Now that you have had four weeks into the course, What does 21st Century Learning mean to you and what does it mean for your students? Have you changed your thinking, expanded your ideas, or thought of some new questions about what 21st Century learning means?
What is 21st Century Learning? For teachers, it means thinking about the skills that students will need for their futures. Over the last decade there have been incredible changes that have already taken place in the world of communication. It truly is amazing what todays students have in the hands. Young people are using so much technology as part of their everyday lives. This is the "tech generation." Recently on NPR, the Christian Science Monitor announced it would no longer exist publish in paper form, but it will only be an online entity. In addition NPR announced that newspaper subscriptions in general are declining at astronomical rates, rendering them no longer viable entities that can sustanin themselves. Blogs and Podcasts have been gradually replacing other forms of dispensing the news, and allow faster transmission of information and interaction from the very people they are meant to reach. Teachers dispensing of education needs to match these tools. Students need to be educated to use the technology responsibly and in a manner that reflects serious consideration and sophisticated communication skills. The quality and accuracy of students' written and oral expression should become more important when students are publishing for a broader audience.
The topic of 21st Century Leaning has made todays seasoned teachers think a lot about the need to be open to learning new skills. Not only do teachersI need to get comfortable with the new technologies for today but they have to face the fact that these skills will continually need to be improved upon. Technology will never stop growing and changing. We are just at the tip of the iceberg. What's coming next?
Twenty first Century learning? There is so much available to the young people today. I can see so much application particularly with the college age students. They are not only quite savvy with technology, but their interest is staggering. They expect to have access to all sorts of information instantly. It would be advantageous for teachers to design their curriculum and classes to utilize the use of podcasts, wikis and blogs. Technology needs to be second nature to the students of today in order to be competitive in the market place.
I’m not certain yet if my attitudes have changed regarding 21st century learning now that we’re midway through the course. I feel the same way in that I'd like to have more support with technology during the school day. It's helpful to have hands on workshops when working on these assignments. The on-line course was easier when done with a partner. Some of the assignments have been challenging due to various reasons, e.g. web page construction, difficulties creating accounts, and responding to peers.
I'm definitely more comfortable with it- and it's a case of "the more I know, the more I want to know." There are some things that I know I can do, and some things that I can do with a lot of handholding. It's definitely exciting to learn new things, and to think of how to apply them with the kids. I need more time just to sit and think and explore!
In terms of my own comfort with technology, I can confidently assert that I am more comfortable trying out different resources, software, and so forth. For me, I suppose it is a cautionary move forward with how to utilize technologies that meet the needs of students and yet, address curriculum frameworks. My concerns are also based on the practical application to my classroom setting. What is developmentally appropriate? Will student learning improve? Is this an activity that can be accomplished given the restraints of the resources currently available?
Another concern regards my own professional growth. An initial exposure to new technologies does not necessarily translate into immediate competency. Will there be opportunities for supported practice and future professional development classes?
What is 21st Century Learning? For teachers, it means thinking about the skills that students will need for their futures. Over the last decade there have been incredible changes that have already taken place in the world of communication. It truly is amazing what todays students have in the hands. Young people are using so much technology as part of their everyday lives. This is the "tech generation." Recently on NPR, the Christian Science Monitor announced it would no longer exist publish in paper form, but it will only be an online entity. In addition NPR announced that newspaper subscriptions in general are declining at astronomical rates, rendering them no longer viable entities that can sustanin themselves. Blogs and Podcasts have been gradually replacing other forms of dispensing the news, and allow faster transmission of information and interaction from the very people they are meant to reach. Teachers dispensing of education needs to match these tools. Students need to be educated to use the technology responsibly and in a manner that reflects serious consideration and sophisticated communication skills. The quality and accuracy of students' written and oral expression should become more important when students are publishing for a broader audience.
The topic of 21st Century Leaning has made todays seasoned teachers think a lot about the need to be open to learning new skills. Not only do teachersI need to get comfortable with the new technologies for today but they have to face the fact that these skills will continually need to be improved upon. Technology will never stop growing and changing. We are just at the tip of the iceberg. What's coming next?
Twenty first Century learning? There is so much available to the young people today. I can see so much application particularly with the college age students. They are not only quite savvy with technology, but their interest is staggering. They expect to have access to all sorts of information instantly. It would be advantageous for teachers to design their curriculum and classes to utilize the use of podcasts, wikis and blogs. Technology needs to be second nature to the students of today in order to be competitive in the market place.
I’m not certain yet if my attitudes have changed regarding 21st century learning now that we’re midway through the course. I feel the same way in that I'd like to have more support with technology during the school day. It's helpful to have hands on workshops when working on these assignments. The on-line course was easier when done with a partner. Some of the assignments have been challenging due to various reasons, e.g. web page construction, difficulties creating accounts, and responding to peers.
I'm definitely more comfortable with it- and it's a case of "the more I know, the more I want to know." There are some things that I know I can do, and some things that I can do with a lot of handholding. It's definitely exciting to learn new things, and to think of how to apply them with the kids. I need more time just to sit and think and explore!
In terms of my own comfort with technology, I can confidently assert that I am more comfortable trying out different resources, software, and so forth. For me, I suppose it is a cautionary move forward with how to utilize technologies that meet the needs of students and yet, address curriculum frameworks. My concerns are also based on the practical application to my classroom setting. What is developmentally appropriate? Will student learning improve? Is this an activity that can be accomplished given the restraints of the resources currently available?
Another concern regards my own professional growth. An initial exposure to new technologies does not necessarily translate into immediate competency. Will there be opportunities for supported practice and future professional development classes?