21st Century Readiness

Are we preparing our students for the 21st Century world that they will enter after graduation? As educators we need to do a self-evaluation or inventory and ask ourselves this question. The world of technology is among us and competition in the workforce will encounter the use of technology. There are so many initiatives in place to assist educators and prepare them for the 21st Century classroom. I recently visited the Partnership for 21st Century Skills web page, http://www.p21.org/ . This organization has a central focus and commitment for the readiness of students. Members of this group focus on fusing the 3 R's and 4 C's in education. We know the 3 R's as reading, writing and arithmetic. The 4 C's consist of critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity. These are areas critical to building a foundation for our students.

Many educators are apprehensive about using technology in the classroom. P21provides numerous professional development opportunities for educators and others wanting to know more about 21st Century learning. Even if conferences are missed, there is still an opportunity to receive the information, as there is an open link to missed conferences. There are additional resources available for view, which support 21st Century Readiness. One which I found very informative was the Connection to Common Core Standards for Math and ELA (English Language Arts).

I was still a bit curious; therefore, I did another search and found a blog by Adam Shamer. The blog is quite interesting as it supports the efforts of P21. He speaks on the chart that P21 uses to explain student outcomes and support systems:

 




















Adam's blog site is http://blog.entrepreneurthearts.com/2010/05/06/the-four-cs-of-21st-century-education/ .

These are excellent sites to keep us abreast of 21st Century learning. Students will benefit as well as educators.

Do you feel that the use of technology will enhance classroom experiences and prepare students for the world ahead of them?

Using Blogs in the Classroom

Blogs are an excellent tool for communicating with others to share ideas and thoughts about particular subjects. Creating a blog for classroom use will allow students to share their thoughts. Some students communicate better in writing. Creating a blog in for the class allows the teacher to use the blog as an informal assessment. According to the type rubic established for given assignments, the blog may also be used as a formal assessment. Students can log into the blog to recieve assignments given by the teacher. Parents would be able to access student assignments. Questions may be posed by the teacher and student. Blogs would enhance the learning environment.

I see what I'm reading; but, I don't understand!

Many students find themselves reading over and over again, but they never truly understand what they are reading. I am desperately seeking advise on how to motivate the students. How can technology be used to enhance their learning experiences?