I tried to post this to the blog Keith set up, but every time I post it immediately disappears:
One notion the book’s authors purport about how the role of education will change day-to-day living comes when they argue that interconnectedness will allow people from every country to “contribute to a global pool of expertise on how best to implement a 21st century education system” (Trilling and Fadel 153). I don’t feel that we are there yet, but this idea gives me hope for the future. We have a long way to go because, disappointingly, leaders with their hands on the educational purse strings seem to be motivated by an allegiance to ideologies rather than by learning from successful educational systems around the globe. As teachers, we cannot rely on those providing the funding and making the decisions to decide the best course. Luckily, the internet and web 2.0 networking sites have made it easier than ever to reach out as individuals to educators across the globe.
Looking at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) statistics for 2009 (http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/54/12/46643496.pdf), I notice that China, Finland, Korea, and Singapore scored highest in reading, science, and math. Canada, our neighbor to the north, placed 6th overall while the United States comes in at 17th. The United States surely does not want to emulate everything about the Chinese system, for example, but surely each of these countries has something to teach us about how we teach children. As educators, we should take a lesson from the book’s emphasis on communication, cooperation, and collaboration, and admit that, even with this 21st century model, we don’t have all the answers. For example, Finnish students don’t begin formal learning until age seven because “before then they learn best when they’re playing” (*http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8601207.stm).
Overall, the role of education in people’s lives needs to change because “the 21st century global economy is also requiring higher levels of imagination, creativity, and innovation” (Trilling and Fadel 49). Project based learning as described in class and 21st century skills as described in the book let students solve real-world problems that demand the aforementioned skills to prepare them for the challenges of the coming decades. The role of education has changed because it is no longer enough to educate some and let others slip through the cracks. Now, the United States does not have a manufacturing base to accommodate those students who don’t make the grade, and failing them makes it difficult for them to achieve an acceptable standard of living. We need to give them the skills to make their way in a difficult world and the education necessary to enjoy a good quality of life.
*Burridge, Tom. “Why do Finland's schools get the best results?” BBC World News America. 7 Apr. 2010
Looking at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) statistics for 2009 (http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/54/12/46643496.pdf), I notice that China, Finland, Korea, and Singapore scored highest in reading, science, and math. Canada, our neighbor to the north, placed 6th overall while the United States comes in at 17th. The United States surely does not want to emulate everything about the Chinese system, for example, but surely each of these countries has something to teach us about how we teach children. As educators, we should take a lesson from the book’s emphasis on communication, cooperation, and collaboration, and admit that, even with this 21st century model, we don’t have all the answers. For example, Finnish students don’t begin formal learning until age seven because “before then they learn best when they’re playing” (*http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8601207.stm).
Overall, the role of education in people’s lives needs to change because “the 21st century global economy is also requiring higher levels of imagination, creativity, and innovation” (Trilling and Fadel 49). Project based learning as described in class and 21st century skills as described in the book let students solve real-world problems that demand the aforementioned skills to prepare them for the challenges of the coming decades. The role of education has changed because it is no longer enough to educate some and let others slip through the cracks. Now, the United States does not have a manufacturing base to accommodate those students who don’t make the grade, and failing them makes it difficult for them to achieve an acceptable standard of living. We need to give them the skills to make their way in a difficult world and the education necessary to enjoy a good quality of life.
*Burridge, Tom. “Why do Finland's schools get the best results?” BBC World News America. 7 Apr. 2010
I feel that we are pulled in too many different directions. We are supposed to teach 21st century skills, project based learning, and teach to the test. Some districts are even taking more measures and implementing that students should no longer read the same text in the same class. How are we as teachers supposed to teach all of this??? We need to be project based while teaching numerous texts at one time? I feel that there are too many philosophies about how to teach.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I like project based learning. I think it requires "higher levels of imagination, creativity, and innovation." I just worry that something new will come along next month and we will be changing again...
Good ideas pulled from the reading.. . . Any conclusions you can draw for hssd?
ReplyDeleteI think that HSSD has paid lip service to these ideals without giving teachers much practical guidance on how to address 21st century skills in the classroom. My feeling is that such an earth rattling, perspective changing shift in teaching and learning cannot be done halfheartedly.
ReplyDeleteCommitting to this shift, like the book notes, has practical consequences. Test scores may get worse before they get better, and I don’t know if we’re ready as a district to accept that. I feel that, as a district, we want to derive the benefits of this type of learning without committing to integrating it throughout our system.