21st Century Skills

In this youtube video, David Warlick speaks of three converging conditions for today's 21st century learners: 1) Unpredictable Future, 2) Info Oriented Kids, and 3) New Information Landscape. He tells us, "For the first time in history, our job as educators is to prepare children for a future that we cannot clearly describe." Today's students are different; they're "info-savvy." Well, my question is, what are we really doing about it? We say a lot, but we don't do a lot. Educational leaders continuously spout out educational cliche after cliche about being effective educators and integrating technology use into the classroom regularly. But, not much happens after they step away from the podium.

In many schools across the country, the curriculum does not effectively meet the needs of these students. It's either outdated or it is a new, updated version of the old junk. Teachers are encouraged to integrate technology into their lessons, but they're not given the supplies or support they need. If they're savvy enough to teach themselves how to use and incorporate technology or to go out and find technology-integrated lessons, then these select few are providing their students classrooms with technology-enriched lessons. But, what about those other teachers? The ones set in their ways who don't like change? Or, the ones who don't have the technological savvy to teach themselves, and instead, need to be taught? David Warlick tells educators to, "Stop integrating technology...and instead, redefine literacy, and integrate that." Until our schools are run by administrators who follow this philosophy, we will continue doing the old things the same old way.

A Vision of K-12 Students Today

I have already viewed this youtube video recently in another class, and now after watching it twice, I am still left with the same question. As convincing as this video is to persuade educators to incorporate the use of technology more into the classroom, where do we get the funds to do so? Unfortunately, not all schools have lots of taxpayer dollars rolling in; some schools are very poor and filled with very poor students. These students won't have iPods, iTouches, laptops, or even desktop computers to use at home or to bring to school. Therefore, if we're going to work at integrating this technology into our classroom and meeting the needs of these "digital natives," we've got to find some way to get the technology we need in the classroom. For example, I currently have 2 working student computers and a personal laptop in my classroom. Our campus has 2 computer labs, but these are continuously booked with our mandatory computer classes for all grade levels each day. How can I effectively use technology in my classroom filled with 20+ on a regular basis if I don't have enough of it to go around? In a Utopian society, this would be easy. Unfortunately, that's not the society in which we live.