Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Partnership for 21st Century Skills
http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/
I was very excited to peruse through this website and discover that there is an ongoing organization promoting the integration of 21st century skills into all areas of education. I have always believed that our state needs an information and technology curriculum, which aligns its performance standards within each subject area. This website offers a framework for student outcomes with support systems to allow for mastery.
My biggest disappointment was looking through the small list of states that belong to this partnership, and realizing that Georgia was not on the list. Our schools need to embrace the incorporation of 21st century skills in order to prepare our students to meet their future needs. Unfortunately, funding, professional development, and resources are our biggest roadblock.
I was pleasantly surprised to learn of the different business partners working with the organization. With budget constraints, education is getting a real hit, and many believe that new technology with qualified instructors and resources will be ‘put on the back burner’ for now. Schools could greatly benefit from business partners that are willing to sponsor and offer grants in these areas. I do believe many more businesses would be eager to join this organization if they could partnership with schools in their area. This may also offer more of an incentive for more states to join and have a mandated program to guarantee student mastery of necessary skills for the 21st century.

Blogging Ideas

I am new at this, but I can see how using a blog can enhance and encourage my student's motivation and allow them to share interests or questions. I currently teach 52 fourth grade students in four different gifted reading classes. Blogging will allow them to communicate any problems or questions they may have about assignments. It will also allow classes to interact with each other. I will use it to keep my students and their parents updated on new ideas, resources, and current events as they happen.