· My reaction to the website
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is an organization that promotes the idea that every student must possess the skills needed for today’s changing workplace. The site provides an explanation of its mission and framework for learning. It also lists council members and partner organizations. In addition to a great deal of useful information, the website offers tools and resources that may be downloaded and printed in PDF format. I agree with the premise of the website and with the fact that our students need to be prepared for the workplace. It all sounds great in theory; however, there were some aspects of the site that were questionable to me. My biggest concern is how this vision will be accomplished with diminished state funding and the stress put on state assessments.
· Information on the site that surprised you or helped you develop a new understanding of the issues surrounding 21st-century skills
Some of the information that surprised me on this site was included in the Framework for Learning. I can identify with most components of the framework such as the core subjects, learning and thinking skills, life skills, and ITC literacy. However, I am left with some questions about the 21st century content and 21st century assessment (these questions I will explain below).
I was also amazed to see that there were only 15 out of 50 states participating in the program. I am wondering why more states are not on board and how much of that has to do with funding.
Another surprise was the fact that some of the resource publications, reports, overviews, and skill maps have not been updated since 2006. Maybe I am being overly critical, but I would think an organization based on 21st century skills would update content a bit more often.
· Information or opinions on the site that you disagree with along with an explanation of why you disagree
Some of the questions I have are things that I do not necessarily disagree with, but I fail to see how they would fit into curriculum. For example, listed as part of the 21 century content is financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy. As an elementary teacher, I cannot envision trying to teach students about business or economics at such an early age. It just seems a bit intense for my 4th graders.
Another question involves the 21st century assessments. I understand the need to assess students to see if they are retaining what is being taught. However, with the many state assessments that are already given in math, reading, writing, and science, I am not sure how a technology assessment can be crammed in there too.
- The implications for your students and for you as a contemporary educator
As an educator, I am aware of the importance of teaching students the skills mentioned on the Partnership website. I constantly strive to include skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation in my instruction. However, I think that for the vision of the Partnership website to become a reality, all states must participate and be on board with the program. If not, the United States may continue to struggle to keep with other countries in the global economy. As for now, I will continue to teach my students with the technology and curriculum that I have and continue to hope that changes will come down the road.
You summed up some of the key aspects of this website quite well. I too commented on the lack of updating materials. Other than the home page where a summit is mentioned I almost wondered if this project has been abandoned. There were several recognizable "big name" sponsors and partners, but very few states. I noticed my state was not one listed even though this is the home state for Bill Gates. It did give me cause to question the lack of commitment from other states and educational facilities.
ReplyDeleteI too was amazed at the big names of the partners. My state is not part of it either. There were like 15 out of 50 states doing the program. I do wonder if it is funding or lack of information?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that all states must be on board if this program is going to prepare the United States to be more competitive with other countries. I was shocked as well with the low number of states involved with the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. The council members and partnership organizations need to lead the way in getting more states and companies involved to meet the demands of today’s global economy. The six key elements of this partnership along with its many resources give teachers the tools needed to get students to reach the goals of tomorrow’s workforce.
ReplyDeleteYou make a good point about the demands being put on students to reach the 21st century skills. There never seems to be enough time to reach all the state standards we currently have. Preparing for anymore assessment will be an extreme challenge. I am amazed at what they expect from 4th grade students. Technology is changing the landscape of education and rapidly.
I also found some of the twenty-first century skills to be vague. Being a third grade teacher, I would like more information on how to better serve my students at teaching them business and economic literacy. This also leads into my desire for more resources. Although the site leads you to Route 21 and Video 21, few updates have been made relaying the latest workshops and information available. As technology is quickly changing, so should the information that promotes it.
ReplyDeleteFinally, I would appreciate some concrete examples of elementary level assessments that have been given that support twenty-first century skills. I had not found any solid examples, leaving me somewhat confused with how to effectively include it in my curriculum. As this is one of the key components of the framework, there should be more resources about this topic available.
I think as teachers we need to figure out how to teach these 21st century skills with limited technology. I think many of the skills are thinking skills that we can teach without technology. Of course the struggle is finding time in our already full schedule.
ReplyDeleteLike several other comments people have made I struggle with what teaching these skills would look like. I feel I need some sample lessons or ideas on how to get started. I think by exploring the Route 21 and Video 21 websites this will help give me more ideas.
I look forward to the time when every state is involved in teaching 21st century skills. I agree with you that until every state is fully committed the United States will continue to fall behind.
I know for a fact that Kentucky is financially strained but it was on the list. Many districts in the state do not have the funding to comply with P21. I am sure several states on the list are trying to better the lives of each student but without proper funding the partnership will not be affective.
ReplyDelete