The website for the organization is very detailed in its model for success. I was surprised that the organization and website have been around since 2002 and I never heard about it. As an education student from 2004 to 2007, I cannot believe that this initiative was not a cornerstone of some of my studies, especially my technology courses. The entire concept the partnership presents seems a bit obvious: students should be prepared for success in the real world with the necessary skills and tools. Why is it that the model of incorporating 21st century skills in core curriculum has not been more of a focus in all education systems?
I found the website and its contents to be very enlightening and grounded in research and dependable resources. I cannot say that I disagree with anything presented on the site, but I notice there does not seem to be much direction for private schools who do not get state funding or grants. I checked eTech Ohio Educators (http://www.etech.ohio.gov/) to see about my state's technology initiatives, which seems to be many. The state offers a number of grants for professional development and technology development in schools, but I was very disappointed to find that my school is not eligible for any of the grants. What is a model that schools with very limited financial resources can follow? What specific changes can I make in my classroom to at least try to improve my students' preparation with 21st century skills? I decided to look at a few of the websites of the schools the site mentions who have followed the model: it seems to be successful. Boston Public Schools (http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/) have put a lot of effort into reforming and refocusing the approach to curriculum and modern skills. They have several active proposals for funding to improve various areas of their system, especially technology. I was curious about the different departments in the district, and the extensive list has clearly been adapted with extra departments that focus on improving student enrichment in 21st century skills.
The partnership's report for 21st century skills is eye-opening because it illustrates what no educator can deny-we have a lot of work ahead of us. Schools must find a way to get technology or access to technology for students. Teachers need to find ways to educate themselves on the available technology and experiment with it in the classroom. Students and parents need to refocus at an early age on developing lifelong skills, not just passing the tests. The administrators, educators, parents, and students must work together to create a system that brings education and life skills together. "Today's education system faces irrelevance unless we bridge the gap between how students live and how they learn" (Partnership for 21st Century Skills).
References
Boston Public Schools. (2009). Retrieved July 22, 2009 from http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/.
eTech Ohio. (2009). Retrieved July 2, 2009 from http://www.etech.ohio.gov/.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.). A report and mile guide for 21st century skills. Washington DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/images/stories/otherdocs/p21up_Report.pdf.
Ashlee, I was interested in finding out who can access their professional development. It looks to be aimed at districts or states who are interested in training large amounts of people. If you are aware of any other professional development courses offered here, I would love to hear about them. I was also surprised that I have not heard more about this initiative.
ReplyDeleteAfter reviewing the Partnerships for 21st Century Skills website, I was also surprised to learn of its existence since 2002. As an education student until 2004, I was faced with many wonderful teaching methods to use in my classroom. Although many of these methods were implemented with different forms of technology, the 21st century skills were not touched upon in my undergraduate courses. I guess it proves how far behind education is from the working world. As educators, we need to change the teaching methods that we were taught in college to align with the skills that are needed for success in today's 21st century workplace. Levy & Murnane (2006) point out that expert thinking, "the ability to solve new problems that cannot be solve by applying rules," and complex communication, "the ability to not only transmit information but to convey a particular interpretation of information to others in jobs," are skills that are valued and essential for students to succeed in the workplace. Knowing this, I think that the education system needs to take the necessary measures to get up to speed with the skills and expectations that are required of our students once they leave the classroom. Otherwise, we are continuing to prepare our students for skills and jobs that are no longer needed.
ReplyDeleteReferences
Levy, F., & Murnane, R. (2006). Why the changing American economy calls for twenty-first century learning: Answers to educators' questions. New Directions for Youth Development, 2006(110), 53–62.
Ashlee, my school is what is known as a 21st Century School but it wasn't until this summer that I actually learned what a 21st Century School was and I found out at a conference. Some of our school districts are not taking total advantage of the things that the 21st Century environment has to offer. After actually reviewing the site we are only actively participating in 2 of the six key elements, however the principal said to me "one step at a time". So I think that because our school has so many new things we are currently working towards achieving, advancement in technology may be taking a slight back burner. I understand the thought process of we have to train before we can train is very true. I work out our district coop during the summer on the technology team and there I train teachers how to use new software and hardware. There are an alarming number of teachers in the classroom that are terrified of a computer, and each year the numbers just amaze me.
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