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Research into .....Students need to learn problem solving skills through navigating technology in order to prepare them for the future. Problem solving and being able to navigate technology appropriately are important 21st century skills to teach students.Teachers need to provide learning opportunities for students to demonstrate their problem solving skills through the use of technology. In California many districts are focused on teaching students 21st century skills to prepare their students for when they graduate. Students must learn these 21st century skills to navigate new technologies in order to prepare for the future. To do this teachers must allow time for students to play around and explore new websites and applications. Then through that exploration, students will learn skills which will help them in the future.This study involved collecting quantitative data from teacher observations and student surveys. The data was analyzed using google sheets and is presented in the paper. To read the rest of my paper by clicking the button.
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Literature Review
Students growing up in today’s world need a different set of skills than they did years ago. With a constantly changing world students need the skills to be able to adapt and keep up with the changes around them. As teachers, it is important to teach students skills that they can take with them in the future that will help them succeed no matter what comes their way. The idea that most jobs that these students are going to end up with in the future but they do not exist yet can be an overwhelming concept for teachers. What skills do my students need for the future? How can one teacher prepare students for a job that does not exist? One person who has done research on these ideas and on technology use in education is Robert Marzano (2009). He has spent time doing research on the use of technology in classrooms along with different teaching strategies, like using interactive whiteboards. Besides Marzano, there are a few others,like Nancye Blair (2012), who have done research on technology use in the classroom: These authors have spent time trying to find the answer on how to use technology effectively in the classroom and how to develop 21st century learners.
Interactive Whiteboards
Digital tools, like interactive whiteboards can be in integral part of a teachers teaching strategies. In his article, Teaching with Interactive Whiteboards, Marzano (2009), talks about how the use of interactive whiteboards in classrooms is becoming the new normal. He did a study where he looked at the effects of using a whiteboard vs not using one in a classroom setting. The study results showed that using interactive whiteboards was associated with a 16 percentile point gain in student achievement (Marzano, 2009). But, he also found that using an interactive whiteboard in class did not necessarily mean better achievement unless it was paired with good teaching strategies. Teachers needed to purposefully use the whiteboard along with good teaching strategies in order to maximize student achievement. Interactive whiteboards are tools that have the potential to enhance pedagogical practices inside the classroom which will ultimately improve student achievement (Marzano, 2009). Technology, as Marzano realized, is an amazing tool to help prepare our students for the future and help them become 21st century learners.
Developing 21st Century Learners
The goal of education today is to develop a 21st century learner with the following skills: critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. The new world of fast pace learning demands that students learn these skills if they want to succeed. For a student’s performance to approximate their potential, students need access to a constantly advancing range of technological tools that demand problem-solving, collaboration, decision-making and innovation (Blair, 2012). If the goal is for students to maximize their potential they need to be given different learning opportunities that challenge them. In his article, Blair talks about a vision for the future and that districts and schools must make “the needs of the new 21st century learner a priority” (page 13). He also talks about empowering teachers and having a shared vision for schools. He says we can do these things by creating “ a team of administrators, technology specialists, educators, parents, and students who can collaborate to create a shared vision for 21st century learning” (page 13). Teachers are not alone, it takes a village.
Industry Perspective
From an industry perspective, it’s imperative that students be prepared for the workforce of tomorrow. Today’s students need to know how to apply their knowledge in a real-world environment by thinking critically, analyzing information, comprehending new ideas, communicating, collaborating in teams, and solving problems—all in the context of modern life (Bruett, 2006). American business now demands that future workers develop 21st century skills. From the article, Why American business demands twenty-first century skills: an industry perspective, it asks the question of how do we prepare students to be successful. Teachers must create a learning environment for students that is aligned with the skills needed for the future. Now is the time to act so that our children can realize their potential as citizens, workers, and leaders of tomorrow (Bruett, 2006).
Teaching in today’s world is difficult since changes often happen in content and skills needed for the future. Teaching strategies change all the time and the classroom environment also changes. How can teachers create an environment where students learn how to use 21st century skills to navigate technology? By providing learning opportunities for students to struggle through navigating new technologies we allow students time to grow and learn. Teachers must allow students a chance to fail, be wrong, mess up and struggle which pushes them to learn more than they ever thought. Learning how to navigate technology is a difficult skill to teach students and requires time for them to play around and explore. Through that exploration, students will begin to learn skills which will help them in the future.
Literature Cited:Blair, N. (2012). Technology Integration for the New 21St Century Learner. Principal, 91(3), 8–13.
Bruett, K. (2006). Why American business demands twenty-first century skills: an industry perspective. New Directions For Youth Development, (110), 25.
Marzano, R, (2009). Teaching with Interactive Whiteboards. Educational Leadership, 67(3), 80–82.
Students growing up in today’s world need a different set of skills than they did years ago. With a constantly changing world students need the skills to be able to adapt and keep up with the changes around them. As teachers, it is important to teach students skills that they can take with them in the future that will help them succeed no matter what comes their way. The idea that most jobs that these students are going to end up with in the future but they do not exist yet can be an overwhelming concept for teachers. What skills do my students need for the future? How can one teacher prepare students for a job that does not exist? One person who has done research on these ideas and on technology use in education is Robert Marzano (2009). He has spent time doing research on the use of technology in classrooms along with different teaching strategies, like using interactive whiteboards. Besides Marzano, there are a few others,like Nancye Blair (2012), who have done research on technology use in the classroom: These authors have spent time trying to find the answer on how to use technology effectively in the classroom and how to develop 21st century learners.
Interactive Whiteboards
Digital tools, like interactive whiteboards can be in integral part of a teachers teaching strategies. In his article, Teaching with Interactive Whiteboards, Marzano (2009), talks about how the use of interactive whiteboards in classrooms is becoming the new normal. He did a study where he looked at the effects of using a whiteboard vs not using one in a classroom setting. The study results showed that using interactive whiteboards was associated with a 16 percentile point gain in student achievement (Marzano, 2009). But, he also found that using an interactive whiteboard in class did not necessarily mean better achievement unless it was paired with good teaching strategies. Teachers needed to purposefully use the whiteboard along with good teaching strategies in order to maximize student achievement. Interactive whiteboards are tools that have the potential to enhance pedagogical practices inside the classroom which will ultimately improve student achievement (Marzano, 2009). Technology, as Marzano realized, is an amazing tool to help prepare our students for the future and help them become 21st century learners.
Developing 21st Century Learners
The goal of education today is to develop a 21st century learner with the following skills: critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. The new world of fast pace learning demands that students learn these skills if they want to succeed. For a student’s performance to approximate their potential, students need access to a constantly advancing range of technological tools that demand problem-solving, collaboration, decision-making and innovation (Blair, 2012). If the goal is for students to maximize their potential they need to be given different learning opportunities that challenge them. In his article, Blair talks about a vision for the future and that districts and schools must make “the needs of the new 21st century learner a priority” (page 13). He also talks about empowering teachers and having a shared vision for schools. He says we can do these things by creating “ a team of administrators, technology specialists, educators, parents, and students who can collaborate to create a shared vision for 21st century learning” (page 13). Teachers are not alone, it takes a village.
Industry Perspective
From an industry perspective, it’s imperative that students be prepared for the workforce of tomorrow. Today’s students need to know how to apply their knowledge in a real-world environment by thinking critically, analyzing information, comprehending new ideas, communicating, collaborating in teams, and solving problems—all in the context of modern life (Bruett, 2006). American business now demands that future workers develop 21st century skills. From the article, Why American business demands twenty-first century skills: an industry perspective, it asks the question of how do we prepare students to be successful. Teachers must create a learning environment for students that is aligned with the skills needed for the future. Now is the time to act so that our children can realize their potential as citizens, workers, and leaders of tomorrow (Bruett, 2006).
Teaching in today’s world is difficult since changes often happen in content and skills needed for the future. Teaching strategies change all the time and the classroom environment also changes. How can teachers create an environment where students learn how to use 21st century skills to navigate technology? By providing learning opportunities for students to struggle through navigating new technologies we allow students time to grow and learn. Teachers must allow students a chance to fail, be wrong, mess up and struggle which pushes them to learn more than they ever thought. Learning how to navigate technology is a difficult skill to teach students and requires time for them to play around and explore. Through that exploration, students will begin to learn skills which will help them in the future.
Literature Cited:Blair, N. (2012). Technology Integration for the New 21St Century Learner. Principal, 91(3), 8–13.
Bruett, K. (2006). Why American business demands twenty-first century skills: an industry perspective. New Directions For Youth Development, (110), 25.
Marzano, R, (2009). Teaching with Interactive Whiteboards. Educational Leadership, 67(3), 80–82.