I recently had a chance to look at the website for The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. This is an organization that has made it their mission to inform schools on the importance of incorporating 21st century skills in the k-12 classroom. The skills they find most important are ones that I believe students should know. The use of technology is a skill they will need to know when they are ready for the workforce. The site is easy to navigate and provides resources and tools to start using these skills in your classroom. From what I have read, I like what I saw. By bringing together the education world, business communities, and policy makers we are all working together to ensure our students are prepared for the digital world.
What first initially surprised me about the site was the amount of computer companies that are apart of the organization. My critical side reared its head and I started to think maybe this is just another way for the large corporations to make money by getting their products into our schools. But the more I thought about it, the more sense it made---who better to be apart of the movement than the companies making and promoting the newest technologies? I was also surprised about the effects this movement would have on our economy. When our students are brought up with the necessary skills to succeed in the business world, we are keeping up with our global competitors and ensuring jobs.
I didn't disagree with anything on this site. Their beliefs are very similar to my own. I see the need of integrating 21st century skills into the classroom. Preparing students for the workforce is a part of educating them.
This website is a great tool for teachers who see the importance of incorporating technology into their classrooms. The implecations of doing so, promote student growth in 21st century skills and prepare them for our ever-changing digital society and work force. This site is also a great tool to encourage fellow teachers to begin using technology in their classrooms.
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Ashley the bringing together of the community and the business world is what makes this website great. It is not an education thing or a community thing or a business things. It is a whole life thing. 21st century is about helping students by promoting technology and it is a great thing. Nice blog Ashley!
ReplyDeleteAshley, I think the bringing together of the business world, the community, and the school can only help students. Not only are students learning skills to succeed in today's technologically advanced world, students can also see why getting a good education is so important. When we get those, "When will I ever use this?" questions, we might now be able to turn to one of our business partners and have someone come in to explain how the topic is used in the "real" world.
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