Districts striving to meet the needs of the 21st century learner must look towards the future for the skills the learner will need. Fortunately this has been done for districts through the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.( http://www.p21.org/) The skills outlined by this initiative include the themes that will be essential for today’s learners to understand, as well as the learning skills, information, media and technology skills and the life and career skills they will need for success in the future.
The themes of global awareness, financial, economic, civic, health and environmental literacy can be woven into the core subjects of language arts, math, social studies and science. However, these themes and all subjects should be taught in a manner that will give students the opportunity to practice creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, and communication and collaboration. These are the learning and innovation skills necessary that will allow students to succeed in the complex work environments they will face in their future.
In order to do this, the written, taught, and tested curriculum must be reworked from what is traditionally thought of as “the curriculum”. Districts shouldn’t tie themselves to specific programs and materials but strive for more open-endedness. The curriculum will still present the skills and knowledge students need to know and master. But it must also include methods and strategies that allow them to be presented in a context that deepens students’ understanding and allows for practice of the learning and innovation and life and career skills. This can be done through the presentation of projects and problems as a basis for student learning. The tested curriculum will need to include more open-ended assessments, which will allow students to demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of ways. Presenting and developing rubrics to and with students will help students have an understanding of the expectations and allow assessment to be done in a formalized though less traditional manner.
Towards this end, the ubiquitous use of Web 2.0 tools need to be a part of these curricula. Tools that allow students to not only access information but also utilize the information to create knowledge products that can be shared are essential. Through the use of such tools, creativity and innovation are fostered and developed. Collaboration and communication skills are developed when students can utilize these tools to work with experts in the field as well as students across their school, district or the world in the development of solutions to real world problems and knowledge products to share with real audiences. Podcasts, videos, blogs, wikis, web pages and other online tools allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding in a manner that can help others to learn.
The use of the wide array of resources available on the web allows for instruction to be differentiated to meet the needs of all learners. It allows for various entry points and levels of support. The use of media in the classroom brings audio and video to students who may have been otherwise shut out of learning through text alone. Online games and simulations and digital manipulatives also give students the opportunity to see concepts through a different lens than previously available. All of these tools are available through the web. Through open-ended project and problem-based learning, students can access this material at their entry-level point, as well as utilize it to demonstrate their learning and share it in a manner that helps them to build confidence in themselves and their skills.
Some of the most important skills a student can hope to gain are information, media and technology literacy skills. With the wealth of information and media available to them, students must learn to think critically regarding its use. Technology will always be changing, however, students who gain the understanding of how to utilize technology for learning will be able to move forward with it. Students will need to learn how to discriminate among the rapidly growing wealth of information resources available to them for the resources that best meet and fit their needs. Providing students with the skills to discriminate and fully utilize the technology, information and media available to them will empower them to take control of their learning. Instruction in these information skills and the use of web tools are essential for all 21st century learners.
You make a good point Karen about the need to teach students to be users of information that will foster independence and self-directed learning. Information pathways and platforms are changing so quickly that it makes sense to teach students a process by which they can use information and not just focus on tools use. I found myself trying to envision how to meet the accountability mandates and not have a formal curriclum with specific programs and materials. I had questions about consistent implementation and equity for students and staff. There are many possible answers to my questions-Thank you for promoting out-of-the box thinking-Nice Job!
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