21st Century Skills by David Andrade

A colleague and I were talking the other day and she mentioned that we needed to begin to make a critical point in our trainings. That point is that we continue to talk about "21st Century Skills" as if they are something in the future. We are a decade into the 21st century. We are past thinking about it as the future. Karen's point about students being turned off by the insturctor's lack of technology savvy is important but even beyond that students are generally turned off by having to "power down" while they are at school. A vendor rep who had just returned from a conference wrote a quote down that she thought I would appreciate. It said, "We will never close the achievement gap until we first close the engagement gap." If we don't begin actively using the tools of this century to engage our students in more relevant projects that teach them how to use their social networking skills for broader vocational and professional applications, we stand to lose yet another generation to poor practice.

21st Century Skills

Unfortunately, what seems to be the norm when it comes to technology comes at a price that many students and their families cannot afford. Just having computer access at home is still an issue in my school, and we are not located in a low income area/town.

21st Century Skills

I agree that we need to teach our students using relevant topics. However, our curriculum at times holds us back from doing so. I beleive that not only are there certain skills and lessons that need to be brought into the 21st century, but our curriculum as well.

21st Century Skills

I have to totally disagree that we specifically need to have students create blogs and webpages. Just like the Gopher entries, and VI edits of the past, these are the task that are currently being done; in 5 years they probably won't be. Instead we need to teach students how to learn and how to prepare for changing technologies. Don't teach Windows 7, teach about operating systems and maybe use Win 7 as an example. Just as WIN 98 is no longer the dominant OS, WIN 7 won't be in the not too distant future. Twenty-first Century skills need be about adjusting to the constant changing technology and it's integration into our working and everyday lives. Maybe we should also helping students to think about how they can leverage the technology to achieve their own goals. That's how we got Napster and subsequently iTunes, an ReplayTV which lead to Tivo, Roku which lead to who knows where.

21st Century Skills

I would agree that we've always needed to teach and learn what has more recently been touted as 21st century skills. However, I think that one of the primary arguments (similar to what Daniel Pink argues in "A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers...") is that there has been a cultural shift which makes these skills more of a requirement to continue to live a middle class lifestyle. While we should have always been focusing on 'critical thinking', etc... - you could go through school and get a decent job without it. What used to give a graduate an edge is simply becoming necessity.

21st Century Skills

I thoroughly agree with your comments, especially interesting was the ideas that projects should be based on real life issue and students should be taught how to appraise information. It has given me food for thought-thanks

21st Century Skills

21st century skills as being touted may not be entirely the preserve of the century, what must be conceded is that the way it is practiced is new. Considering the limitless boundary and diversity of content as well as people involved,teaching has never been so challenged.It will probably require a change in who, how why and when of learning so that these skills will can be harneessed for the general good of man.

21st Century Skills

I love the discussion going on with this topic. I too believe that we need to be modifying our curriculum to meet the needs of students and the way things are done now. I also agree that teaching them specific software is only part of it. They need to know how to learn on their own and teach themselves. Keep the discussion going!

21st Century Skills by David Andrade

I recently received my MS in Technology in Education and Training. All instructors have had to deal with keeping up with technology, but that shouldn't be the case. Using "appropriate" technologies to effect learning is the key to educational achievement, whether it is the primitive "pencil/paper" method or digitally-enhanced, cyber-connected, WiFi-enabled technologies most young people are using today. My point is this: one must "relate" to the students in some methodology that grabs their attention, or "getting them where they live" so to speak. Most problems with using modern technologies stem from instructor lack of skills in these newer technologies, or the "fear" of these new technologies -- we won't use something we're not sure about, or don't fully trust. We "control" what is put onto a transparency, but haven't a clue how to create something to be viewed on an IPod. It is sad when students are more tech-savvy than the instructors, as this creates a disparity in student minds about the intelligence of the instructor. Aren't they "turned off" when the instructor can't even get the multimedia projector or DVD player to work, when it's only a matter of pushing the correct button on the remote control? These students will enter a technological workplace -- we need to prepare them for what is "out there" waiting for them, as well as continue a theme of lifelong learning ourselves -- even if it's just a couple of the most modern technologies, but learn and use them. You'll never regret the connections you can make by "talking tech" with your students!

21st Century Skills by David Andrade

I totally agree with the point that what we are calling 21st Century skills today existed before the 21st Century started. Internet and Technology started before the 21st Century. Projects and collaboration were started by I*EARN in 1988; twelve years before the 21st Century. The emphasis on students taking care of their own learning using technologies with the teachers as a guide by their side is what I will refer to as a 21st Century skill we want students to acquire. The big questions then are: has the curriculum been modified to make this new turn possible or are we still using the 20th century curriculum? Are students of today ready to take charge of their own learning? Are the materials and infrastructure needed for teaching and learning in the 21st century available?. How affordable are the materials if available? How fast are technologies changing? Do we have enough teachers with the required skill set to handle the 21st century classroom? The questions can go on and on....

21st Century Skills by David Andrade

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21st Century Skills by David Andrade

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