Through my current course at Walden University, titled, Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society, I have had the opportunity to evaluate a variety of technologies and resources, examining their possible benefits to my own practice of teaching middle and high school students. This week, we focused on what have come to be known as "21st-century skills." Although most of the skills really aren't new, they have gained importance in our current, and future, world due to the changes brought on by new technology. Identifying the need for these skills, Bates and Phelan write, "it
is clear that our success in building a globally competitive
workforce is dependent on the ability of our workforce development
systems to provide the employability skills, both the basic
academic skills (the three Rs, listening, speaking) as well as the
higher order competencies required for success in today’s
workplace." In the same year that their article, "Characteristics of a Globally Competitive Workforce," was published, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) was formed. It is this organization's website which I will review for the remainder of this post.
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is made up of business, education, and government leaders. Among their members are companies like Apple, Adobe, and Cisco, a member of the Kentucky Department of Education, and educational organizations such as the National Education Association and Education Network of America. The mission of this organization is "To
serve as a catalyst to position 21st century readiness at the center
of US K12 education by building collaborative partnerships among
education, business, community and government leaders" (P21, 2011). So far, they seem to be successful in their mission because they have formed many partnerships with very influential, and active, organizations.
At first glance, the P21 website is colorful and well-organized, with enough pictures and colored text boxes to keep things interesting. For a "casual web-surfer" there is probably a bit too much text to keep their attention, but for an educator looking for resources, it is just about right. It was lucky for me that the first announcement on the site's homepage pointed me to the new math skills map, which is probably the best resource on the site for a math educator.
Many times I feel like I need an interpreter to walk me through a set of state standards, but the 21st Century Math Skills Map takes away much of the mystery. For each 21st century skills outcome, the map provides an example of students completing a task that demonstrates the outcome and shows how the outcome aligns with the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Not only does this make the goals of the P21 Framework easy to understand, it also eliminates much of the legwork that a teacher would need to do in aligning their curriculum with both the CCSS and the 21st Century Framework.
There are many other useful tools on the site as well. The P21 Blog contains many great articles from leaders in the realm of education. There are also guides for implementing 21st century skills in various settings, such as in the classroom and through professional development. Parents can even find information about 21st century skills, although I believe that the partnership should reword these resources to be easier for parents without an educational background to understand.
After scouring the site for something I didn't agree with, I finally found an article called "Virtual Schools and 21st Century Skills." As an educator, I naturally bristle at the thought of virtual schools for K-12 students because they seem like a threat to my job. However, the real problem that I have with the concept of virtual schools is not the threat to my job or the quality of education it provides, but what I perceive as a lack of accountability, motivational tools, and the ability to teach the informal life lessons that "normal" teachers teach through the situations which arise in their classrooms. The article says "Online learning through virtual schools is one of the most important advancements in attempting to rethink the effectiveness of education in the United States," and "skills like problem solving are practically meaningless if students cannot manage their time efficiently and productively" (The North American Council for Online Learning and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2006). I don't disagree with either of these statements, but the article never explains how students would be held accountable, how they develop time management, or how they would learn the important life lessons that students get in a physical classroom. One of the positive sides that I see with online schools is that parents would have to play an active role in holding their child accountable and in teaching life lessons, which I don't always see happening in today's classroom.
Overall, The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has a great website with good organization and quality resources for parents, educators, administrators, and community leadership. I would recommend the site to anyone seeking a better understanding of 21st century skills and their impact in today's society.
Resources:
Bates, R., & Phelan, K. (2002). Characteristics of a globally competitive workforce. Advances in
There are many other useful tools on the site as well. The P21 Blog contains many great articles from leaders in the realm of education. There are also guides for implementing 21st century skills in various settings, such as in the classroom and through professional development. Parents can even find information about 21st century skills, although I believe that the partnership should reword these resources to be easier for parents without an educational background to understand.
After scouring the site for something I didn't agree with, I finally found an article called "Virtual Schools and 21st Century Skills." As an educator, I naturally bristle at the thought of virtual schools for K-12 students because they seem like a threat to my job. However, the real problem that I have with the concept of virtual schools is not the threat to my job or the quality of education it provides, but what I perceive as a lack of accountability, motivational tools, and the ability to teach the informal life lessons that "normal" teachers teach through the situations which arise in their classrooms. The article says "Online learning through virtual schools is one of the most important advancements in attempting to rethink the effectiveness of education in the United States," and "skills like problem solving are practically meaningless if students cannot manage their time efficiently and productively" (The North American Council for Online Learning and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2006). I don't disagree with either of these statements, but the article never explains how students would be held accountable, how they develop time management, or how they would learn the important life lessons that students get in a physical classroom. One of the positive sides that I see with online schools is that parents would have to play an active role in holding their child accountable and in teaching life lessons, which I don't always see happening in today's classroom.
Overall, The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has a great website with good organization and quality resources for parents, educators, administrators, and community leadership. I would recommend the site to anyone seeking a better understanding of 21st century skills and their impact in today's society.
Resources:
Bates, R., & Phelan, K. (2002). Characteristics of a globally competitive workforce. Advances in
Developing Human Resources,
4(2),
121.
The North American Council for Online
Learning and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2006).
Virtual schools and 21st century skills. Retrieved from
http://www.p21.org/storage/documents/VSand21stCenturySkillsFINALPaper.pdf
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2011). The partnership for 21st century skills [Website]. Retrieved from http://www.p21.org
I share your concerns about virtual education as a replacement for school buildings. Miners and Pascopella (2007) promoted the benefits to virtual schools, such as Connections Academy based in Baltimore, MD, because they teach internet safety, navigation skills, and evaluation of websites. They do not address the concerns about motivation, time management, and problem solving that may become more of an issue with this type of environment. They simply report that students are more engaged online than in a classroom. I am not sure that the argument ends there. As a special educator, I am not certain that my students’ needs can be met through a virtual classroom. Monitoring student progress, diagnostic and prescriptive teaching, and varied learning styles still require personal attention and some face to face contact.
ReplyDeleteEllen
Source:
Miners, Z., & Pascopella, A. (2007). The new literacies. District Administration, 43(10), 26–34.
Working my way through the Walden University online program provides some insight into the positive and negative aspects of virtual schooling. While I do not mean to imply that the two are identical in coursework or structure, there are many similarities. One positive impact of participating in online courses is that I have definitely taken more ownership for my learning. If I do not complete the readings or attend to the videos, I will not be prepared to complete the assignments. The reality of this is that I think I am actually retaining more information, and I feel that I am “learning” more about the topics covered than I would in a typical classroom setting. However, this learning method is not without its challenges. The time-management, organization, and level of focus that are required can be draining, and they take a considerable amount of effort on my part. Whether I am reading articles, typing responses, or viewing videos, my eyes are also undergoing physical strain from the computer monitor. My body becomes bored sitting at a computer desk for hours at a time.
ReplyDeleteTaking all of this into consideration, I am having a positive overall experience taking online courses. However, I do not think this type or level of work would have been possible had I not received the traditional style of education that I underwent. Even though I was always a conscientious and dedicated student, I question if this type of learning would have been appropriate for me at a younger age. I do not know if I would have been able to handle it and remain motivated to complete it. I understand and recognize that today’s students are different and that their expectations vary from those that were placed on me. However, I do not believe that virtual schooling is the best route for every student. Virtual schools seem to provide a single focus and eliminate the opportunity for flexibility in teaching to each individual student’s strengths. As teachers in the trenches of traditional schools, we can recognize the power of tailoring an example to a student’s interest or using a concrete example in the classroom to explain an idea. In order to improve upon something, such as the education system of the United States, it may be necessary to think outside of the box. Virtual schooling is definitely an example of such thinking. While it shows promise in many ways, I do still have concerns on its effectiveness for ALL students.
I also share in the concern of job loss as a result of virtual schools; but have to point out that the virtual school will give our students ‘real-world’ experience of how businesses are communicating with employees and vice versa. In an online blog post, Advantages/Disadvantages of Online High Schools, Karl Kapp stated that “some education researchers believe online students will be better prepared to interact in an increasingly digital world”. Therefore, despite the numerous disadvantages for online schools, the rapid advancement of technology will make them the way to learn for our students.
ReplyDeleteReference
Kapp, K. (2011, Jul 6). Advantages/disadvantages of online high schools. [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.uleduneering.com/kappnotes/index.php/2011/07/advantagesdisadvantages-of-online-high-schools/
You make a strong point. It is possibly a threat to our jobs. However, I don't believe that online learning will completely eliminate fully established local institutions. Human intervention and collaboration will always play a great role in learning. The 21st century skills includes skills which require actual experiences with groups of people. Typing a statement through online venues will not heighten spontaneity and immediate synthesis of information the way actual interactions do. Nevertheless, in my opinion these tools will work hand in hand in extending learning. I could imagine the government and known sectors moving into more innovative strategies in utilizing these tools to strengthen the world of education.
ReplyDeleteJeremy,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your concerns about virtual schools. I do not see how students will be able to learn not only difficult subject matters but there is also the lack of social interaction. I also do not see how students can learn the arts through the computer. Half the fun I have in my classroom is through physical activities that teach social interaction and teamwork. I think it would be a complete dis-service to students to take away those experiences.