21st century skills

I attended a workshop by Scott McLeod on Monday, Nov. 9, and came away inspired and with a sense of urgency. The challenge, of course, is to keep that sense of urgency in the face of "I can't print my assignment" and "the projector in my classroom won't work" and "where can I find the Twilight books".

I particularly liked McLeod's opening activity. In groups, teachers determine how digital technology has changed the following industries:  news & journalism, banking & finance, TV & movies, maps & travel, music, books & reading, medicine & health.  These areas have experienced serious change and entire segments of workers have lost their jobs.  All of these areas are information-based, as is education. Which leads to the question, how has education changed?  How do we need to change?

The internet is changing.  When I first used the internet, it was about getting information then taking that information and using it in some way.  The interent is no longer just pushing out information; it has become a social place.  This is a key to us as educators.  We were pretty comfortable getting the information off the internet then using it the way we always have.  But we always say that an important part of schools is the social interaction.  We should now be using the internet the improve the social interaction through Facebook, wikis, discussion groups, nings.  Using the internet as a place to publish information as well as find information.

One of the notes I wrote to myself during the workshop was "It's about power and control". For the news, this means that the consumer is no longer limited to one local newspaper and 3 network news shows.  We can choose to read or not to read particular blogs and websites.  We can choose any kind of music--not just the kind that the record companies decide to produce and play on the radio.  We can watch TV shows whenever we want--and skip the commercials.  The corporations are not longer in control of the information that we consume.  News, music, TV, movies have become personalized--we choose only those that we want to watch or listen to. 

What does this mean for schools?  How does the new digital landscape give students and parents more control?  Just as news and music has become personalized, technology can personalize learning as well.

For years I've been telling teachers, "Technology doesn't change what you teach.  It just changes how you teach it."  I'm thinking that is no longer true.  I now think that we need to change what we teach in addition to how we teach it.