21st Century Learning...
I am open-minded, willing, and aware of my shortcomings. I think this prepares me to learn to teach and learn to learn in within the 21st Century, but that really is not what the question was asking. Sigh. A few months ago, I had never heard of 21st Century Standards, but I think I was already emphasizing some of them in my classroom. 21st Century Curriculum and Instruction emphasizes “…inquiry and problem-based approaches and higher order thinking skills.” (www.p21.org/overview/skills)
This I do or attempt to do. I want my students to be able to learn outside of a classroom, without a teacher, without specific instruction or guidance. I want them to be able to identify a problem, consider solutions, and choose the best approach. I also encourage my kids to explore life beyond school, involve the community in learning, and help them to be community-minded individuals. I think I have at least put the foundation in place for these skills.
My lacking is in the technological aspect (see Blog 1 :). I do not think my students are totally prepared for success using 21st century skills, but I hope they have strengths in place that will help them adapt and learn what I have not given them. That being said, I am not their only teacher, so perhaps other teachers are helping to balance out my weaknesses. That is a nice thought. I think I will go with that. I know that many of our students are amazingly successful once they leave us, but I can't say ALL; therein lies the problem.
My strengths are the same as they have been throughout my career: I want what is best for kids, and I want them to be successful human beings, not just people who can pass a state test. My weaknesses are my limited knowledge and the amount of information I need to process in order to use it effectively in my classroom. This is what being a life-long learner looks like, kids. Just like homework, if you do a little as you go along, you won't have to cram it all in at the end.
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