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- General (1)
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“21st Century Skills”
August 20, 2008 by russell.
I really like the way the Partnership for 21st Century Skills articulates the framework for what this means but I feel that the three basic structures are more blurred. I have been teaching 21st Century skills long before they were called “21st Century Skills” and it is truly the premise behind Technology Education (not to be confused with Educational Technology). If you look at their diagram (http://www.21stcenturyskills.org) it shows the three outside student outcomes of “Life and Career Skills”, “Learning and Innovation Skills”, and “Information, Media, and Technology Skills”. I believe that these pieces should not and cannot be separated within a given course, unit, or lesson. ITEA and ISTE have been after these same outcomes for years and the most exciting thing is that now so many educators are sitting up and taking notice. Our country may not produce the highest performing Math, Science, or Language Arts scores (or students) but we have always and need to continue to produce the best Critical Thinkers and Problem Solvers.
With the first framework (from Partnership for 21st Century Skills) of “Core Subjects and 21st Century Themes”, we also now have a call for the complete integration of these skills. Yes, these kids are “plugged in” 24/7 and they multi-task more than any previous generation of students but our big challenge is to make them perform at a HIGH level on all of those tasks they take on.
In order to provide these opportunities and fulfill our obligations as educators, we need to gain the skills necessary to embrace 21st Century learners and their needs. Every year we as teachers go to conferences, trainings, in-services, etc. aimed at Math, Science, and Language Arts. The same commitment needs to be present for Technology, Critical Thinking, and Problem Solving. The Professional Development I have planned for EVHS staff this year is a huge step but it is just that…one step…you as teachers must take the next… and the next…
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2008-2009 School Year Begins….a year of dust!
August 12, 2008 by russell.
Hello everyone who reads this! I have recently deleted all old posts and cleared this blog in preparation for the new school year. Hopefully this year will be the one where I make this blog come alive! PLEASE SUBSCRIBE AND BECOME A CONTRIBUTOR!
This is going to quite a challenging year with all the construction around EVHS. The year of pain and suffering will be rewarded with a newly remodeled, State-of-the-art, high school we can all be proud of!
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