The world that we live in today is changing due to the advancement of technology. Technology surrounds us in all facets of our lives. We communicate, work, and entertain with all forms of technology that has made our lives easier. Technology has changed about every facet of our lives, especially our children. Children spend over a third or more of their day on some form of technology (Laureate, 2010). Many children feel lost if they don’t have their cell phone, video games, television, iPods or stereo, etc. Students today have shorter attention spans and learn differently than in the past as a result from a high interest in technology, multitasking, and learn to think at higher levels. Dr. Thornburg states that students will need to learn skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration, and information technology to be successful employees in the future (Laureate, Inc., 2010). As a result, one of the biggest challenges today is how to efficiently educate the children of today and tomorrow.
Educators need to learn to incorporate and use technology in teaching young people to be successful in the future. This was my purpose for pursuing my Masters Degree in Educational Technology. The website Partnership for 21st Century Skills is an excellent site for educators, businessmen, or anyone else to develop the knowledge of skills that will be needed in education for the 21st century. This site presents the skills, knowledge and expertise students should master to succeed in work and life in the 21st century. The site was very easy to navigate with an enormous amount of information to be accessed such as core subjects, skills, professional development, assessments, and learning environments for the 21st century. Other assets that this site addresses were various state initiatives, events and resources, and the tools and resources available. An interesting and surprising realization that came to me is who are the affiliates of this site. These affiliates provide a great deal of credibility to this site. All of these deal with education, technology, and major businesses that can influence and change education in our society.
One important point that stressed throughout Partnership for 21st Century Skills is that U.S. schools must align classroom environments with real world environments by fusing the three Rs (Reading, Writing, Arithmetic) and four Cs (Creativity, Critical thinking, Communication, Collaboration). This is essential for students if they want to succeed in the world once they are out of school. The fact that this site combines the business world and educators is what is so interesting about this site.
While this site is very useful and interesting, I feel some of their thinking is a bit noble and hard to believe. They state that all students must have equal access to new technology if they are to be successful. While I feel that some day this may happen, it seems more like a dream. How will everyone get this access? Many parts of this country and people simply cannot afford this technology. In our district in San Bernardino, CA most students don’t have computers or other technology. Students are not the only ones lacking but schools also lack in technology. Another problem is many teachers don’t have the knowledge or experience to teach with technology. These are two huge problems that are hard to change without funding in some way or another. Partnership for 21st Century Skills answered many questions but these are two concerns that were hard to address. However, associations such as this are needed if we are to succeed in changing our educational system.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills addresses the fact that education must connect with students’ lives. Students use emails, instant messaging, and chat rooms to communicate with friends; search online to explore their interests; express themselves fluently using new media; learn with educational software; play computer and video games; and chat or take pictures with cell phones (Partnership For 21st Century Skills, N.D.). Our educational must first change attitudes of educators and the world around education. Education, support, and funding are needed for students to become successful in the 21st century skills. Partnership for 21st Century Skills is a good resource and place to start.
References
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Program number 11: Skills for the 21st century [DVD]. Understanding the impact of technology on education, work, and society. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.). Retrieved February 10, 2011 from http://www.p21.org/
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.). Framework for 21st Century Learning. Retrieved
from February 10, 2011 http://www.p21.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=254&Itemid=119
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