I really like the rainbow that is the icon for Partnership for 21st Century Learning (http://www.p21.org)./ But rather than just thinking of it as a rainbow, I view it as a bridge. A bridge that connects education's core content (which I was very happy to see included more than just Math, Science, Engllish, Social Studies, but includes the arts, world languages, etc.), Life Skills, Information, Media, and Technology Skills, and Learning Innovation Skills. But, it doesn't stop there! It also includes standards, instruction, assessment, professional development, and learning environment. I bothered to list all of this because each component has been addressed piecemeal for years. Never before have I seen it come together in one movement or push. It appears that the Partnership for 21st Century learning has done that. I must send out major kudos to the foundation for including professional development. This is a bone of contention for me because faculty meeting after facutly meeting we are told, "Students need to use more technology." End of story, nothing else--until the next faculty meeting. So, Bravo, P21!
The mission of P21 is "To serve as a catalyst to position 21st century readiness at the center of US K12 education by building collaborative partnerships among education, business, community and government leaders." I like this for one word "collaborative." Working together with business,community and government is what needs to happed. There is a difference between the business, community, and government dictating what should happen and working with these entities. I think the dictation is what happens now, in my limited knowledge. I would love to see more collaboration!
As far as the site goes, I get lost. I click links that take me to things that I want to peruse, but get lost in loops and can't find my way back to the home. I think that by it not being too busy, it is does not tell me enough about what is found within the site. I think this is why I get lost. I cannot wait to return to check out the videos because I think this will help me in my instruction. I am very picky about resources, and want to use them when I know I can go back tomorrow and use them in my daily instruction.
What I applaud the site for is not hitting visitors in the face with the partners. With Apple, Dell, ATT&T, ASCD, AASL, Pearson, AOL, etc. partnering to encourage 21st Century Learning, it could've turned into a seeming advertising free-for-all if they all were vying for top position on the home page. I like the understated way the partners are presented. To me it communicates that each truly cares for education.
To me the Partnership for 21st Century Learning is advocating good, strong, balanced teaching and educating. It is what we all need to be doing, from teachers to administrators at the topmost levels. I hope that soon the few states that are participating will be joined by others, especially South Carolina!
I love what you said about collaboration. I think that it is so important to allow our students to collaborate so that they can learn from each other. Last week when we were working on the wikis, I found myself wanting to check the site several times a day. I was so engaged in what we were doing, it was kind of like an "aha," moment for me! I finally see how useful the collaboration was, and our group learning experience was just what I needed to motivate me to get the ball rolling with my students. I have to give major kudos to you and Jenn for being the leaders of the group. What a great job you both did! I thank you for that.
ReplyDeleteJoe said:
ReplyDeleteSometimes navigating these sites can be a challenge. There is a wealth of material and covering it all can be cumbersome.
I agree with your comments about the sponsors. They do seem to be focused on what is most important, which is the educational side of things, but it is nice to see some big names on board because without the proper funding it can be a giant waste of time.
I also found the committment to professional development to be important. As you stated all too often the ball is thrown in our court and nothing else is done. We need the proper training to be successful at an endeavor as large is what is being condidered.
I agree that P21 deserves a rousing round of applause for including professional development as a component of this initiative. When educators are told what to do without direction in how to do it, implementation will be uneven at best and nonexistent at worst. The need for student proficiency in technology it critical, but we will never be able to meet that need without a population of educators who are comfortable with technology and committed to incorporating it in meaningful ways in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteWhile the web site is full of valuable information, I agree that it is hard to navigate. I felt the same way you did, that I had to dig deeper and deeper into the site to find exactly what I was looking for. As I dug, I found other resources I wanted to come back to but could not find them easily on a return visit. I have come across this web site several times in the past as I searched for information about 21st-century skills, and I left it each time feeling unsure as to the purpose of the site and whether there was any real information of value. I tend to avoid web sites that take too much of my precious time, so I see the site organization as a definite drawback. Like you, I would prefer to see more upfront information so that I could retrieve the needed information more effectively.