This week I took a look at the website for the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. My initial response was: "Where is there room for the arts?" Most of the pieces of information available on the home page showed me students in science and language arts classes and most of the information given was specifically not for visual arts or music.
Upon further investigation, I found some tag-words mentioned in the framework; "critical thinking" "media" "collaboration". These skills are all used in the arts. The framework also mentions the core subjects as the "3Rs" (which is misleading) then further describes them as: English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics, government, economics, arts, history, and geography.
The more I began to read, I also noticed that while I liked some of the framework presented, this plan would once again add additional assessment for students. I couldn't find any assessments for the elementary level, so I'm not sure how they would be measured. I also feel this partnership assumes schools can purchase and maintain 21st century classrooms, which isn't the norm for schools (at least in my area). We are making improvements to the amount of technology available to students, but the changes are occurring at a much slower pace than technology becomes available.
Overall, I feel the site provides some information and general framework guides, but lacks specific planning necessary to implement into everyday schools. I think everyone needs to take a step back and decide why students are in schools in the first place. Are they there to learn? Meet specific standards the state deems important? Prepare them for a job/career/college/life? Social understanding and how to build relationships? How to succeed? All of the above? Some of the above? The answer appears to be skewed from place to place, but it must be the foundation for whatever framework we place on it for our schools to have the outcome we as a community are seeking.
I believe that schools are struggling with their “place” in the lives of students. As you said, “Are they there to learn? Meet specific standards the state deems important? Prepare them for a job/career/college/life? Social understanding and how to build relationships? How to succeed? All of the above? Some of the above?” In many ways schools have not changed in the last fifty years while in other ways they have. Countless schools are becoming the students’ stable environment, providing food, shelter, discipline, and caring people. In the past teachers were expected to teach the academics and everything else was done at home.
ReplyDeleteThe government and schools need to take a step back and look at what we want our schools to accomplish. Our “to do” list keeps getting longer with more discipline problems, the same amount of time in the school and often inadequate materials.
I'm glad you agree! ^_^ My husband and I recently had this conversation too, and we feel the parents, state, government, and local community all have different points of view about the role of schools in our students' lives. The students themselves have a view as well. Personally, I try to do what I feel is best for my students. It's so easy for me to get distracted (and frustrated) by the media and government changes when I know my school is a building of working professionals struggling to do what we know is best, but everyone else seems to think they know better.
DeleteI also found more testing to be discouraging. However, I also see how important 21st century skills are and will be, so I feel that this is a minor bump to overcome in order to give the best to our students.
ReplyDeleteAs far as planning goes, I agree that it would be helpful to see plans for P21's framework laid out. I did find that the ICT Map (http://www.p21.org/storage/images/stories/matrices/ictmap_english.pdf) and the 21st Century Skills Map (http://www.p21.org/storage/documents/21st_century_skills_english_map.pdf) were incredibly helpful in giving me ideas as to how to implement the standards being introduced. Hopefully you find them just as helpful!
It seemed like the added assessment piece does not necessarily have to mean more standardized testing. The website described some alternative assessment methods such as student-produced portfolios and performance assessments. This kind of assessment could tell us much more than a a standard pencil and paper test and would be more meaningful for our students as well.
ReplyDelete