What is 21st century learning? For me, it is a combination
of the core subjects that have been present in education for many years and the
application of skills such as creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and
technology. The Partnership for 21st
Century Skills is one of the most comprehensive resources that I have
referenced while forming my views on the topic. In only a few year of teaching,
I have witnessed the evolution of the 21st century learning experience,
and it will continue to advance quickly, indefinitely. With the number of tools
and technologies that are available today and the even greater number of tools
that are being developed, the possibility for student learning is endless. Heidi
Hayes Jacobs (2010) asserts, “As educators, our challenge is to match the needs
of our learners to a world that is changing with great rapidity” (p. 7). We
must teach our students how to learn and how to keep up with the progress
society makes daily.
There are many educators who are reluctant to revamp their
lessons to give students more freedom and responsibility for their
learning. For many teachers, it is fear
about letting go of some of the control in their classroom, but, the benefits of
autonomy are immense. “Think for a moment
about the great artists of the last hundred years and how they worked—people like
Pablo Picasso, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Jackson Pollock. Nobody told them: You must paint this sort of picture. You
must begin painting precisely at eight-thirty A.M. You must paint with the
people we select to work with you. And you must paint this way. The very
idea is ludicrous” (Pink, 2009, p.105). Independence in the classroom may just
pave the way for a new movement in art, a new discovery in science, or the next
J.K. Rowling!
“We need to go out of our
way to encourage learners to take risks both in artistic expression and in the
realm of creating ideas” (Hayes Jacobs, 2010, p. 17). Themes that are integral
in the 21st century learning experience such as collaboration,
global
awareness, digital
literacy, and students as
contributors, can be seen in all of the core subjects that students study
in school, including visual arts. “A strong arts curriculum is essential for 21st
century learners. Such a curriculum exposes them in greater depth to encounters
with specific works and performances from a full array of the various art fields
while incorporating contemporary tools in the expression, creation, and sharing
of individual works” (Hayes Jacobs, 2010, p.57-58).
To develop and implement new lessons, it does require some
research, time, and flexibility. Alan November (2012) recommends “identifying a
single project that the teacher can work through with the class, one that
spawns new ideas for new learning experiences. Leading the transition to this
model can be fun—but it’s still a transition. That transition involves changing
our understanding of student motivation and our expectations for student
contribution and collaboration” (p.19). Part of the transition needs to involve
the addition of technology tools to the curriculum. Most students today are
familiar with technology, and if they are not, they will need to become
familiar with it in order to compete for jobs when they join the workforce. It
is our job to keep students on the cutting edge of knowledge. “Too often our
arts curriculums have gaps in exposure to and experience with an array of art
forms. Technology can at least bridge some of those gaps” (Hayes Jacobs, 2010,
p. 56). There are many resources available to help create meaningful lessons that
focus on the standards and incorporate the 21st century skill set. Many
of these resources can be found in the lesson examples I have created for a few
of the 21st century skill areas linked in this article. My Pinterest
board, “Computers in the Curriculum,” also has links to many insightful and
helpful resources for getting started. Additionally, the books I have referenced in
this article by Heidi
Hayes Jacobs, Alan
November, and Daniel
Pink, are helpful for getting started or even continuing your transition to
the 21st century classroom.
References:
Jacobs, H. H. (2010). Curriculum 21
essential education for a changing world. Alexandria, Va.: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
November, A. C. (2012). Who owns
the learning?: preparing students for success in the digital age.
Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
Pink, D. H. (2009). Drive: the
surprising truth about what motivates us. New York, NY: Riverhead Books.
No comments:
Post a Comment