|
21st Century Learning and Workforce Readiness
The teachers’ role has changed, and in many ways, become more challenging. Students have access to unlimited information and ideas, in print, visually, and auditory. The classroom becomes a playground to experiment, test, and discover. This is wonderfully helped through the many digital tools available. The student now has a greater voice, and feedback becomes more important. Digital tools aid in collaboration and diversity of the students who build on the wealth of the experience. This shift becomes more challenging for the teacher as their role moves them from in-front-of-the-class to lesson creator, and mentor. Each student must go through his/her own unique process for learning and creating, demanding the teacher create scaffolded lessons and experiences deciding what will be ascertained from the plethora of activities available, and what must be a new creation. Right now as we are working in a world with accelerated discovery, followed by rapid change, followed by the pace for learning, the job of teacher synthesizer/oracle is very important. But as Eddie Obeng pointed out we have to look to the future as we solve yesterday’s problems. The role of coach may be changed in the future ….maybe 3-d virtual worlds, where you can step in as the expert performing the new skill, might provide more modalities and greater learning.
The 4 C’s become very important skills for moving students and teaching peers into using technology in our 21st century classrooms. The table below shows how this project addressed those concerns. |
Skills Addressed
Creativity and Innovation a. Students compare different ways of approaching traditional mathematical problems and find innovative solutions, using practical examples where appropriate. b. Students listen to and evaluate others’ reasoning and offer improvements and corrections, with supporting arguments. They listen to others’ feedback and modify their own arguments as needed. They learn from mistakes, and make repeated attempts at solving problems. c. Students look for patterns that suggest creative shortcuts or simplifying frames of reference. They make generalizations from patterns they observe in repeated calculations. d. By discovering fresh insights and communicating them to others, students come to understand that mathematics is a creative endeavor that builds on previous knowledge. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving a. Students look for a logical structure in addressing mathematical challenges. They are able to make complex choices and construct viable arguments to defend their choices. b. Students identify and ask significant questions about mathematics and engage in analyzing each other’s answers. c. Students make sense of applied mathematical problems through analysis and synthesis of evidence, and persevere in solving problems. d. Students analyze how parts of a whole interact with each other in mathematical systems. |
Communication & Collaboration
a. Students articulate mathematical thoughts and ideas using oral and written communication skills. Using abstract and quantitative reasoning with attention to precision, they construct viable arguments and analyze others’ reasoning. b. Students listen effectively to the reasoning of peers. They rephrase another student’s explanation or engage in questioning in order to decipher a peer’s solution to a mathematical problem. c. Students work efficiently and respectfully in diverse teams, articulating mathematical thoughts and ideas effectively. They use oral, written and nonverbal communication skills, demonstrating how mathematics is used to model problems of broad interest to society.
Flexibility and Adaptability
a. Students work in pairs and small groups to address mathematical challenges that involve varied roles and responsibilities, and require working effectively in a climate of ambiguity and changing priorities.
Initiative and Self-Direction
a. Students monitor, define, prioritize, and complete tasks independently while balancing tactical and strategic goals to solve mathematical problems. b. Students reflect critically on past experiences solving mathematical problems and connections among mathematical representations in order to inform future problem solving endeavors.
a. Students articulate mathematical thoughts and ideas using oral and written communication skills. Using abstract and quantitative reasoning with attention to precision, they construct viable arguments and analyze others’ reasoning. b. Students listen effectively to the reasoning of peers. They rephrase another student’s explanation or engage in questioning in order to decipher a peer’s solution to a mathematical problem. c. Students work efficiently and respectfully in diverse teams, articulating mathematical thoughts and ideas effectively. They use oral, written and nonverbal communication skills, demonstrating how mathematics is used to model problems of broad interest to society.
Flexibility and Adaptability
a. Students work in pairs and small groups to address mathematical challenges that involve varied roles and responsibilities, and require working effectively in a climate of ambiguity and changing priorities.
Initiative and Self-Direction
a. Students monitor, define, prioritize, and complete tasks independently while balancing tactical and strategic goals to solve mathematical problems. b. Students reflect critically on past experiences solving mathematical problems and connections among mathematical representations in order to inform future problem solving endeavors.