I spent this week exploring 21st Century Learning. 21st Century learning is a framework that utilizes critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity, often through the use of authentic learning activities(National Education Association, n.d.). Despite the term being frequently cited, there are a lot of discrepancies over what people think defines 21st Century Learning. Some people argue it is no different than current practices, while others argue that it means abandoning content for the sake of teaching technology and “soft skills” (Kereluik et. al, 2013). While I was surprised to see such extremes, I was not shocked that the term was ill-defined. The idea of prepping for an ever-changing future is certainly amorphous.
The analysis of 21st Century Learning that resonated with me the most was the analysis by Kereluik et. al in 2013. Their analysis looked at the top sources for 21st Century Learning and looked for the biggest commonalities. In the end, they concluded that 21st Century Learning requires knowledge of content (both disciplinary and technological literacy), of other people, and of the “4 C’s” as referenced by the National Education Association (Kereluik, 2013). While technology was not an entire branch of this, 21st Century Learning requires the use of technology as a learning tool to further the other domains. One challenge that I ran into while doing this exploration was losing 3 hours worth of research and notes due to a power outage. This event highlights one struggle with the technology side of 21st Century Learning- students who are faced with temporary or permanent technology barriers will have frustration stand in the way of their learning. To capture my learning this week, I created a video run-down of what 21st Century Learning looks like in my classroom. Check it out!
References
Kereluik, K., Mishra, P., Fahnoe, C., & Terry, L. (2013). What Knowledge Is of Most Worth. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 29(4), 127–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/21532974.2013.10784716
National Education Organization. (n.d.). Preparing 21st Century Students for a Global Society: An Educator’s Guide to the “Four C’s” [E-book]. http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/A-Guide-to-Four-Cs.pdf Russell, D. (2019). Climate Change Rally [Image] Russell, D. (2020, July 26) 21st Century Learning [video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/uSSIs6CFQaU
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