Partnership for 21st Century Skills... Heard of it?

For my next assignment, I am to become familiar with The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) website. First and foremost, this organization understands that, “Every child in the U.S. needs 21st century knowledge and skills to succeed as effective citizens, workers and leaders” (P21 Mission Page). Educators have been preparing our nation’s children for their future since the beginning of education, but today’s skills are continuously changing before our eyes. Yes, students still need the basic academic knowledge, but technology skills are in high demand. P21 does not ask that we abandon those basics but extend and infuse them into a learning classroom environment that resembles the real world that we actually live in. This is done by establishing P21s 4Cs: critical thinking and problem solving; communication, collaboration; creativity and innovation.

Over the past few years, my state began to slowly incorporate the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). There has been controversy over whether or not these standards are what our state’s education system needs. However, P21 advocates that their 4Cs and the CCSS are closely aligned and work well together. Either way, our state is moving onward with the adoption of CCSS and P21 provides a Common Core Toolkit to help guide the alignment.

P21 lists seven strategies for a successful initiative for a Leadership State. Of the seven listed I disagree with part of the fourth. They write, “Many states allow students to earn a high school diploma with eighth or tenth grade knowledge and skills (or less). Higher standards are essential” (P21 State Initiatives Page). While I do believe high standards are essential and that competing in a global economy is a high priority, not all students desire this path. There are many who know what they want to do with the rest of their lives, which most of the time has nothing to do with technology or competing in a global economy. This is not to say that I believe it to be the wisest choice but nothing is wrong if these students become a productive member of society in a different manner than what we may expect of them. However, by creating this new technological environment that infuses basic knowledge with that of career ready skills, perhaps students will be encouraged to proceed in school.

Lastly, while viewing the 21st Century Skill Science Map, I focused my attention on the fourth grade outcomes. I believe that many of the outcomes listed are what any educator desires for their students. A difficulty I found in establishing the 21st century skills listed on the map is that I do not have access to equipment that they list, such as probeware and GIS/GPS tools, and my district does not have the funds to supply their classrooms with these supplies.

Overall, P21 is an organization deeply rooted in improving our schools for the future of our students and our nation.

Blogs in the Classroom

“Post an idea for how you might use a blog in your classroom.” That is the statement I am to answer for my first blog post. Before reading the required text for my course, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson, I decided that I did not want to post any idea that Richardson suggested in his book. I had a lot of ideas, so I thought I would be in the clear. But as I read, I noticed that all my previous ideas were already written in black ink. So, I needed to think of another. I read the word “expert” several times in chapter three, and finally, it hit me – EXPERTS!

In the well-known “Jigsaw Strategy,” students become experts. If you are new to this strategy, it works like this. Students are separated into groups – let’s just say there are five groups with four students in each. This is called their “Home Group.” Within a group, students are then numbered one through four. At this point, students leave their home group and form a new group – all the ones are a group, all the twos, and so forth. These groups are called an “Expert Group.” Expert groups are responsible for becoming experts on a certain topic. Then, they bring their expertise back to their home group. Therefore, each member in the home group is now an expert in a different area and will teach the other members in their home group. Overall, not only will students learn the section, but they must teach it as well; and I certainly believe we learn as much from reading as we do from teaching.

Many teachers using this strategy assign expert groups a certain section in a textbook chapter. So, these fifth grade expert groups will receive a certain section in a science textbook chapter. As an expert group, they will work together to find the main parts (important information) of the section they believe is imperative to share with their home group.

So, where’s the blog? In the end, each expert group will make a “potential” blog post. Individually, students in the expert group can decide to either post the information on the home group’s blog as is or edit the post additionally to meet the specific needs of the home group. As mentioned, each home group will have a blog. It is the responsibility of each member of the home group to submit the post of their expertise. Once the posts have been made, students have essentially written a student version of a chapter in their textbook. Furthermore, it is essential that members of the home group read each member’s post (and perhaps even the blogs of other home groups!) as well as comment, ask questions, etc.

Overall, students are working collaboratively face-to-face and online through blogs. In the later, students are not only blogging to inform their group, but also the world audience. Altogether, this blog is a place for students to interact about content, showcase their work, and share learning with a larger community.