Partnership for 21st Century Skills

This website offers great resources for teachers to use in order to teach the skills need for students to b successful in the 21st century. Technology has advanced tremendously throughout the last decade and students are not receiving the instruction needed to keep up with the advancement. Students all over the world are challenged in the classroom with the content needed in order to pass state assessments. The state tests do not realize that the lacking areas are not with language, social sciences or math but with technology and science. The students are not being able to use the newer technology due to budget cuts. Partnership for 21st Century skills allows for teachers to see the skills broken down and how to use them in the classroom.  The activities and lessons suggested implement many skills that I did not realize were being used for that task. T he big issue I realized in my classroom at the beginning of the school year focused on the students not being able to think logically on their own and problem solve. The students were used to having information just given to them. Throughout the school year, I have challenged my students to critical thinking and thinking outside of the box. This has allowed for my students to use logic when assessing and solving problems in their lives.

Using Blogging in the Classroom

I teach fourth grade Reading, Social Studies and Language Arts. Under the required AKS(Academic Knowledge & Skills) the students are to use Standard American English, be able to solicit and respond to questions, comments or ideas of others. At the beginning of the school year, I decided I wanted to do a classroom blog in which students will be able to comment and respond to the ideas of their peers on different Social Studies topics or Reading topics. The technology teacher insisted that I not do that due to the lack of control I would be able to have on the student's post.

My idea was to allow one of our days in the school computer lab to be designated just for blogging. I think the students would love to blog about topics discussed in the classroom. We are currently learning about the American Revolution and the students are really pumped about the war. Before reading on the war, the students discussed the events leading up to the war thoroughly. The students chose a side to be on in the war and after reading on the war, the students would discuss if their position changed and why. I think using the blog for this lesson and activity would be a great idea. I would have the students use my blog just created in the computer lab and post on their position before the war. While reading about the war, the students would visit the blog to respond or comment on their classmates ideas. At the end of the war, the students would return to the blog stating any change in position with the war.

Using SMART boards in the Classroom

"The SMART board is a use of technology that teachers can use to engage students in the classroom. The technology allows for you to complete different tasks that will allow for student centered learning. Some teachers are afraid of using new technology because it will call for more responsibilities on our part. We would have to take training classes and sometimes have to instruct colleagues at our schools. Integrating any form of technology into the classroom will allow for students to use a variety of skills at once. The students are interested in the content and wanting to learn more. The SMART board has given lots of positive effects on the learning of students in the classroom. So, why are states not funding their schools with the best technology to help the learning of the students?...."