Wednesday, March 23, 2011

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Virtual classrooms, cell phones that are also used as computer processors, cars that steer themselves! It all sounds like a futuristic world, but do not be fooled for these are all parts of the world we live in. My first sentence actually reminds me of the Disney movie, "Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century." The movie came out in 1999 but was set in the year 2045 making it very futuristic with virtual teachers and such. Little did Disney know (or maybe they did know, it IS Disney) that some of their "futuristic twists" were not too far off from what we would see in the near future.

Technology is changing the world rapidly and due to this the workforce is not the same as it was 15 years ago. As society changes, employers' expectations of their employees change as well. As educators, it is our job to not only teach students the academic content, but to prepare them for the future as well. This is when 21st Century Skills come into play. The website, "The Partnership for 21st Century Skills" is completely dedicated to changing education through the passing of knowledge and the sharing of resources so that students are taught the 21st Century Skills.

I found this site to be very colorful and informative and almost overwhelming. It is quite wordy, which can sometimes make it less appealing, though, who am I to judge with my lengthy blog posts and all? I like how the site really defines the various aspects of their mission making it very black and white about what they wish to accomplish.

I have visited this website due to other courses at Walden, so I already had an idea of what to expect. However, I was surprised to see that such major companies contributed to the founding of this organization (just to name a few: AOL Time Warner Foundation, Apple Computer, Inc., Dell Computer Corporation, and Microsoft Corporation.) Many of the council members are also representatives from various prominent companies, such as Verizon, Lego Group, Walt Disney Company, and McGraw-Hill the textbook company. Seeing these big names really points out how well-connected and influential this organization must really be.

A "disagreement" or rather question I have for this site is why is it limited to only a few states? Being a Californian, I was a little disappointed that it was not on the list of states this organization works with. Is this a work in progress or is California closed off to this? I suppose that may be why I never heard of this website until my time at Walden.

When I think about this website and the implications it has for my students, I think, "Wow, we have a long ways to go." Luckily, as a contemporary teacher/substitute there are many resources, such as this website, that can help me teach the 21st Century Skills more effectively.

www.p21.org

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Common Sense in Technology

As an educator, I am always thinking, discussing, and researching new ways to use technology effectively in the classroom. In today's society where we are constantly using cell phones, computers, iPods, iPads, etc. it only makes sense to apply these tools to learning. In many communities, our students are able to hop onto the computer and find some sort of interactive game website within minutes, which is great, but with many great things comes great responsibility.

I saw a commercial presented by an organization called, Common Sense and it brought up the important point that we need to teach our children and students how to be safe and responsible with technology. There is no doubt that technology makes our lives easier and makes it quite easy and convenient to communicate with others instantly, but it can be dangerous and life-threatening if used inappropriately. This website, Common Sense, has many tips and resources for parents and teachers when addressing the concerns of various technology tools with their children and/or students. It's a nice little website; take it for what it is.

www.commonsensemedia.org

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Blogs in the Classroom

I am currently only substituting so I do not work with any specific age group or content area. I do have a multiple subject credential so I usually sub in elementary schools. With that said, there are two ways I can use this blog. The first way would be as a substitute where I can use this blog as a tool for a brief introduction about myself and some rules I expect students to follow throughout the day. Also, I may add several "fun facts" and pictures for the appropriate age groups so the blog is not only used as a "rule maker." I would not want to imprint in students' minds that blogs are used to just tell rules or give it a negative tone because my blog may be a first experience for some students in some of the schools I sub in.

If I was in my own classroom, I would use the blog to showcase student work. I would also use it as a tool for students to access their homework (if they forgot to write it down that day or if they are absent). Since I would put up student work, students, parents, any blog reader would see what we are currently working on. With that said, I would also have a few posts of what we will be working on next with small samples of stories, math equations, or a single picture to build anticipation (I want to get students excited to learn!!)

A way I can use this blog to enhance lessons is to create posts about the specific topic. I can add lots of pictures and even videos because they are tremendously helpful in both teaching and learning. Then during the lesson, I can pull up my blog to give more support to students. I think during a lesson my blog would work in the same manner as a PowerPoint presentation does where it keeps me on task, organized, and ensures that I cover all of the important parts.

Today I was in a fourth grade class and we were learning about how igneous rocks are formed. The textbook had pictures, but wouldn't it have been way more effective to show the students a video of these rocks actually forming or at least in some other visually stimulating way? This particular video uses music to teach about the rock cycle, which can be just as effective!



I do have a question that hopefully someone can help me with. I know YouTube is usually blocked from use at schools so can we can still play videos that are embedded in blogs that are from YouTube? We should be able to right? Since we are not actually accessing the site....? Anyway, I'd love to hear your comments and feedback in ways to improve my ideas! :)

Saturday, March 5, 2011

My First Blog

Hello there! Welcome to my brand new blog. Creating a blog for the whole world (or more realistically our class, EDUC-6710I-4 Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society) to see has been a new experience for me. I am a bit shy when it comes to putting my thoughts and opinions out in public, but hopefully you will find my blog helpful as it grows in knowledge about integrating technology into the classroom.

Have a great weekend! :)

Heather