21st Century Skills.

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?

Using This Site As Part of My Curriculum

I have been thinking about how to use this blog as part of my curriculum. As you can see, I have enjoyed posting little things about me, and I think that my students would like to do so as well. I really wanted this page to be about reflections; a place where students and parents can respond to a prompt. It may be curriculum based or not. As I was going through the first two courses, I really walked away thinking about getting to know my students better. There is not really enough time to do that inside of the classroom, so maybe if they can write about a topic, they may open up and we can all benefit from the extra information.

However, I also wanted to form a "homework hotline" where students can help each other with the night's work. Any ideas out there? I teach high school math, Algebra II, and I realize that this may be difficult to do via computer. Has anyone done this successfully?? I would really like to promote the concept of peer tutoring - and having them do so on-line will allow others to see the same questions and answers. It will also give me a chance to see where the problems are, what students are struggling, and what students are stepping up to assist. Please send in any comments about this idea.

Going Down Memory Lane!

I just went home (my childhood home) for a few days this past week and while I was there, I took a rode trip with my sister to visit the University where I graduated. I had not been there in twenty years and it was nice in some ways to see that the campus had not changed much. Sure, the clothes that they were selling in the "bookie" were for a much smaller figure, and the sorority house did look like it needed a fresh coat of paint, yet the overall feel of the campus was the same. My sister, who also went to school there, and I walked around campus with our backpacks like we used to, ate a burger in the little pub, and remembered the good times. Anyone else done that recently???

Tell me a little bit about your furry friends!

Now that it is summer, and I get to spend my days away from the classroom, I am seeing more of my furry friends. I have two cats, Romeo and Juliet, both of which spend a lot more time sleeping than I do. My two dogs, Tornado, a German Shephard mix and Rosa, my Rottweiler mix are both three years old. All of my animals are from the shelter and I do not know what life would be like without them.

I have noticed that spending just five minutes with my animals will put my day in perspective and relax my entire being. Does anyone else feel the same way?