Comments for 21st Century Learning and Leading

Comment on Where Will You Be One Year From Today? by Bernice Victor-Smith

Bernice Victor-Smith — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:33:20 +0000

Given the opportunity to make a difference in a child’s life even though many times, more often that not, we do not ever see that difference. We are faced with the opportunity each and every day while working with students at all levels, I think the question should be rather that where will YOU be…the question should be how will you be making a difference in a positive way for a student? Bernice Victor-Smith

Comment on Thinking Thursday – Week 5 by Christopher

Christopher — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:25:36 +0000

As a student teacher I’ve recently been introduced to, and made familiar with, new (to me) technology that can be used in todays classroom. My educational experience up to now has been centered on the typical old lecture and exam models. My vision of being a teacher had been limited to these old methods until now. The knowledge I’ve recently aquired about technology integration has been a mental parole from the old school mind set of education. I have so many ideas about using technology integration combined with cooperative/project base learning. I believe creativity begets creaativity, and by fostering it we can stop “educating people out of their creativity” as Sir Ken Robinson put it.

Comment on Curriculum Development by Elaine Cosme

Elaine Cosme — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:37:47 +0000

The curriculum of the future will definitely need to have technology integrated. Jobs of the future will be highly technical and will require people to be able to use the technology available. The level of technology we are experiencing now is just the tip of the iceberg. I think that in the next 10-20 years, most of the learning will be online. There will be e-books taking the place of hardcover textbooks and there will be computers at every desk or no desks at all but computer stations in every classroom. Administrators and teachers will have to figure out how to incorporate each advancement of technology as it progresses. Technology will provide students who may have various disabilities the opportunity to develop skills that maybe is not happening as fast currently. I believe that the curriculum will still have reading, writing, and arithmetic, but will not be taught in the same manner as we are teaching our children today. Students of today will have to be even more technologically savvy than people who think that they are today because they will be the teachers of tomorrow. Based on readings, we have learned that students are more and more engaged in the technology revolution and in order for teachers to keep them engaged and hopefully motivated to learn, we will have to ensure technology is a major part of the curriculum development for the future.

Comment on Is a paperless classroom possible? by Margaret Hunt

Margaret Hunt — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:26:41 +0000

Is a paperless classroom possible?

Yes, it is possible; we are moving into a direction where technology will be at the hands of every child and teacher. It will be a new experience and a challenge for teachers, students and parents. With the right training, it will be a great success. We as teachers are preparing our students for the future and the world is becoming more and more technological savvy so this will be a very good way to teach our children all about technology. There are a number of applications that we can use in the classroom to teach lessons such as: Digital Media, PowerPoint, Excel, Inspiration, etc. Each of these can keep our students informed as well as entertained while learning the information. This also gives the students the opportunity to create Power Points and Excel projects. Having the students do work with pencil and paper teaching needs to be left behind; we are in the 21st century where technology is taking over the world.

Comment on Is a paperless classroom possible? by Jennifer Nemo

Jennifer Nemo — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:49:48 +0000

This is why I am torn on such issues. I think it would be incredible to have a paperless classroom. Most lessons done in the classroom should not require a worksheet to go along with it or make the students take notes. It would be amazing if all students had notebooks(the computer type) to take down notes or classwork. The students could go home and access their information from their home computer and do their homework online and submit it to the teacher via the digital world such as LIVETEXT. I am against unnecessary waste so having paperless classrooms would save so much energy and trees. Knowing that not all students have access to home computers would be challenging but I believe that a company out there would manufacture inexpensive computers for this purpose. Whenever there is a demand there is usually a response. But here is where I am torn. If we reduce the amount of paper being used people will lose their jobs and that is never good. This change may also create some jobs that we are not thinking of so this is a small concern. My biggest concern is what happens when the power goes out? If we rely too much on technology and put all our trust and information into it are we not reducing ourselves to dependent creatures? Although I enjoy and embrace all that technology offers, I like to live my life knowing that I can live without it. So if we place all our schedules and knowledge into a computer and teach our children to do the same is it a GOOD THING?

Comment on Thinking Thursday – Week 1 by Ashley High

Ashley High — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:30:07 +0000

I absolutely believe that this quote is true. Todays students are not the same as they were years ago. They do not learn the same way, so why should we teach the same way? I think that the change needs to start in the school system. Teachers need education on new technologies before they can successfully integrate them into the classroom. The 21st century skills that students will build from integrating technology into the classroom are priceless. They cannot be taught. It has to be integrated in such a way that it is transparent and just another “part” of an assignment, paper, project, etc. With all of the wonderful resources available through technology, why shouldn’t we use them?

Comment on Where Will You Be One Year From Today? by Connie Z

Connie Z — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:34:18 +0000

Having come to education later in life as a “fourth career” (being a mon included in the first three!), I have always wanted to feel like I am making a differnece with students. I believe in the past 10 years that I have done that and I have a great sense of satisfaction. Looking ahead a year, I can see that I must “step up” my technology skills in order to be more “savvy” when it comes to helping students succeed. I don’t like to admit that it is necessary and I still believe that creating meaningful relationships one on one is the most important contribution that we make as teachers. But children now expect more and being able to create meaningful relationships depends on them believing in us and our ability to reach them where they are. So I plan to create a resource base that I can share and a willingness to learn right along with them at their level. By doing this, it helps keep me feeling “young” even when my body feels old!!

Comment on Where Will You Be One Year From Today? by Rosa

Rosa — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:37:59 +0000

Even though life events are unpredictable, a year from now I hope to be more knowledgeable so I can provide my students with the support they need to succeed in the 21Th century. The Education Field needs professionals, truly passionate people, who can motivate students to develop a love for knowledge. I will be very happy to motivate as many students as I can in that direction….

Comment on Is a paperless classroom possible? by Alicia

Alicia — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:19:38 +0000

Yes! A paperless classroom is very possible. I definitely think it will be a challenge for teachers and parents who are accustomed to the traditional “pen and paper” ways of documentation, but it’s clearly the best thing for the future. Not only does going paperless help in the classroom, it also helps the environment. These days many companies are going green, it’s essential that school districts jump on the go green wagon as well. Going paperless will definitely spark exciting changes in the curriculum for students. Technology will make everything in the classroom so much more efficient. No more losing Johnny’s homework, or misplacing important documents, both teachers and parents will have greater communication with one another through email. The possibilities are endless!
I’m totally for going paperless; my only concern is how to make that great transition possible for all schools and students. How will schools get the funding to have up to date technology, and ensure that their students have the same resources at home? Serious changes would have to be made, and with the increasing shortage in teachers, how soon could this be done? It would definitely be an investment worth doing for our education system. Someday; I hope to teach in a technology-centered classroom that is both effective in its curriculum, and environmentally friendly.

Comment on Professional Development for the 21st Century Educator by Alyssa

Alyssa — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:51:10 +0000

This video did a great job of showing the endless possibilities of the Web 2.0 world. With Web 2.0, students will be able to access much more information in much less time than in the past. Social bookmarking websites seem wonderful to me because if they are used correctly, students will have instant access to reliable websites. Wiki’s and blogs are another great way to engage students. Blogs, especially, help to make students feel like their work matters for more than just a grade. Websites students use are also becoming much more engaging, interactive, and fun. When I begin teaching, I am hoping to teach younger students in First through Third grade. With their short attention spans at this age level, if an activity over the internet is not engaging, interactive, and fun, there is no point in attempting to use it. Another thing I liked about this video was that it gave the opinions of children who have learned using Web 2.0. The fact that the comments are so positive goes to show that Web 2.0 tools really do work when used correctly.

While Web 2.0 can be an extremely useful tool in the classroom, teachers must stay up to date on all the latest technologies. If a teacher is not informed on the technology, he/she will not be able to pass the knowledge on to his/her students. If the students do not learn how to use all of these new tools, they will be hurt in the long run when they are required to use them in upper grade levels, in college, or in their careers.