4+Reflective+Journal+November+23rd

At the bottom of the //21st Century Skills: Will Our Students Be Prepared?// article, I noticed that it had 9 Steps to Build Momentum. Thery were:
 * 1) Embrace a powerful vision of public education that includes 21st century skills.
 * 2) Align leadership, management, and resources with educational goals.
 * 3) Use [the MILE Guide] to assess where schools are now.
 * 4) Develop priorities for 21st century skills.
 * 5) Develop a professional development plan for 21st century skills.
 * 6) Make sure students have equitable access to a 21st century education.
 * 7) Begin developing assessments to measure student progress in 21st century skills.
 * 8) Collaborate with outside partners.
 * 9) Plan collectively and strategically for the future

Almost all of these guidelines require unity in the school or system, a collective vision, and organization. However, the more I learn about 21st Century Skills, the more I realize that this effort has to be in part from the ground up or a grass roots movement. This is true especially in Ohio. To get the funding that we need for some of these drastic measures, we have to have the community on board. Here at Barberton we were fortunate enough to get this grant, which helps us greatly in the planning and execution, but the big picture isn't fully realized yet. If community members are not on board, it doesn't matter what the infastructure of the system feels and it certainly doesn't matter what study after study attempts to prove.

However, every teacher can take it upon himself or herself to begin initiating 21st Century standards into the classroom. Even if we don't have the technological resources, we can be creative. We can also incorporate skills like collaborative learning and thinking as well as fiscal and social responsibility. Though I think it's pretty clear at this point that if today's students do not have regular access to technology, then they are already at a disadvantage when beginning college and career.

What interested me the most in the article is the section on assessment in the 21st Century. The part that really got me thinking about assessment. I know that I strive for immediate feedback on an assignment, but I must say that I feel that grading quickly is one of my biggest weaknesses as an educator. I really want to read each word the student writes, and I try to understand the sentence or meaning even when it is poorly written. I honestly wish I had a way to give every student instant feedback that also engages them. Technology could be the easiest way to achieve this. I won't always be able to do this on every assignment, but I would if I could. Today's students are so used to instant feedback that they can barely wait a minute for a text message. They will check their phones once every five seconds for a response. I wish that students were that interested in knowing what they did on a test or quiz. Some students are that interested, but it seems those types of students decrease each year (or maybe they just hold steady). Regardless, teachers are going to have to create lessons and assessments that work the way that kids think, and I think that sounds pretty amazing.