The Partnership for 21st Century Skills

I recently went to a site which focuses on bridging the gap between what we are teaching our students and what the demands are for 21 century employees. The site is http://www.21stcenturyskills.org and as I looked through The Partnership for 21st Century Skills site I was very impressed. My initial reaction as I looked through the businesses who have come along side P21, was the feeling of community. I think that this is so appropriate because community and teamwork are a part of 21st century skills. We are working together to accomplish tasks which are so “wicked”, as Dr. Dede puts it, that it would simply be impossible for one person to complete. The site is full of all sorts of resources for teachers to use in the classroom. One which really surprised me was a graph which explained the framework of what skill categories students need to acquire for the 21 century. Among them were the core subjects, learning are innovation skills, and life and career skills. On a lighter note, another surprising thing to me was that the Lego corporation was a member of the partnership. I guess I still think of them as the most beloved toys from my youth. I was also surprised by a page under the online tools and resources tab called entrepreneurship education. When I searched there I found all kinds of interesting activities to use which inspire and build on entrepreneurial thinking.

As I looked through the site I agreed with everything that they were implying. The only thing that sort of frustrated me was within the online tools and resources page there was no link for a music application. I understand that the site is set for the core but It just would have been nice to see a fine arts resource tab.

The implications for us as educators is amazing. The education and business worlds are at a place where they are beginning to unite and find the similarities which are in turn drastically changing what we need to teach. What we are learning will also show us how to accommodate for these new skills. The effects of this go beyond just the classroom but can effect the entire society that we live in. As students become better equipped to handle the business world, the business world thrives and our economy and culture grows. I for one am very excited.

References
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Skills for the 21st century. [Motion Picture]. Understanding the impact of technology on education, work and society. Baltimore: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008).Technology Interfaces. [Motion Picture]. Understanding the impact of technology on education, work and society. Baltimore: Author.

Blogs = Virtual Classrooms

An idea that I have been considering with this or any blog is to create a virtual music classroom where my K-5th graders could come and post comments about music or musical ideas that we are discussing. Over summer break I would record videos of myself, via a webcam, of questions for that weeks listing example. Then students would be given a place to respond to the music and questions. The perk for this is that my students could login at any time, or anywhere. Another really interesting factor is that honestly the students never have to stop going to my class. They could be 18 years or even older and still participate in the discussions.

However, there are a few things that must be thought through. One is how I will handle the issue of content from student posts. Should I choose a blog that lets me read all the posts first and then make them visible to the public? That definitely sounds like the way to go except that I have about 900 students and with the possibility of students being a part of the class until they decide to stop, there is no way that I could monitor that many posts. Another solution is to have a very intense filter that flags suspicious posts.

The issues are definitely formidable, but I think that its benefits are worth attempting

Things we need to move foward - Classroom Management

As I consider all of the applications I would like to do in my classroom I am immediately hit with the obstacles that are in my way. This in and of itself is an obstacle. The fact that I struggle with thinking in a "sky is the limit" mode is an issue which prevents the possibilities that I could achieve in my class. The truth is that for me to be able to think in a limitless and creative way I must be confident that whatever obstacles I will face are within my power to overcome.

Through my experience as an educator the biggest issue that I have observed within my peers and my own class is the methods of classroom management. Many educators, including myself, have had those moment where we get a really fun idea for our class and suddenly we remember those students who keep us on our toes. Then without even a second thought we think to ourselves "there is no way that my class could handle that".

The issue of classroom management is, in my opinion, one of the largest contributors to the suppression of creative thinking. For us to move forward we must be able to maintain order in the classroom.

The answer is to search the net and network until we can find the resources/methods that we need.

Things we need to move foward

Every day I spend two hours driving either to or from County Line Elementary School. I actually enjoy the commute, it is just the gas prices that I have a problem with but that is another Blog. Since I am a music teacher I spend much of my commute in absolute silence because I hear music all day long . My car has really become my place for prayer, pondering, and dare I say peace (with all the idiot drivers around me). Much of what I think about it how I can get better at what I do. These are a couple of thoughts that I think we need to do to move into a new place of educational success. By the way, they are in no particular order.

1. We need to be able to network - educator can sometimes feel like they are alone and not understood. networking with other teachers is an immediate remedy to these sorts of feelings.

2. We need to be able to think creatively - Teachers can sometimes get stuck in survival mentalities instead of creative mentalities.

3. We need to be able to manage a classroom - Poor classroom management skills is a contributor to survival thinking and ultimately stifles the productivity of the whole class.

4. We need to embrace technology - if we don't stay up date and current with our target audience we are not going to reach them. Imagine if Hollywood still made silent films. they were great at the time but now the audience expects more.

These are just a few of my thoughts. I will post some in more detail and just so you know I am in no way implying that I have all of these characteristics. I am on the same journey that we all are. The attempt to make ourselves better so that we can help serve the future generation.

Hey everybody

Hey guys here is my first blog and my first post. I have a few ideas for my class and for music education. Hopefully, we can all contribute and learn from each other.