The Debate Continues...

Many high schools in my school district participate in the Partnership for 21st Century Skills initiative. I was somewhat familiar with the organization, but not with their website. The website defines the organization’s vision and mission of the educational needs of the 21st century and showed how participating schools apply this vision and goals into their classroom practice. The site shows examples of schools, teachers, students, and communities nationwide involved in fascinating project-based learning environments as well as provide teachers with strategies and activities on student collaboration and teaching critical thinking and problem solving skills.

What I found intriguing is the ongoing content vs. skill debate between Ken Kay, president and co-founder of P21, and other educational leaders, E.D Hirsch and Daniel T. Willingham. Willingham criticizes P21’s assumptions about learning and debates critical thinking and problem solving skills are interrelated with content. To think critically, students require a deep understanding of the subject. Kay disagrees. He feels students need to learn how to think critically in different settings including the workplace and technology helps this process.
I’m sure there is a balance, a middle ground between the two schools of thought. Can we use technological tools to teach a student to think deeply, to think critically? Is it all or nothing?

References

VonZastrow, C. (2009, March 2). Do we have to choose? Partnership for 21st Century Skills<>. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www.21stcenturyskills.org

Toppo, G. (2009, March 4). What to learn:'core knowledge'or 21st century skills'? Partnership for 21st Century Skills<>. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www.21stcenturyskills.org

Willingham, D.T. (2009, March 2). Flawed assumptions undergird the program at the partnership for 21st century skills. Britannica Blog. Retrieved March 22, 2009, from http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2009/03/
flawed-assumptions-undergird-the-partnership-for-21st-century-skills-movement
-in-education/

"The Plot Thickens..."

I’m excited about creating a blog site for my students and integrating blog assignments and activities into the sixth grade literacy curriculum. Currently, the students use laptops to respond to literature prompts, develop personal reflections, design vocabulary e-books, and create Power point presentations; however, a blog will allow them to write publicly and will provide another communication tool for class use. Initially, the students will respond to prompts that I provide and as we progress and become more comfortable with the technology, each student will develop their own prompt for the class.

On their blog,students will use the story starter prompt to write an original short story, develop the conflict, introduce suspense, and continue their classmates' story plot. After the student introduces characters, setting and a conflict, he/she will end at a suspensful part. Another student will visit the blog, continue the story and stop at another suspenseful part. This interactive storytelling activity will help students reinforce their creative writing skills, identify and apply literary elements, and practice technical skills. I hope this assignment will help students to be imaginative and enjoy their blogging experience.

"Hey kids, help me out "

Whenever I think of technology, computer programming comes to mind. I still remember my programming courses as I spent endless hours in the computer lab writing code. Now, I am definitely out of my comfort zone working with SMART boards, podcasts, Wikis, online chats, blogs, etc. What is amazing is how tech saavy my students are and I don't hesistate for a moment to ask for their assistance. (They're always asking me about something!).

I want to continue to balance all the elements involved in creating a inquiry-based learning environment and I welcome dialogue and suggestions from students, parents, colleagues, and admininstrators (sometimes). "Teachers need to be able to articulate standards of quality and provide feedback that students can use to meet those standards.They need to be the guide on the side rather than the technician magician" (Ohler, 2009, p. 13).

I'm starting to relax and maybe I'll enjoy this journey.


Reference
Ohler, J. (2009). Orchestrating the media collage. Educational Leadership, 66(6), 9-13.