21st Century Skills

As I have continued to include 21st century learning into my curriculum a little more throughout this year, I feel that there is one huge hurdle that I continue to climb over. In order to teach and assess using 21st century learning themes, I must teach them the skill first and then allow them to apply it. For small items this is just fine, but for larger projects or assessments that depend on the efficiency of the student's ability to use 21st century learning can be difficult. I find myself spending more time on the efficiency of a skill and less time on the content it is intended for. I know this will improve as the students increase their learning with these tools; but it is a current frustration for me.

As I look to the future I believe it is important to integrate these new tools consistently so that I can allow them to become efficient. I feel their success rate certain areas of learning will increase as they become more confident. It will be my challenge to find ways to incorporate these tools within my curriculum in a way that students are continuously benefiting from my class.

The future benefits will be endless for our students. Once they gain the confidence of trying new things and finding the success from them, I hope they will continue. It is very similar to us as teachers receiving a smart board. Once we become efficient, the benefits of teaching with it will continue!

Connectivism

Before watching the video clip I would have answered these questions much differently. I would like to think that I am personally connected to 21st century learning, but I am starting to realize that I have to keep moving at quite a speedy pace to keep up. Keeping up won't even work; learning about new technology is one thing, but knowing how to teach it to my students in a way they can use it is another. I find it difficult in the time I have my kids to teach them new tools to use, have them apply it to what we are working on in class, and giving them the opportunity to finish. The amount of time we have the resources for this is very limited.

I'm sure after some time of working at it, I would be able to solve some of my above concerns. However the next one is tricky. If I am expecting my kids to use this technology in and out of school, what about our kids that don't have access? Yes we have computers here they may use after school; but after school is yet another impossible option for some of our students.

I feel that for me, my focus first has to be how I can bring in 21st century learning into the everyday classroom. This way all my students can experience it and benefit. Some of the other pieces of 21st century learning such as the connecting pieces shown in the clip may take a little longer to get a hold of, and allow all of my kids to use it.

Best lesson with technology

One of the best lessons I have taught using technology would be my introduction to Go North (an ongoing trek north to Nunavut). I was able to integrate online maps as well as link videos that would grab the students' interest in this ongoing unit.

Having access to the Go North website from the front of the room as well as the maps and videos that were related, the kids were able to hold a discussion and pose questions throughout the lesson that could be answered and investigated on the spot. I felt that their interest increased because of this opportunity.

Something I would change with this lesson is to group my slides in Notebook so that I could come back to some of the slides that the kids worked on/wrote on later in the unit. This would be very helpful to continue the kids' learning process as we follow the journey through Nunavut.

One thing that I would like to integrate into my lessons is adding small video clips that I have found relating to topics. I really liked the opportunity to stop and start the video for teachable moments as well as write on the picture and save them. This is a great way to pull information from a clip and bring it back later on in the lesson or the unit.

Something I have enjoyed using SMART BOARD

I have created interactive slideshows that allow the students to be part of the lesson. Some of the highlights that the students enjoy the most are the balloon set up for note taking, and being able to save ink notes that they have created. They feel like they actually have a part in what we are learning.