The_Problem


 * Making a 21st Century Lesson **
 * Part I: **

We have experienced the Thomas Friedman, “World is Flat” global society where playing fields have been leveled, everyone has access to the same information, jobs are being outsourced, and competition comes from all parts of the globe. One possible impact of this global competition is that our economy is in a downward trend where thousands of Americans are losing their jobs, money is getting tighter, and people are trying to find new jobs in areas in which they received no training.

Dr. Phil recently had a show about the “Boomerang Generation” of adult children who move back in with their parents because they have difficulty facing the real world. **//Almost 14 million adult "boomerang" children are living at home while many others who haven’t moved home still receive money from their parents to help them survive.//**


 * What does the future hold for today’s student? Are students graduating with the skills that they need to make it in todays world? Is knowing content enough?**


 * In Governor Strickland's State of the State address on Jan. 28, 2009, he addressed these questions. **

//"First, what we teach and how we teach will prepare Ohioans to thrive in the 21st Century.//"

//"Students will, of course, continue to learn the timeless core subjects like math and science that are critical to their success. But we will also add new topics including global awareness and life skills to the curriculum. And we will use teaching methods that foster creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, communication and collaboration, media literacy, leadership and productivity, cultural awareness, adaptability and accountability.//"

//"Under my plan, the Ohio Department of Education will set standards for Ohio schools requiring innovative teaching formats. Interdisciplinary methods, project-based learning, real world lessons, and service learning will be the norm.// //The learning experience will be built around the individual student.// // The learning experience will be built around the individual student."

"Lessons will not end when a fact is memorized. Students will be given a chance to interact with information, to follow up on the subjects that fascinate, to think critically and creatively and to use what they’ve learned to draw conclusions."

// **State Superintendent Deborah Delisle,** **concurred with Governor Strickland in her address to educators at the Feb. 3, 2009 Etech conference.**

//“How do we prepare our children for a future that has yet to be defined?// // "

"One of the greatest roles of an educator is to get children to see vitality in themselves…when you get kids engaged in problem solving and Project based learning with the use of technologies, you excite them and you tap in with what their real world happens to be.” // //

”The 21st century skill piece is critical… meaningful integration of technology is critical to this piece. All of our core subjects will be re-written to include 21st century skills.” // We have witnessed an explosion in consumer and business use of computers, smartboards, personal response systems, computer-compatible video technology, cell-phone technology, GPS, health-centered video games. The world shares an information-rich internet and free Web 2.0 applications such as wikis and blogs. Our near future will present to us amazing new technologies such as 3-d web and an even more portable access to it. **Now, it will be the responsibility of Ohio teachers to change the educational environment in Ohio to a model compatible to the technological world that students live in now.**

21st century skills have surfaced to a priority-one level in Ohio. The goals being presented now by our governor and our state superintendent are the same goals on which we based our November 4th professional development day. In viewing everything that is going on in today’s world where how we do things is changing faster than ever before and there is so much more to know in today’s technological world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. What is the future of today’s student? What will happen to today’s freshman in high school when he or she graduates 4 years from now and finds that so many of the jobs and opportunities that were available when entering high school have changed or don’t exist when he or she graduates?

 What are the most important things a student needs to know today to prepare them for tomorrow’s ever-changing world? What are the skills and knowledge that these students will need? How do teachers make sure that students learn the skills as well as the knowledge? What is the best environment of tools, spaces, and educational experiences for this 21st century education to take place in? What is the perfect blend? Do we have the luxury to avoid these questions any longer?  **What is the vision of 21st century education and**    **what will be our role in achieving that vision?** In your PLC, develop a vision of what an achievable 21st century education should look like. You can compose that vision through the eyes of a teacher, a parent, a principal, a superintendent, or a student, then share that vision **on this wikispace.** A good place to start is at Sources for 21st century. **You will find links to your home PLC page at: PLC pages.** Below are a few questions to lead you on your research. What other questions could you add to the list?


 * Our task at hand is to develop a vision**
 * // What are the 21st century skills that need to be taught?  //
 * // Will these skills require changing some of the things educators do?  //
 * // How do we incorporate them into our lessons?  //
 * // What tools do we use and how should we use them?  //
 * // What do the educational experiences and learning environment look like?  //
 * // How do we measure the achievement of these 21st century skills? (not just the content standards)  //
 * // How will we respond if we find students haven't learned these skills?  //

** Part II: ** ** Professional Development Day project **

//During professional development day on Feb. 13,//  //your PLC will design a unit within the framework of 21st century learning. The plans for that unit should also be recorded onto your wikispace page at this site.//  //You can add as many pages as you need. Just link them to your home page.//   T //his unit should be taught before the end of the school year.//

The following link will take you to the schedule for Feb. 13 (PD Day)

A little extra challenge:

 * //Could you add your vision of what an achievable 21st century education should look like//** **//to your wikipage at this wikispace using a 21st century tool such as a Podcast or a Vodcast?//**