Wednesday, September 30, 2009

21st Century Skills

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills website, located at http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/, supplies educators with a framework for what skills modern students need to have in the workplace, and how to give student opportunities to acquire these skills, from grades K-12.  

One area that I think is often overlooked by educators thinking that they already have a full curriculum, is that some skills need to be taught in different contexts for today's children.  In the 21st Century Content section, the website lists Several significant, emerging content areas are critical to success in communities and workplaces. These content areas typically are not emphasized in schools today:"Global awareness, Financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy, Civic literacy, and Health and wellness awareness" as "significant, emerging content areas [that] are critical to success in communities and workplaces".  Teachers can use technology to teach geography, history and global awareness as one, with more emphasis on global and cultural connections and relevant current events than latitude and longitude.  

It seems like the curriculum doesn't need to change as much, just our methods and perspective.  With my first graders, instead of just mapping the classroom or the intricate neighborhood, we use maps of Central America, where 90% of them are from, and find it on the globe, and use technology to explore geography in other ways.  Critical thinking, connections, problem solving, all of these skills can be enhanced by technology, and this website has a great way of explaining how to do that.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Using a Blog in the First Grade Classroom

Currently, I think that the best way I could currently utilize a blog (since most of my students cannot read) would be to gear it towards parents and use it as a jumping off point for home practice and developmental learning that they can lead.  A blog would be a great place to post examples of what grade level or above grade level student work should resemble so parents that want to work with their children at home could have a clear understanding of the standards in first grade.  A blog for parents could also help to create a greater classroom community, parents could actively comment and participate in their child's classroom even if they could not come in during the day.  

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Back to School Blues

I'm standing on the cusp of the second week of school and...I don't want to go back!  I pride myself on using technology daily with my first graders, but this year I am feeling like it is going to take awhile before they are ready.  The defiant and rude behavior has made me hesitant to allow the children to use the Smartboard, I am not confident yet that they will follow the instructions I've given them.  I'm terrified at the idea of taking them to the computer lab.  In the classroom, I will ask them to come to the carpet and half of the children line up at the door and the other half wander around the room.  What would they do if I put a computer in their hands?

Is technology a privilege or a right?

I think that to us technology effectively, routines and an expectation of hard work and following directions must be present.  I will work on this, and hopefully by next Sunday I will be excited to go to school!

Monday, September 7, 2009

First Post

Hi!  I am a first grade teacher in an urban school.  Many of my students speak English as a second language, and I am very interested in learning how technology can help bridge the gap between these students and their classmates.