This week for my grad school class we were asked to check out a site about 21 century skills. I found myself staring at this website thinking, “Oh goodness another set of standards and skills they want us to incorporate.” At the beginning of the school year we were trained on something called Common Core. This basically takes the state standards we have now and streamlines them to be universal or across all states. This is good for when you have a student transfer in from another state so that we have the same standards we will teach to. Of course this is just now being developed and will probably be years before we see it truly work. My first thoughts on Common Core were “finally we can streamline all of these standards they give us.” Common core includes standards that are for college and career readiness. I think this is similar to what P21 is trying to do.
I looked over the information I found on the P21 website, http://www.p21.org/index.php, and found that it was not describing anything I do not already do. In the document where they include the definitions, http://www.p21.org/documents/P21_Framework_Definitions.pdf, I noticed a lot of similarities to how I already structure my classroom. In the description of learning and integrating skills it talks about different ways to incorporate within the classroom. As I read the descriptions I immediately thought that this was something we are already doing. It seems like it is common sense to teach students how to work together, think creatively, and make judgments. It does not seem to me that this needs to be written out in a framework. It is something I think we have done as a change to the times. Why is it that it always has to be written out somewhere for it to be commonplace? Like if it is working and we are already doing it, now lets complicate things more by writing it down and forcing everyone to include it. Plus on top of that lets make a new set of standards showing you how to use this framework.
I am not saying I like one over the other. I am saying that there are way to many standards, streamlining them I am for. I am saying that we do need to implement things in our classroom to prepare students for how the world is today. In no way shape or form do I want to ill prepare my students for the real world. I am not quite sure idea incorporates a better set of skills for students. Honestly I think that the only person who can prepare their students is the teacher. You are given a class or 20 or more students now a days and each student is different. To say that every student is going to be best prepared by doing this or that is not always true. The teacher needs to know what the students need in order for them to be prepared. Sometimes the teacher’s creativity and knowledge is all that we need to educate our students effectively.
Incase you want to read about Common Core their website is: http://commoncore.org/
They do have a whole section about why they disagree with P21. I read into it slightly but have not formed my own decision yet. Honestly I have not worked long enough with either one to say which one I feel is better. I do believe they both have the right idea at heart. That idea is to combine the core subjects and knowledge with skills needed to succeed in the world today.
This is the first that I have heard about Common Core. I feel that is such a move in the right direction. I agree with you that it will really help those students who move from state to state. In addition, it only makes sense for those students who move out of the state after they graduate. Thank you for including the common core website. (I bet that it would go great on the wiki)
ReplyDeleteI guess I should add it to the wiki. Yeah I got to the point this week where I hated standards. I am tired of hearing about them. I wish the world would just take one basic set and make it the standard set of standards. I think both frameworks have good points but seriously how long will it take before they come to a compromise and join all of the ideas together?
ReplyDeleteStephanie,
ReplyDeleteI am also interested in taking a look at Common Core. I have heard references to the basic premise, but I have not heard this term or seen the website you cited. I agree with you that it is sometimes frustrating to see procedures and methods written that we “should” already be doing. Unfortunately, I have found that not everyone is putting forth that extra effort to prepare our students for the future. It is difficult to apply every skill to every student, and it is impossible to prepare students for every technological opportunity that they will come across in the future workplace. Because of this daunting reality, some teachers just opt to stay with the former “status quo.” This causes frustrations across the board. I applaud those who are taking those steps to move in the right direction as far as educating our students and aligning our teaching to the world in which they live.
I agree with your statement that many of the standards and concepts seemed like they were common sense. However, I feel that these standards are only common sense for those teachers that really love to teach, learn, and stay involved. Unfortunately, in my few years of teaching, I have quickly learned that standards and checklist are designed to making sure that everyone knows the expectation. They want to be able to say that the expectations were clearly stated, so in the event that someone is not doing their job they have documentation. As much as I would like to deny it, I feel like there are a few teachers that are not will or informed on how to take the next step to better prepare our students for the 21st century. I have even heard the argument; if we were paid and treated like professionals, then maybe teaching would attract higher caliber teachers. I tend to disagree. Teaching is a job that you do because you love it, not because it’s worth it. Don’t get me wrong, a pay increase wouldn’t hurt, that is for sure!
ReplyDeleteYeah a pay increase would be nice but it is not everything. I agree that it is definitely a job you do because you love it.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that some teachers opt to stay with the "status quo". It is easier for the, and works for their school system I am sure. Any exposure we can give these kids to technology is a good thing. I for one am happy that there are teachers out there that want to become better educated at information technology and how to integrate it into the classroom.
Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteI really like your article and enjoyed reading it. I think we are both on the same page as far as common sense and the fact we read it, see it, and hear it again and again do we really have to hear or read, or see it again. However; if we all had common sense all our students would be working together, thinking creatively, and making judgments effectively. That is not the case I have seen educators trying to teach these things and when something doesn’t work they take that piece out and teach something that will work for them. Don’t you agree that not everyone is on the same page when it comes to what students need to learn and what we teach them? I know at my old school there were so many different conversations (arguments) on these issues and then we always go back to the same scenario “if it’s not broke” or “something works why change it” scenario? That is when I say where is our common sense, we can’t meet AYP and our students are not passing the state test it is broke and not everything is working… let’s fix it!!! What I am saying is this, it does not just need to be in writing, or read out loud, or posted in our classrooms…it needs to be utilized again and again and again. If we are consistently hearing it, seeing it, and saying it, and teaching to it then one day we will ALL be using it correctly. Then our students will get the benefits of our teaching and we will get the reward of knowing we have taught with common sense what we have learned.
Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteI see what you are saying all of these things do become complicated. I think that I interpreted the site a little different. Looking through all the stuff there is a ton of information there and a lot to take in. I agree it’s true many of these things I do already do but not really intentionally…it’s just part of who I am. However, the part that I really pulled from on this site is the “life skill” section. I feel like this site really is about brining children to technology and an understanding of how to access it so that they can have the world at their fingertips. Knowing how to get information and knowing technology is a way of having unlimited resources to access.
You are so right when you say, “The teacher needs to know what the students need in order for them to be prepared”. Very true and doesn’t it change all the time?
I still feel very new at the creative piece. I know it will come to me with more teaching experience.