Welcome to 21st Century Skills: Teaching & Learning

After usability testing, 21st Century Skills: Teaching & Learning is open to the public. Please visit the website and give us your feedback.

We Are Live!

The website, 21st Century Skills: Teaching & Learning, went live yesterday. A group of teachers from Newport Coast Elementary are currently conducting usability testing. I am looking forward to hearing ways to improve the website to better meet the needs of teachers.

Thank you to the teachers at NCE for donating their valuable time to the testing of version 1.0. I would also like to thank my advisor, Dr. Lamkins, as well as Steve Glyer and Jenith Mishne for the initial feedback.

Usability testing will end October 7th and then the website will be improved based on the feedback of teachers. I will post a direct link to 21st Century Skills: Teaching & Learning on this blog after usability testing is complete.

21st Century Skills: Teaching & Learning

With the increase of accountability tied to standardized testing and No Child Left Behind’s emphasis on basic skills and knowledge as well as the goal for all students to be technologically literate by the end of eighth grade, teachers are faced with the challenge of complying with legislation and preparing their students to succeed in the 21st century.

The purpose of this project is to create an accessible tool that educators can use to find lesson plans that address their grade level’s content standards as well as 21st century skills. What originally started as a database of lessons has evolved into a website for teaching and learning 21st century skills. This website will include information on 21st century skills, a database of lessons, methods for assessing 21st century skills, a bulletin board and additional resources for teachers.

My hope is that this website will become a place for educators to collaborate and contribute their successes.
Please check back in October for the link to version 1.0 of the website 21st Century Skills: Teaching & Learning.

Global Learning Networks in N-MUSD

In the coming months I will be working with a few teachers in N-MUSD to get a global learning network going in Newport-Mesa USD. The three campuses involved so far are Harbor View, Lincoln and Newport Coast. All three are elementary schools in the Corona del Mar zone. Our goal is to collaborate with students in other countries to increase students' cultural literacy and global awareness. We are still developing the curriculum, but we are looking to use email and blogs as well as video and audio. Stay tuned...
BTW- Here is an interesting article Dr. Lamkins shared with me.

Global Learning Article

What are 21st Century Skills?

Two organizations have dedicated tremendous time and effort to identify 21st century skills. One organization, North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL) worked with the Metiri Group to create a document of their findings called enGauge 21st Century Skills: Literacy in the Digital Age. This document goes into great detail describing the skills students will need to succeed in the 21st century. The skill clusters identified include digital-age literacy, inventive thinking, effective communication, and high productivity (NCREL). These skill clusters can be broken down even further to skill sets.


The second organization, Partnership for 21st Century Skills, has also published their findings. In one document, Learning in the 21st Century, key elements of 21st century learning are identified. This includes emphasis on core subjects, emphasis on learning skills, using 21st century tools to develop learning skills, teaching and learning in a 21st century context, teaching and learning 21st century content, and using 21st century assessment that measures 21st century skills.

21st Century Skills Institute

The Newport-Mesa USD Educational Technology Department believes that technology is the tool to help students achieve academically, learn skills for the 21st century and succeed in today's digital world. It is no longer enough for students to do well academically. Teachers can use technology to open up possibilities for students to go beyond memorizing formulas and facts to deeper, more meaningful understanding.
In an effort to help teachers integrate digital-age literacy, inventive thinking, effective communication, and high productivity into the classroom, N-MUSD’s Ed Tech Department collaborated with OCDE to provide twelve of N-MUSD’s educational technology pioneers an institute of professional development at their level. During this week, teachers were given opportunities to explore the fascinating world of iPods, blogging, podcasting, digital media and more.
Participants tackled the question, “How do our students become proficient with 21st century skills?” The district’s newly updated strategic plan calls for addressing 21st Century Skills with our students and as such, provides this district with a directive for action. The N-MUSD group will meet regularly to collaborate and share their experiences in the classrooms and at their schools.

To learn more about 21st Century Skills, please visit

enGauge

Partnership for 21st Century Skills