate list of texting acronyms.  The best part of my classroom is that we have the opportunity to explore various technologies, and I am constantly learning, both as a Student and a Teacher.