Podcast: Profiling the Students of Today

Recently I orally surveyed my 4th grade students about their technology uses at home and at school.  Based on the survey I've created a podcast with highlights from the survey and an overall demographic of my students.

Listen to the Podcast: Profiling the Students of Today

Week 4 Application--Evaluating 21st Century Skills

Your reaction to the website

My initial reaction to the website was how will we as teachers find more time to teach more content to our students?  As I spent more time exploring the website and better understanding the mission of the Partnership I realize that 21^st century skills should and must be integrated with our current content/curriculum.   I feel the strength of P21 is that business, education, community and government leaders are all part of the effort. 

Information on the site that surprised you or helped you develop a new understanding of the issues surrounding 21st-century skills

I am surprised and disappointed at how few states have committed to being a P21 Leadership State.  However, in a time of extreme budget cuts in the educational system I see why other states have not made the commitment.   But, on the other hand, I think now is the time that we need to make the commitment to preparing students for the 21^st century workplace.   

In addition to spending more time exploring the “Route 21” and “Video 21” sections of the website, I would like to spend some time checking out the educational systems of those states who have incorporated 21^st century readiness skills into their classrooms.  By viewing states that have been incorporating these skills perhaps I will gain some ideas of how I can begin to take the necessary step of incorporating the skills. 

Finally, I was surprised at how developed the P21 organization is having not heard about it before this course.  The website is very expansive and I look forward to spending more time exploring the numerous links. 

Information or opinions on the site that you disagree with along with an explanation of why you disagree

            After spending several different days exploring the website of the P21 Organization I have not found any ideas or opinions that I disagree with.  When clicking on one of the links from the homepage to visit their “Twitter” page I was surprised that the last tweet was from October 2010.  Under the “Events and News “ tab I found similar results.  I was surprised that an organization promoting 21^st Century Skills would not have more recent tweets and news and events. 

            I question why more states have not become partners of the 21^st Century Skills organization.  My thinking is if there are other similar national (or state) organizations with a similar mission that are competing against the P21 organization.  However, after doing a search I was unable to find anything similar to The Partnership for 21^st Century Skills.  

The implications for your students and for you as a contemporary educator

            As a contemporary educator it is imperative that I help close the “gap” between what my students learn in school and the skills they will need to be successful in the workplace.  It is a bit daunting to figure out how I will begin to infuse the three R’s and four C’s proposed by P21 when my state’s assessment do not yet test these more authentic…and perhaps worthwhile skills.  I must figure out how to incorporate activities that incorporate the three R’s and the 4 C’s while still preparing students for our state assessments.  

Using Blogs in My Classroom

As a 4th grade teacher I would like to use  a blog in my classroom as a tool to communicate with families and share with them the work we are doing in our classroom.  Ultimately I would like to eliminate my weekly newsletter that students receive a hard copy of and sometimes their parents get it and sometimes they don't.  Using a blog to communicate with families would help make sure both parents of students whose parents are divorced are getting the latest updates about what is going on in class.  If a parent is out of town and a student is staying with relatives the parent can still stay up to date.  

On the classroom blog I would post announcements, homework assignments, helpful websites, tutorial videos and upcoming events.  I have looked into adding a calendar on my blog where I can add events but haven't found what I am looking for.   Although I am currently sending this type of information home with the students it is often lost in the backpack or gets thrown away once it gets home.    

Using a blog for communication with families is only doing something a different way--not doing something different.  As I become a more familiar with blogging I would like to begin to do different things.  One thing is to use the blog to showcase student work.  I could post student writing samples, a great way to solve a math problem, or a myriad of other student work samples.  


Ultimately I will have students blogging but need to figure out how to make this a reality with such limited technology at my school and the various technologies that students have at home.  When I am able to get students set up as bloggers they will have an authentic audience and be able to receive comments and or feedback on their work.  This will give some students an opportunity to respond to a question or topic that maybe they are not confident sharing verbally in front of their peers.  Or those who take more time to process and think critically about a response will be able to do this through the use of a classroom blog.