21st Century Learning

I am going to be writing about 21st century learning and how we can create schools that truly prepare students for the future. The task often seems insurmountable and therefore needs to be broken down into manageable steps; a road map or blueprint as a guide to teachers.

In curriculum 21 Heide Hayes Jacobs speaks about the essentials of 21st century learning. Despite the complexity of the paradigm shift, she suggests beginning with one aspect; assessment. It has often been said that assessment drives instruction and as such, if teachers are encouraged to make changes to assessment, it is highly likely that instruction will be altered as a result. In order for students to successfully accomplish the assessment requirement, the learning will need to look different.

As teachers attempt to create assessment tasks that are more authentic, it is easiest to think of assessment requirements in terms of asking students to take on a role; a role that is related to the discipline that is being studied and calls on the child to create something, that a professional related to that discipline would create. For example, in English Language Arts we could ask students to take on the role of journalist, or book reviewer, or editor, or debater, or conference presenter....... In a biology class we could ask students to take on the role of genetist, or medical doctor or nutritionist or....... Students are called upon to create products of value that model what "real people" do.

Teachers could begin by altering one assessment as a start; upgrade one assessment per semester. Students in a grade 11 English class could develop a screenplay instead of a short story. Students in grade four could develop a webquest about a visit to a foreign country. Students could create podcasts to show their new learning.

This could be the most manageable way to gradually move into 21st century learning.

More to come.....