21st Century Skills

                The skills that I believe are the most crucial for students outside of the school walls are learning and innovation skills.  Students have to learn how to communication effectively, whether it be with friends or coworkers.  If a student cannot get their point across and talk in a professional way, their professional life may be affected.  Students must also learn how to collaborate with one another.  Being able to talk out a problem with a group of people is crucial in today’s society.  Students need to be creative in the ways they solve problems and deal with everyday situations.  In the professional world, businesses want workers who stand out and take initiative.  They want people who can creatively solve problems and get other coworkers involved.  The last part of this skill is the most important to me.  Students have got to learn how to think critically.  It is imperative that teachers give assignments and base projects around critical thinking skills.  There are so many problems in today’s world in which people have to think very hard about how to reach an outcome.  I have seen too many times students who cannot think “outside of the box” and this is a huge problem.

                These skills are very easily incorporated into a technology infusion plan.  Science is a subject where students normally strengthen their critical thinking skills through labs and other projects.  With the use of a tablet or computer, students could visit virtual labs or even WebQuests involving problems in the world today.  I have assigned WebQuests in my classrooms before and they are awesome!  A group of students are given a task and have a description as to the type of process they will be led through.  They have an end problem and goal they are trying to reach.  Besides that, it is pretty much a free-for-all on how they get to the end result.  This type of activity covers every part of the learning and innovation skills.  Also, students must use the internet and research crucial information to reach their goal.

                Learning and innovation skills can be assessed in many ways.  In going back to the WebQuest, I would easily be able to see how the students are working together.  Are they helping each other?  Are they reaching the end result in a creative way?  A rubric could be designed to make sure all of the skills are being put into practice.  Also, I have, in the past, given students a rubric where they grade each other, with caution, of course.  It is very common for there to be a student in the group whose peers give them a bad grade just because they got in a fight last night, or something of the sort.  In those situations, where I know the student has been working, I trump their score and give the score I believe the student deserves.  This process is also brought to the attention of every student before I pass the rubric out.