Evaluating 21st Century Skills

After reviewing The Partnership fo 21st Century Skills website, the first impression I received from it was how professional the organization truly is. Everything on the website is designed flawlessly and provides much information in regards to various different areas all related to 21st Century skills.

I was surprised to notice that my home state, Illinois, is one of the states that has a Leadership Initiative that designs new standards and assessments to prepare students with 21 Century skills. This makes me proud to be part of the great state of Illinois and to see that we are changing with the times and helping to take the lead in an important agenda.

While I do not disagree with anything on website, I do feel the implications of understanding and utilizing this skillset will have an impact on today's students. With the increasing trend towards technological innovations and tools, it is vital that students stay up-to-date with these trends and that we, as educators, are doing everything we can to help provide them with the necessary skills and experiences in order to succeed when they move beyond our hallways. As always, a life as an educator means that our education truly never ends as we, too, must stay current with technological trends and advances and use this technology to aid us in the classroom.

Utilizing Blogs in the Classroom

Introduction to Business - Grades 9-12

One activity I could use a blog for would be to complete "Business Article" assignments. Within these "Business Articles", students read a recent news story that is related to business, marketing, or a specific product or company. They post a link to the article, provide a short summary, and then provide their thoughts and opinions. Students can then provide feedback, ask questions, and interact in an online environment with their peers.

This blog provides a real-world application and awareness about business. Students are able to enhance their online discussion skills as well as overall writing and paraphrasing skills. Furthermore, this provides a technological familiarity for students as many use similar social networking sites in their personal lives.

First Blog Post

Testing first post.