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 It's either outdated or it is a new, updated version of the old junk.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.