While I was perusing the Partnership for 21st Century Skills website I found some very useful and interesting information (2012). What I found the most interesting was the section with the 21st century skills curriculum maps (Partnership for 21st 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 21st 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 21st 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 21st 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 21st Century Skills (2012). Retrieved from: http://www.p21.org.
I agree that there was a lot of good information available on this site. I had a little more trouble finding specific information about grade-specific content areas as most of the resources I found addressed more general 21st Century Skills pedagogy. Where did you find the information on the skill curriculum maps? Were they specific to content areas, or are you just applying the information to your classroom needs?
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your insights.
Hi Kate,
ReplyDeleteThe curriculum map was for all of science but they had desired outcomes for grade ranges, I looked at the outcomes for 12the grade, because that's what applies to me. To get to the maps, go to resources, teachers, then implementation, the maps are listed by subject.
Thanks for the tip on how to find the curriculum maps. I missed those the first time I went through the site. I really like the chart given in the world languages section that compares and contrasts the differences between the language classrooms of twenty years ago and now.
DeleteHi Richard
ReplyDeleteI, too, liked the maps, especially the one for Science - but then that is our shared interest!
I also very much enjoyed the little movie by Peter Reynolds. He is the author of one of my favourite read-alouds, "Ish", and the movie is in the same vein, highlighting those neccessary and sometimes elusive 21st century attributes of creativity and cooperation.
Lisa
Richard,
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with you more that teaching students to evaluate multiple sources is a skill that has become increasingly necessary with the overwhelming proliferation of information available to all of us now. Resource evaluation has always been an important academic skill. In this new media age, evaluating information from multiple sources is a necessity in successfully navigating the internet. As the internet becomes a larger part of our daily lives and guides more and more of our actions and choices, being able to use what is available to benefit us requires critical analysis of content.
Thank you.