P21 Site

            While I was perusing the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills website I found some very useful and interesting information (2012). What I found the most interesting was the section with the 21^st century skills curriculum maps (Partnership for 21^st Century Skills, 2012). After reading all of the science outcomes for twelfth graders I was really surprised how many of the outcomes dealt with the students gaining the skills to critically think about information they are gathering from multiple sources and then critiquing those sources for accuracy (Partnership for 21^st Century Skills, 2012). This relates directly to what Miners and Pascopella thought about students needing the ability to evaluate internet sources for the accuracy of the information presented (2007). Students are bombarded by information daily through a multitude of sources; they need to be able to distinguish between what information is believable and accurate and what information should be ignored.

            One of the outcomes listed on the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills science curriculum map was that students should be able to read and view scientific information on both popular and professional media in areas that interest them and then be able to discuss that information with peers informally (Partnership for 21^st Century Skills, 2012). I think that this is a great skill for students to learn because this is what they will have to do in their post educational lives. Students will continue to learn about science outside of school based on interest, and they need to learn the skills to hold an intelligent conversation about scientific issues they will face in their lifetimes. This is a concept that I have previously ignored based on attempting to cover all of the topics that I need to cover in the science curriculum.

            As I was browsing the P21 site, I did not find anything that I disagree with. I think that technology is changing and that every student needs to be prepared for these changes. We as educators need to foster this change in every way we can, and that is what this site is all about. I did not have time to look through every single resource on this site, but everything that I have found I find interesting and applicable and I agree with all of the viewpoints presented on the site.

            The implications for my students and I are that we need to start preparing everyone for the technology and thinking process that will be necessary for success. I, as an educator, need to provide my students with every opportunity I can to evaluate multiple sources of information that they gather on their own. I need to prepare my students to think critically about what they are reading and how they go about synthesizing that information in a form that other people can understand. My students will need to be tech savvy as well as be able to problem solve in creative and innovative ways to be competitive in the economic market they will be entering into.

References:

Miners, Z., & Pascopella, A. (2007). The new literacies. District Administration, 43(10), 26-34. Used by permission.

Partnership for 21^st Century Skills (2012). Retrieved from: http://www.p21.org.    

Utilizing a Blog in an Educational Setting

            There are many great ways to utilize a blog in an educational setting. One way I think that I could use blogs to enhance my eleventh grade chemistry students learning environment would be to have them complete online journals and post comments weekly on each other’s journals. I already have my students complete weekly reflection journals where students can write about what they understood from the week’s lessons and what they need assistance with, but the only person reading and responding to these entries is me. I think that the students would benefit greatly from reading each other’s journals because then they can answer their classmates questions and read entries others have posted to gain a better understanding of the content being covered in class.

            Other aspects of online journaling that would be beneficial to students would be that they would learn how to appropriately communicate on the internet (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010). Students just do not understand how to interact in a professional manner without guidance (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).  What makes journaling a great introduction to blogging and appropriate online behavior is that it still deals with content but it is content in the students own words. What sets blogging journals apart from standard paper journals is the interaction that the students will have with one another (Richardson, 2010).

            Some points that give me pause with my student’s blogging are that I am not exactly sure how to set blogs so that the comments do not publish without being approved first. I do not want students to post content that is inappropriate so I would like to review every post before it is submitted to the class blog site. In addition, I am also nervous about how much of my student’s information I want to be available on the blog. I’m not sure how I will handle students’ names while still being able to identify who contributed in the time they were supposed to.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (2010). Understanding the impact of technology on education, work,

and society. Baltimore, MD: Martin.

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3^rd

ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Hello!

Hello blogosphere! Just wanted to post something to see how this works.