The website is very easy to navigate with five drop-down menus from which to select narrower topics. The drop-down tabs include overview, tools and resources, state initiatives, events and news, and contact us. I especially liked that the site included the latest news in 21st century learning. It's a great way to keep educators and others up-to-date without having to subscribe or search data bases for new information.
What surprised me most on the website was under the "state initiatives" tab. I expected to find every state listed, but only found fourteen. I would think if P21 is a leading advocacy group, they would acquire and post all state initiatives throughout the country. Does that mean that not all states have initiatives? Do you need to pay/donate money to the group to have your state listed? Why is each state different if the goal is to "infuse 21st century learning into all schools"? Wouldn't it be more productive to have an initiative that is applicable to all state education systems? If this was the case, all students, regardless of the district they attend in the United States, would be challenged to meet the same standards. So, if my state isn't listed, does that mean that the students in Pennsylvania will have more of a challenge ahead of them when looking for a job because they might not have the same technological skills?
The implication I see for my students and myself are an increased awareness placed on states to improve how we are currently teaching our students. More and more pressure will continue to be placed on school districts to accept the fact that students today don't learn like children did even ten years ago. Without meeting these newest and ever-changing demands, we continue to widen the gap between our country's workforce and the rest of the global community.
I could not agree with you more about the amount of states that are taking the initiative to include 21st century skills into their current curriculum. I also live in a state that is not listed, and I worry that my students will not be prepared for their futures in the work place if they are not introduced to 21st century skills in school. What surprised me even more was to read about the 21st Century Skills Incentive Fund Act that provides matching federal funds to states who integrate 21st century skills. With the failing economy and the hit that education is taking, I would think that states would jump at the chance to improve student learning and receive the funds to support it. Do you think there is something we can do as educators to encourage our state departments to look further into these new skills?
ReplyDeleteI teach in California which is a state that was not listed either. I believe that if we are aware of the advances in technology and use websites such as P21 as a reference for what types of skills our students will need, we can begin to find ways teach our students those skills. We can even lobby with our district to have them make the incorporation of these much needed skills standard practice. I know my own district takes pride in staying technologically advanced, and while the use of technologies such as web 2.0 are not currently in use, I believe that if they were made aware of the benefits of teaching these skills, they could possibly encourage it in our classrooms. Sometimes change has to start small, with one teacher and one classroom.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first viewed the site I noticed that every state was not listed but I was not surprised. As we have been completing our current course at Walden University, it has become quite apparent to me that there are many educators that do not believe technology is important. So therefore, it was not shocking that my state, Texas, was not on the list. After reading your post, I did become curious as to whether or not there were any initiatives in my state that were directly related to teaching 21st Century skills. I found that there are a few pilot programs in place, but my district is not participating in any of them. Although we have Technology Application standards in Texas, there is no real measure of accountability. I believe that my state would benefit from participating in the P21 initiative because it would guarantee that our students received effective instruction in all of their core subjects while utilizing technology as a tool for collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and problem solving.
ReplyDeleteTexas Education Agency: www.tea.state.tx.us