My reaction to the www.21stcenturyskills.org site is WOW! There is so much information packed into this site that it is a little overwhelming. I clicked on the Route 21 icon and went to the graphic that was a rainbow. I clicked on the Information, Media and Technology skills, and then clicked on “skills white paper” on the sidebar. This section gave a detailed history of technology and education in America in a section called Education and Society. I found this to be very interesting. It was a lot of the same information that we had studied in comparing the types of societies we have had (agrarian, industrial, etc.) over time in the US and how that translated into what was being taught in schools.
I was surprised to find an entire template for putting on a workshop related to technology in our schools. To find this I looked under the tab for Tools & Resources, and then clicked on MILE guide. I then clicked on the MILE workshop and there it was. A complete blueprint for putting on a workshop (it even included invitations and press release templates). I was surprised at the details in this workshop template and found the quality to be superior.
I did not disagree with anything on the site, although, I felt that some of the information was “over my head” and was more directed at administrators or superintendents. These people are the ones making the decisions and dealing with data and outcomes more than a classroom teacher.
The implications for my students and for me as an educator are optimistic ones. I feel that there is more “push” for education to catch up with technology than I realized. This site appears to be supported by people with advanced knowledge on the subject and the site has power to influence. The professional appearance and the indepth information will go a long way with administrators and superintendents in influencing their decisions to provide more technology opportunities in their schools.
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Maureen,
ReplyDeleteI also found that this site had a wealth of information supporting the need for technology in the classroom. I hope to use this site and some of the information when appealing to my district about the need for more access to resources. I am hoping the influence that the site has, as you mentioned, will push administrators past their hesitancy.
Maureen, I agree that this site was a little "over my head", as well. I accessed the FAQ's when I first got to the site, just to figure out what it had to offer. I am pleased to see a site dedicated to helping schools integrate technology. There was a lot of research to support their findings on the power of teaching 21st century skills to our students. Do you plan on sharing this site with your colleagues and/or principal? I do.
ReplyDeleteMaureen, I was also impressed by the amount of information, states and organizations involved. I do not disagree with anything either. I think it is well organized, and provides good information about technology and education.
ReplyDeleteI too think it is a positive push for technology in education. It is great to know people are really supporting educators and the use of technology, now if I could only get our district on board.
ReplyDeleteI to thought there was a lot of info going on there. I also felt the same about the some of the info being for the "higher ups" such as the principals/superintendents. I hope, for the sake of the students, that everyone embraces technology and we somehow find the money to pay for it!
ReplyDeleteCortney:
ReplyDeleteI do plan to share this site with my principal and vice-principals. The VPs are more tech savvy then the principal and they seem to preview things and then give the principal the summary of what he needs to know. I will pass it on with my request for more access to sites.
Jennifer:
ReplyDeleteDo you have a tech resource person in each school? We have one who is responsible for helping teachers integrate technology by teaching skills to the teachers (not the kids). I plan to share this site with him and hope that he will be advocate for me in the future.