Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Promoting 21st Century Learning for Students and Teachers: 5 Powerful Examples

1.    Group Professional Development via Social Media:
Social Media such as Ning has given schools the ability to provide virtual professional development opportunities for staff.  No longer do professional development endeavors need to be restricted by the traditional mass standardization or brick and mortar approaches.  By offering professional development through a Ning, staff members are able to engage in a school-wide PLN, which provides tremendous flexibility and honors time.  The platform promotes school-wide collaboration, enhancing vertical articulation and opportunities for inquiry-based professional learning. 

Rather than conducting a tradition book study meeting, shift to a 21st century approach by posting reflective prompts on your Ning.  Using this model, teachers are given choice regarding the time and location for completing the professional learning activity.  Further, the threaded discussion fosters authentic participation and pedagogical synergy. 

Creating a Ning for professional development allows educators to participate in the use of social media for learning and gain a greater understanding regarding the way our students learn and interact with information.   

2.   Personal Professional Development via Twitter:
When I began my career as a teacher almost 20 years ago, my professional learning network included educators within my school and district.  Today, my PLN reaches across the globe thanks to Twitter.  Promoting the use of Twitter by teachers within your school will provide them with one of the most powerful inquiry-based professional learning tools in existence.  Teachers will be able to create a Twitter PLN and follow hashtags based on their needs and interests.

Connect your staff to educators around the world by promoting the use of Twitter as an integral part of professional learning.

3.   Learning via Digital Tools:
As 21st century educators, we must embrace the use of digital tools within the classroom.  Tools such as iPods, iPads and e-Readers can enhance student engagement and instantly connect learners with real-time information from around the world.  A great way to get started is by utilizing educational apps for devices such as iPods and iPads.  The ever-growing list of free educational apps can have a significant impact on student engagement, enhance the students’ understanding of abstract concepts and provide built-in opportunities for differentiated instruction. 

In addition to the aforementioned devices, e-Readers are now part of our students’ literacy development at home.  Whether using the built-in dictionary, highlighting text or adding annotations, the students’ interaction with text is strengthened via these powerful digital tools.  Moving towards an instructional model, which harnesses the capabilities of e-Readers is a necessity for our 21st century students. 

Rather than resembling museums in the eyes of our students, the use of digital tools within the classroom is a tremendous step towards keeping our schools relevant.  

4.   Sharing Writing beyond the Classroom via Blogs:
Class blogs add a 21st century attribute to writing; the ability for students to share their ideas and products beyond the classroom.  Today’s learners expect to be connected with people beyond their classroom walls and share their work with an audience around the world. 

After initiating a grade-level kidblog for our fifth grade students, we were amazed by the students’ level of interest and use.  Students were asking their teachers throughout the day if they could blog, posting original work, providing feedback for their classmates and realizing the value of their work.  Teachers have noticed that students who were reluctant to participate in class discussions have found their voice via the blog.  In addition to the marked increase in writing during school hours, parents reported that their children were regularly accessing the blog from home and writing rather than watching television.  By contrast, students were not as motivated to open a composition notebook and simply write for their teacher. 

Class blogs have a tremendous impact on student engagement as it relates to writing and allow students to communicate and collaborate in a way that did not exist in traditional language arts instruction. 
5.   Invite Students and Experts into the Classroom via Skype:
Video conferencing technology such as Skype is being used in schools in order to prepare students for the 21st century, foster creativity and collaboration, and expand teaching and learning beyond the classroom. 
Through the use of Skype, we were able to arrange a virtual trip to Tanzania for our third grade students and connect fifth grade students with a geologist working in the Colorado Plateau.  In addition, our kindergarten students were able to video conference with an author after reading her book in class. During the video conference, the students were able to meet the author and her dogs, as well as ask questions about story elements and the authors writing process.  These powerful learning experiences connected the students with experts in the field and took them to destinations beyond the limits of the school bus.  

Another powerful use of video conferencing technology is the ability to connect students with other classrooms and schools.  By using Skype, students can participate in a collaborative project with another class or have the opportunity to share their work beyond the classroom.  In the 21st century, students ought to have Skype pals. 

Promoting 21st Century Learning:
Does your school have a culture of 21st century learning for students and teachers?  The use of class blogs, digital tools and video conferencing represent a step in the right direction for our students.  Social media such as Ning and Twitter signify tremendous networking platforms that educators can utilize to augment professional learning.  By implementing these powerful approaches, a 21st century culture begins to emerge, enhancing learning for students and teachers. 

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