After perusing the web site of the Partnership for 21st century skills, I was both excited and a bit disheartened. I am happy to see that there are groups of people and businesses that want to work together to bring technology into the classroom. With the proper tools, teachers will have an easier time teaching students the proper skills necessary to be ready for their community and workplace once they graduate. Skills such as creative and innovative thinking, teamwork and collaboration, self-direction and social responsibility to name a few. Although teachers are already hard at work to make these their students ready in these areas, students need to be able to practice these skills while using new and innovative technology. One of the points made in the groups mission statement says that "there remains a profound gap between the knowledge and skills most students learn in school and the knowledge and skills they need in typical 21st century communities and workplaces." The partnerships goals to help bring technology to schools will help teachers reduce this gap.
What disheartened me a bit, however, was the fact that they have been working on this goal since 2002. As of now, only a few states are a part of this partnership. California, where I currently teach, is not on the list. Seeing that Apple Computer, Dell and Microsoft are part of this partnership, it seems that more computers and software should be getting into the classrooms and fast. At a minimum the educator discounts should be much more substantial which would encourage teachers to buy lap tops and integrate this wonderful technology into their classrooms. They state that "infusing dynamic, real-world contexts into classroom learning will invigorate teacher and student engagement" and they propose to do that by "incorporating 21st century tools more effectively into administrative routines and school classrooms." When? That is my question. Relying on the school districts to spend money on technology in a time when cuts are being made is not going to make it happen.
I hope that this partnership will not just be one that looks good on paper but will become a true force for education and the integration of technology into the classrooms. What are your thoughts?
Monday, July 20, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Kim,
ReplyDeleteI found it odd as well that only 10 states were involved in such an important movement. I think the higher ups need to take a close look at this and move quickly or we will be so far behind. With all the schools being over budget and losing positions how do you think education will ever get ahead?
Jeff
Kim and Jeff,
ReplyDeleteMy state is one of the states to take part and let me tell you it is a slow process and there is no support from those large computer and software companies. It is a very slow process but if administrators are not carefull the technology world is going to pass them by and we are going to be left in global dust.
-Amanda Garvin
Kim,
ReplyDeleteI think that you are right that if the major computer companies want the gap to be closed then they would be doing more to either give the schools the computers or at a fraction of the price. Even if they would just donate their old computers when they upgrade their offices that would make a huge difference. I think that all companies should have to donate their old computers and other technology items to schools. The companies could then receive a tax write off for donating the equipment. That way the technology just being thrown way or put in to storage but being used. People need to start taking actions instead of complaining about it.
It saddens me to hear that this organization is not doing more to promote technology and 21st century skills. You would think that with the many computer companies on board that they would be doing more to get technology into the schools. My state is not one listed but it sounds that even if your school is on the list, nothing is being done very quickly to change the thinking of how we are teaching students.
ReplyDeleteI hope that people at the state and federal levels start to realize the importance for 21st century skills and do something to encourage this change to be done quickly to keep students competitive with others around the world.
Colorado is not on the list either. I agree it is disheartening that only about 10% of the states are onboard.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting listening to the news this week about the 40th anniversary of the landing on the moon. The Apollo program cost 135 billion dollars in today's dollars. We've spent a trillion in Iraq in the past 6 years. It is all about priorities. If we really wanted to improve our education system and provide resources, we would. Apparently, we do not.
My 11 year old daughter just corrected me. I guess it is about 20% of the states onboard (10 out of 50). My brain must be in summer mode....
ReplyDeleteAll - thanks for all of your responses. Clearly we all feel strongly about the same things. This country can/will spend billions on other options, yet not on preparing the children to be ready for these options.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of all the money that is spent on the prison system each year, I wish that they would take some of that and spend it on early childhood education. Maybe in the long run, we would have fewer people getting into trouble if they knew that they had options. I don't know if I am expressing myself clearly, but those first few years are so important to the future of a child, and yet we spend so little time and money on them.
As far as taking action - how does one do that? I have to use my personal laptop computer in my classroom in order to be able to do the things that I want to with my students. We need to have changes start at the top - yet they have been corrupted, and I am sure that their children go to the best schools and have all of the technology available to them that they want.
I feel as though I am complaining - maybe I am. Any thoughts?
Kim
Kim-
ReplyDeleteThe country does seem to spend a great deal of money on other things they deem necessary yet leave nothing to prepare students for the future.
You do not need to get me started on money being spent on prisons each year. Our county just recently built two new schools (elementary and high school). The budget for the elementary school went over and the county was not willing to pay the difference. They were more than willing to pay many millions of dollars to build a brand new jail for our prisoners. Now, one would think that if they spent the money on a school and not a prison, then maybe they would not need the prison as much because students would be getting an education.
I do not know how to take action when there seem to be few who truly believe in changing the way we teach to incorporate technology and skills students will need for the future. There needs to be something done at the federal and state levels to ensure that we are doing everything possible for the students in our country. Many of the children at the "top" probably go to private schools where they have unlimited amounts of money as their disposal to do whatever they want. That is simply not the case for the majority of the population.
You may be complaining but you are not the only one. Unless people higher up in education and government take a stand, I do not know how much can be accomplished in preparing students for skills they need for the 21st century.
I am currently sitting in a resort lobby in Cairns, Australia. It was just me and the girl at the front desk. After reading these posts again, I decided to ask her how the education system was here, and if education in general was important to the country. Sadly enough, it does not sound like it is only America. The first things to be cut here as well, when the economy is poor is education. Her mother is a teacher, and she (the mother) is often treated "like dirt," the girl was telling me. I don't know if I feel better or worse.
ReplyDeleteKim,
ReplyDeleteI also find it interesting that so few states have joined and that the resources are not more readily available given the powerful business partnership. As Dr. Thornburg discussed in the video Skills for the 21st century, we are not producing the necessary workers to meet the needs of our economy - yet we don't seem to be very concerned (as a nation) at improving that situation. One would think that we would really be working on improving our level of education of our workers given the demands of our current economic situation. Of course, that is a tough thing to do right now given that we are cutting more and more resources for schools.
My state is not a member either.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand are those computer companies just there financially? They are the ones I feel who should be pushing the technology harder. In the states, like Amanda's, they should have a stronger showing to show what their product can do.
I also think that a tax write-off would help those companies put their product out there more.
Here is an idea. Give the companies tax breaks for interning high school and college student to get them to be more in the area's of study that we as a nation need them to be in. If the kids know that there is free money out there for schooling in certain areas, they will attempt to take it.