What is 21st Century Teaching and Learning?

I used to think that the term "21st Century Teaching and Learning" meant using technology. It meant that my students were somehow using a computer or tablet to do something. That something could have simply been using the calculator app instead of the actual calculator that was sitting, abandoned, in a closet. I thought that because that's what many teachers thought it was when I was in school. The "21st Century skills" movement came about when I was in middle/high school and I can honestly remember teachers being heavily praised for making us take tests on the computer or using an app instead of a calculator. I am not saying that to disrespect any of my teachers because they were just doing what they were taught. It was only later that this trend in education developed into something truly beneficial for students, teachers, and our society.
In my opinion, 21st Century Teaching and Learning is the process of teaching students life skills they will need in our ever-evolving world. Because mankind has made such incredible advancements in technology over the last twenty years, from the development of smart technology to new forms of literacy such as coding and our dependence on social media, we just cannot be certain what jobs lie ahead for today's students. As a mother, that's terrifying. As a teacher, that's terrifying. How am I possibly supposed to prepare my own child plus countless others' children when I don't even know what we're preparing for? Some answers, such as this one, can be overlooked because of their simplicity. Our students will learn how to use the technology because they are young, curious, and without the hesitation that adults have after years of trial-and-error experiences gone wrong. What we as teachers need to worry about instead is our students' ability to communicate, collaborate, critically think, and be creative. These 4C's have always been and always will be an imperative part of our students' ability to "make it in the real world".

References
Jerald, C. D. (2009, July). Defining a 21st Century Education[PDF]. Center for Public Education.

Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 21, 2018 at 3:23 AM

    Taylor, I thought the same thing about 21st century learning. I thought it had everything to do with technology because of the 21st century movement. I am a mother as well, and believe it is also terrifying in both aspects. Your question really hits the spot, because we NEVER know what lies ahead so how are we supposed to prepare anyone? We aren't even really able to prepare ourselves. How do you as a teacher attempt to prepare your students? I am not a teacher just yet, so I am curious.

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    Replies
    1. UnknownFebruary 25, 2018 at 5:54 AM

      Larea,
      I'm still new at this so I am constantly figuring things out! The third grade class I have now has really opened my eyes to problems professors just cannot show you in a class. One of the biggest things that I have learned is that not all my students are going to be "book smart" and that isn't what I need to focus on. I had to have a talk the other day with my students because some of the results we received from our practice standardized test were...depressing. Really depressing. What made it more depressing was the fact that I knew some of those students had really, really, really tried their best and they were still far from the target score. That was when I had to get real with them. I told them I didn't care about how high their grades were (they were scandalized) and I didn't care how much information they learned with me. What I was worried about is the kind of souls they leave me as. "All I expect of you is that you are kind, you are helpful, and you are respectful. Those things can be present no matter where you are on a standardized test report." Are we still going to work on the academic materials? Of course. But I want my kids to know now what is really important in life.

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  2. UnknownFebruary 21, 2018 at 2:12 PM

    You bring up a great point. With the advancements of technology everyday it is hard to know what to prepare students for. You are also right about teaching our children the 4C's so they will know how to use it in the real world. I also believe that teachers need to make a great effort to learn all they can about technology and implement it into the classrooms to help keep students engaged. Students do just about everything with technology. I am not a teacher, but I am sure it is hard to keep students engaged in learning without incorporating some type of technology.

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  3. Sierra BookerFebruary 25, 2018 at 10:08 AM

    I really appreciate you sharing that at one point you were not 100% knowledgeable on what 21st century learning was. I also struggled with this at one point. It is really about how can I as a educator get every child in this classroom to learn on their level. This is not just handing a student a ipad and saying welp thats it I am a 21st century teacher, but what skill set could you teach them while using the tool. What app could you use and go through as a class where they could respond to answers to a question and it pop up on a smart board .Doing that you just got the students engaged who would rather not raise their hand and be called on to answer a question and engage in activity.

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