There are 9 Essential 21st Century Skills that are critical to the learning process. After you have taken time to read through one or more of the external links about these Learning Skills (found on class wiki) write a reflection. Consider the impact these skills could have/do have on your teaching and on your students' experiences in the classroom. What issues were addressed in the article(s)? What is one thing you could do in your classroom, that is not being done yet, to help incorporate one of the 9 skills?
Your reflection needs to be at least 10-15 sentences long. Please include the title of each article you read and are referencing.
The student’s perspective on learning styles (A Vision of K12 Students Today) is not far off from a similar link from an educator’s perspective - A Vision of 21st Century Teachers. Students today spend a large portion of their day (both in and out of the educational environment) in front of or utilizing some form of technology – computers, cellular phones, blogging, social networks, video gaming, internet, IPODs, etc. While they continue to be expected to learn the basics of their curriculum, their terminology, expertise and eventual expectations on how to achieve that has changed considerably. They want to create, consume, remix and share their information in a different format than most teachers today are accustomed to expect from their students. The means to facilitate this has increased a hundred fold with all the technological tools available however most educational environments don’t support this. Traditional learning styles no longer engage the students as our students are already using technology on their own at an incredible rate to think and create as well as engage with each other. Students want to use the constant evolving technology to learn how to analyze and evaluate (as this is rapidly becoming their norm) and like their counterparts (their educators) they want to be encouraged, supported, inspired and challenged in more ways that just a textbook. The video addressed several of the 21st Century Skills - creativity; information and media literacy; self direction and social responsiblity. Implementing the shift in focus of the 21st century learning skills into the classroom will require innovation, creativity and a personal philosophy of being a life long learner on the part of the educator. In essence, we as educators will need to begin this process with leading by example even if we do not have the accessibility to technology ourselves - ie promoting these skills in our current curriculums/lesson plans - and slowly interfacing with technology as districts catch up with "the real world". Educators need to stay focused and continue to establish bridges with administrators; peers; parent teacher organizations to inform, collaborate, and educate on these new skills. In the classrooms that I provided services to students in, I need to make a conscious effort to continue to analyze and evaluate my strategies and their effectiveness in meeting the goals of my special needs students. I really do need to try to include my students in this process as well in a format that they can understand and participate in. In reality this process will have to be approached differently for every student based on their learning style; cognitive ability; means to communicate and of course strengths and weaknesses. I would also like to do more collaboration and group activities with classroom teachers to promote more inclusion of my students as well as educate the teachers on the importance (and correlation)of physical movement and cognitive development in the classsroom setting - ie using movement wheels; brain gym activities (www.braingym.org) etc. I have already begun this in the Early Childhoold - K4-5 classrooms - but have not ventured into the elementary grades.
Reflection 2: Videos for the Classroom
After you have found a video to use in the classroom, post the link to the video on the "Reflection" page of your wiki. Then, write at least a 5 sentence reflection as to how you will use this video in the classroom and what impact you think it will have on your students' learning.
Please find a video that is new to you and your classroom.
In addition to sites such as YouTube and TeacherTube there is a free online educational video service available to Wisconsin residents on the state's online library, Badgerlink. It provides streaming and downloadable video programs for K-12 students and teachers.
Exercise makes kids smarter Physical Activity in the Classroom Physical Activity and Academic Performance
I found several videos that reflect varying attitudes about the importance of physical movement and its importance and effect on learning. The first video link - Exercise makes kids smarter - outlined an experiment that a high school completed providing students physical activity/gym class before classes that they were struggling in. They ultimately found marked improvement in these students' performance in these classes. I am in the process of beginning to integrate movement activities in several of the regular education elementary classrooms that I work in that have students who have sensory interventions in place (either via IEP or 504 plan). The movement activities, however, are geared toward the entire class. Exercises ranging from general calisthenic type activities to brain gym exercises (http://www.braingym.org/about ) to yoga/pilates programs will be implemented periodically - but I have encouraged educators to complete them before a more difficult or challenging activity to promote improved attention/focus and retaining information. Following viewing the link -Physical Activity in the Classroom- I found myself recommending the exercise wheel for a 1st grade classroom following an evaluation for a student who did not qualify for PT services but noted that he would benefit from movement breaks throughout the day. His classroom teacher is genuinely excited about implementing it in their classroom as she notes that most of the students could benefit from incorporating this on a daily basis.
Reflection 3: Types of Learner in the Classroom
Think about the types of learners found in your classroom. Are they active, sensing, visual, sequential, reflective, intuitive, verbal, global? Now consider the ways you have used technology in your lessons.
Create a t-chart like the one below and brainstorm what could be fixed and how you could use technology in a new way.
What is not working with curriculum??
Technology to Experiment with.................................
1. Having difficulty with a) consistently utilizing a student's assistive technology (ie use of augmentative/alternative communication devices) within my therapy sessions in order for the students to communicate and make choices b) students not being able to identify (or I don't create a means for them to) choices duringmotor play activities.
1. I need to become more competent in the use of varied types of augmentative communication devices aswell as computer software/access tools ( ie adapted computer access; ECU's etc); I need to create several types of communication boards - visual; auditory, etc to meet the varied needs of students that I
provide services to.
2. Not having enough examples of visual examples of seating/positioning and mobility during my seminar presentations
2. Having a Flip video recorder more readily available to catch these "live" opportunities. (Fortunately my husband got me one for Christmas...:-)!!!)
3. Collaboration with PT team members - due to the fact there are ony four of us who provide services to 45+ schools - we rarely have the opportunity to program develop
4. Not incorporating enough movement activities (as well as educating the "educators" on the importance of movement activities) in the classroom environment promoting more inclusion with my service provision.
4. Use of a movement wheel; WII; possible use of exercise or fitness websites on a SMART board in the classroom to promote movement activities.
A Vision of K12 Students Today
21st Century Skills: How To Make Them Happen
The student’s perspective on learning styles (A Vision of K12 Students Today) is not far off from a similar link from an educator’s perspective - A Vision of 21st Century Teachers. Students today spend a large portion of their day (both in and out of the educational environment) in front of or utilizing some form of technology – computers, cellular phones, blogging, social networks, video gaming, internet, IPODs, etc. While they continue to be expected to learn the basics of their curriculum, their terminology, expertise and eventual expectations on how to achieve that has changed considerably. They want to create, consume, remix and share their information in a different format than most teachers today are accustomed to expect from their students. The means to facilitate this has increased a hundred fold with all the technological tools available however most educational environments don’t support this. Traditional learning styles no longer engage the students as our students are already using technology on their own at an incredible rate to think and create as well as engage with each other. Students want to use the constant evolving technology to learn how to analyze and evaluate (as this is rapidly becoming their norm) and like their counterparts (their educators) they want to be encouraged, supported, inspired and challenged in more ways that just a textbook. The video addressed several of the 21st Century Skills - creativity; information and media literacy; self direction and social responsiblity. Implementing the shift in focus of the 21st century learning skills into the classroom will require innovation, creativity and a personal philosophy of being a life long learner on the part of the educator. In essence, we as educators will need to begin this process with leading by example even if we do not have the accessibility to technology ourselves - ie promoting these skills in our current curriculums/lesson plans - and slowly interfacing with technology as districts catch up with "the real world". Educators need to stay focused and continue to establish bridges with administrators; peers; parent teacher organizations to inform, collaborate, and educate on these new skills. In the classrooms that I provided services to students in, I need to make a conscious effort to continue to analyze and evaluate my strategies and their effectiveness in meeting the goals of my special needs students. I really do need to try to include my students in this process as well in a format that they can understand and participate in. In reality this process will have to be approached differently for every student based on their learning style; cognitive ability; means to communicate and of course strengths and weaknesses. I would also like to do more collaboration and group activities with classroom teachers to promote more inclusion of my students as well as educate the teachers on the importance (and correlation)of physical movement and cognitive development in the classsroom setting - ie using movement wheels; brain gym activities (www.braingym.org) etc. I have already begun this in the Early Childhoold - K4-5 classrooms - but have not ventured into the elementary grades.
Reflection 2: Videos for the Classroom
Exercise makes kids smarter
Physical Activity in the Classroom
Physical Activity and Academic Performance
I found several videos that reflect varying attitudes about the importance of physical movement and its importance and effect on learning. The first video link - Exercise makes kids smarter - outlined an experiment that a high school completed providing students physical activity/gym class before classes that they were struggling in. They ultimately found marked improvement in these students' performance in these classes. I am in the process of beginning to integrate movement activities in several of the regular education elementary classrooms that I work in that have students who have sensory interventions in place (either via IEP or 504 plan). The movement activities, however, are geared toward the entire class. Exercises ranging from general calisthenic type activities to brain gym exercises (http://www.braingym.org/about ) to yoga/pilates programs will be implemented periodically - but I have encouraged educators to complete them before a more difficult or challenging activity to promote improved attention/focus and retaining information. Following viewing the link -Physical Activity in the Classroom- I found myself recommending the exercise wheel for a 1st grade classroom following an evaluation for a student who did not qualify for PT services but noted that he would benefit from movement breaks throughout the day. His classroom teacher is genuinely excited about implementing it in their classroom as she notes that most of the students could benefit from incorporating this on a daily basis.
Reflection 3: Types of Learner in the Classroom
provide services to.
opportunity to program develop