I am quite excited to have been introduced to this excellent new resource. I really enjoyed exploring the website for The Partnership for 21st Century Skills and find much of the information on this site helpful and insightful to educators of 21st century students. I especially liked how well stated their mission statement was and found that some key words stood out to me. "Every child in America needs 21st century knowledge and skills to succeed as effective citizens, workers and leaders in the 21st century." The word leaders is a powerful word that I as as an educator need to take seriously. This website is a blessing to teachers who are dedicated to creating the leaders of tomorrow. It is powerful and encouraging that we do not have to stand alone in this. We have the power to seek help and work together with our communities and surrounding businesses. In addition, this site addresses the problem that "there is a profound gap between the knowledge and skills most students learn in school and the knowledge and skills they need in typical 21st century communities and workplaces". This is so apparent in this time in society but we are now on the verge of vast improvements and resources. I look optimistically into the future of education and hope that educators, with the endless resources we now have, can provide all students with the highest quality education for the 21st century.
This website is incredibly user friendly and full of vital resources for educators to utilize in their own classrooms. I will definitely be visiting this website again and will spend some more time exploring the possibilities!
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Hello Jenny! I liked the site as well, not only was it very visual, but it did provide many resources for educators to use. With all the information, it was even a little overwhelming! I also believed that their mission statement was well stated. If our world is becoming as technological as it seems, teachers need to step up and realize that they cannot let their students fall behind. If we don't take the opportunity to understand these technology devices and what it can do for learners, then we are not providing our students with all the knowledge that we can. I know that there is a "gap between knowledge and skills most students learn in school and the knowledge and skills they need in typical 21st century communities and workplaces." I am lucky to have the resources available to me in order to provide these skills to my students, but what happens when school districts cannot provide these devices? The gap will continue to grow and grow and more students will lack this knowledge. What are your thought on this?
ReplyDeleteHi Jenny! I too am excited for what the future holds for us and our students. When I graduated from college and got my teaching credential, I felt the gap personally between what I was taught and all that I actually needed to know. I have tried to utilize that realization into my teaching, but at times it is difficult because of lack of funding, professional development, etc.. . I think we are lucky to have a PTA that is able to raise funds for technology and such, however, when I look at sites such as the 21st Century Skills site, I can't help but feel the gap still widening in our district (although it may be at a slower rate than before). Truly, without taking these classes, I wouldn't have an accurate idea of what is actually needed in the workplace. (For example, using wikis, blogs, etc.) Browsing websites such as this one is wonderful because it is a good reminder as to what is really important in educating well-rounded individuals. I wish California was a participant! I will definitely continue to search through the 21st Century website and hopefully find even more that can be of benefit.
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