Moving in the right direction...

This is a reflection from the course I am currently taking (teaching and learning through eLearning). I thought I would share, as it captures for me the process of helping my students be 21st Century learners. 

Needs of 21st Century Students

My previous school needs (late 90’s-2000’s)

Students need to... -think critically about a media pieces (articles, videos, social media, etc) to judge if it is accurate or not -create new effective content that is shared (blogs, podcasts, glogs, videos, wikis, etc) -digest and view huge amounts of presented information and discern what is applicable and important to them -have meaningful learning experiences with people online and offline -multitask - do several things simultaneously while still achieving the desired task.

I needed to… -find information (usually from books) using the library computer catalogue, find the book, use the index and read the topic. -type efficiently (typing classes in gr. 4 and 5) -answer questions after reading an assigned selection. Scan and pull important points out. -take notes from a lecture/lesson, memorize notes and successfully take a test -write text intended for one audience: teacher -work in groups to complete assignments *some of these skills are still required by 21st century students in classrooms today.*

I went through school at a time when technology was becoming a bigger part of the learning process. I remember my gr. 6 class had a few old Commodore computers along the far wall that we would type up our poetry and short stories. In gr. 4, we took typing classes throughout the year (a skill I am very thankful for now). The internet arrived to a few of my peers homes when I was in gr. 7...not to my home until I was in gr. 9. In high school I used the computer on a regular basis - primarily for research, typing up assignments, e-mail, and chat rooms (remember MSN?). It was used as a tool to complete traditional assignments. I took a CAD course in gr. 11, and got a better sense of other applications for computer use. To be honest, I’m not sure if I am a “Digital Immigrant” or “Digital Native”...I feel a bit caught in between the two worlds.

I do my best to stay at or beyond where my students are digitally, but I’m not sure I believe they are “Digital Natives” either….many computer and 21st century skills I have to teach explicitly to students. However, I am always impressed with the swiftness they can understand those taught skills...much faster than teaching my parents, grandparents, and sometimes colleagues, those same skills. I know my students and I still have a long way before we have the 21st century skills required for this new digital age. At least we are moving in the right direction!