The website, Partnership for 21st Century Skills, seemed daunting at first. The many drop down menus seemed too extensive for me to grasp a singular meaning. After a bit of surfing I found their mission statement. This national organization advocates 21st century readiness for every student. The United States competes in a global economy that demands innovation. P21 provides tools and resources to help U.S. education keep up by incorporating the 4Cs (creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration with the 3 R's (reading, writing and arithmetic). They do this with the help of members that include Pearson, Walt Disney Company, Ford Motor Company, Intel, Microsoft, Dell, Cisco, Adobe and NEA, the National Education Association. Virtually every big name in technology and education is a member of P21. The impressive list of members surprised me, and lent credence to this organization.
The video Above and Beyond produced by Fablevision illustrated how technical details combined with imagination produce innovative results. I enjoyed the video and found other educational video clips from YouTube that had been downloaded to the site. P21 resources available to teachers included professional development, skill maps, learning environments and mentors. A guide for state and district leaders showcased assessment tactics to assist in statewide 21st century skills initiative.
P21 offers speaking engagements, workshops and seminars. It is apparent that mastering 21st Century Skills is taking a pivotal role in technology, and as educators, we need to feel compelled to acquire these tools. While the website seems too technical and overwhelming, I do believe the exposure I give myself to P21 concepts, the more effective and professional I will become as a teacher.
I loved your comment about how technical details combined with imagination produces innovative results. As educators I think is one of the areas in which we can use technology to help our students show innovation. I know in my classroom, students can make amazing products with their savvy tech skills. I learn so much from them everyday! I certainly need to keep incorporating more opportunities for creativity through 21st Century skill integration in my curriculum.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, it is becoming abundantly clear that mastering 21st century plays an essential role in incorporating technology. Using technology allows us to combine technology and technical skills along with collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills. When these skills are put together it produces effective learners and innovative results. The P21 websites does offer a variety of resources to access and incorporate these skills. As I read over these comments and suggestions, I thought of how I can use incorporates these ideas into my classroom. This knowledge will not only help me become an effective teacher but it will also help my students become effective learners.
ReplyDeleteComing from a creative arts directive, the combining of technology and associated skill development with the 4 C's and 3 R's is an extremely exciting one. The newness and spead of technological growth presents the student with a wide open brave new world for creative innovation, and students are drawn to it with eagerness. With the newness comes consequenses that can have dual directives for long term personal and societal benefit. Reviewing the P-21 resources for the fine arts area I find that site maps do offer a surprising array of integrated strategies to assist in a balanced program of instruction both in personal as well as those that would benefit the broader culture and society.
ReplyDeleteI like your statement that mastering the 21st century skills is taking a pivotal role in technology. I feel that this idea reassures my goal in pursuing this master's degree of implementing technology in the classroom. In your post you mentioned the video Above and Beyond, I was wondering were you found this because every link that I was clicking on asked my to buy their book or product. I was looking for examples like this to blog about but was unsuccessful in my searches. I also like how everyone's blog that I have read mentions the importance of what the 21st century skills of the 4C's. I also blogged about the importance of these crucial strategies to implement and was glad to see that you stated these ideas as well.
ReplyDeleteWhile I did not have the same experience with the site, I do agree that it is helpful. I also agree that mastering 21st century skills is taking a pivotal roll in technology. The more exposure you have, the more comfortable you will be with implementing the technology necessary for our students to be prepared to compete in the business world. I especially liked the resource for Common Core State Standards since I am currently training and being trained to implement those standards in August. I also like the importance in the connection between the 3Rs and 4Cs. These are skills and elements that are necessary for students to compete on the same level as their peers across the world. The resources on this site and those like are imperative for educators if we are to bridge the gap between the classroom and real world.
ReplyDelete