Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Partnership for the 21st Century Skills is a website that focuses on teaching students the 3 R's along with the 4 C's.  I know the 3 R's, but what are the 4 C's?  The 4 C's are critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation.  All of these skills are necessary for success in the global economy.  So many more skills are needed to be successful and students need to be able to perform and compete with a global world that is extremely intelligent and talented.  The United States faces a tough challenge of keeping up with other nations that are very strong in many academic areas. The website is full of information and articles about education and what is being done to provide the most effective learning environment and experiences necessary for success.  Guidelines and strategies are provided that will help students gain the necessary skills that the 21st century world requires.

I immediately went to the state listings to see what was specific to the state of California.  I was surprised to see so few states listed as participating states in the program.  I question why other states including California have not gotten involved with this organization.  The vision of the organization is powerful and seems to be important to all states.  It makes sense to have a partnership of the private sectors along with public and government organizations all working together for the good of all students in this country.  I am curious as to why only 15 states seem to be on board at this time.  I love the idea of teaching students how to collaborate and work together to solve problems and feel that this can be done in a simple way and integrated into all areas of the curriculum.

There are many professional articles, videos, and resources to aid in developing a 21st century classroom that support the organizations vision of learning.  I feel one problem is that the state already provides such strict standards that must be followed and met.  My state is not part of this organization so it would be hard to implement the additional standards and guidelines at a large level.  There is not a lot of flexibility in teaching anymore with the rigid standards and demands made by standardized testing. Time and resources are so limited and class sizes continue to grow.   Trying to redesign the curriculum to implement more skills would be difficult.  If the standards are aligned with the current state standards, then it would not be as big of a challenge to implement additional skills.  The website is nice in that all the tools and guides are readily available to print and use.

Popcorn Fun!

We are studying Tomie de Paola so we had some fun with popcorn!

Homework Help, Tips, and Challenge Activities

Another great use for a blog is homework help.  Students and parents can visit a blog to view lessons and subjects taught during the day or throughout the week.  There can be activities or suggestions for reviewing, practicing, and applying skills or concepts taught.  Second graders are not always able to remember how or what was taught in class.  Messages and directions often are confused between home and school.  Through a blog, parents can access tips, activities, and ideas to support learning done in the classroom.  For example:   Make a list of nouns found in the kitchen.  Tell your family that a noun is a person, place, or thing.  Bring the list to school to share with the class and earn a raffle ticket.  The raffle ticket incentive will entice the students and make them want to check out the blog to see what activities are listed.  Bonus or enrichment activities could be listed to provide help and support for both parents and students.  Outstanding efforts towards the listed activities could then be displayed on the blog.

Art Gallery

Blogging is a great way to display art work that students create in class.  Parents, family, friends, and students can view all the wonderful things done in class.  Students love to share their work and seeing the art displayed on the computer is totally awesome.  Not all parents can come to school regularly to see what the students are working on, so having an art gallery that is accessible 24 hours allows everyone to view the hard work of the students.  When students know that their work may potentially be viewed by thousands of people, they try harder and really take pride in their efforts.

Happy Mother's Day

Mother's Day is here once again.  I sure enjoy the opportunity to be a mother.  Thanks to my mother and all the many other mothers who have touched my life.

First Time Blogger

I never thought I would have a blog, but the impossible can happen.  I am a second grade teacher and I love children.  Technology is everywhere and whether I like it or not, I must use and incorporate technology into my life.  As a teacher, technology has changed my world and my classroom.  I enjoy the many wonderful things I am able to do.  Check the blog often to see what our classroom is doing and offer insight and suggestions.