21st Century Skills- assignment 1B

21^st century skills are the skills that students need develop and apply to be able to succeed in the information age. They are the skills that prepare students to be successful in their college and careers. There are, what is considered by most, the 4c’s of the 21^st century skills. They are Critical thinking, Creative thinking, Collaborating, and Communication. In general, these skills require students to be able to work effectively with people, to be able to solve problems, to use technology, and have digital literacy.

I feel that communication is one of the most important skills for learners to have to be successful in the 21^st century. Communication skills involve a number of skills including listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Communication skills are an essential part of being a 21^st Century learner. Students need to be able to communicate verbally and via technology.  Students need to effectively collaborate and communicate with other people digitally through technology as well as in person. This requires learning of social skills, how to effectively interact with people, as well as the traditional reading, writing, listening, and speaking. 21st century learners need to be able communicate their thoughts and feelings clearly, articulately, and effectively with a diverse people and in diverse environments. These skills will cross over from the real life world to the digital world. 21^st century learners also need to know how to listen effectively to diverse people and environments to decipher, interpret, and understanding meaning being communicated to them. They must also be able to create positive interactions and communications with diverse populations of people and digital sources. The best ways for students to learn these skills is to practice them in their own lives.

One way for students to practice this is through cooperative group learning activities. With cooperative group activities students are given the opportunity to work with a diverse population of students and personalities. Students learn communication and collaboration skills needed to be successful in their careers, by getting practice with it throughout their education. By incorporating technology into the classroom and working cooperatively with other students it promote creative and critical thinking in the students. 

I have confidence in my abilities as a teacher and learner of 21^st century skills and digital literacy because I assist my students in gaining these skills by modeling and explicitly teaching the skills needed to communicate and interact well with others both in person and via the digital world. By teaching and modeling them how to effectively work well with diverse personalities, use technology; think creatively and critically I feel the students will be better prepared for their future. 

Education- Am I a 21st century teacher? 

Teaching in the 21st century

Upon taking the self-assessment questions based upon the ISTE and NETS standards I have learned a lot about my abilities towards mastery of those standards. When it comes to ISTE Standard One, level one: Technology operations and concepts, topics 1 (mouse & keyboard/ file management/ computer network/ windows operating system/ basic operations), 2 (word processing), 3 (Internet), and 4 (email) I am confident in my abilities to perform all of the functions described in each categories proficiently and effectively. I use them often in my everyday life.

       In self-assessment of level two section 1 (computer network/ computer terminology/ hardware & software/ windows operating system/ basic operation) I rate myself proficient and knowledgeable. In level two section 2 (Internet/ word processing/ presentation software/ spreadsheets) I would rate myself proficient, I am comfortable and use all of the categories in my classroom on a regular basis except for spreadsheets.  When it comes to spreadsheets I would classify my abilities as emerging. I have a basic knowledge and understanding of how they work, I able to create, read, and use spreadsheets, however I feel as though I do not use them to their full potential. With more practice and knowledge in the creation of spreadsheets, I feel that I can become more efficient in using them. As of now I can make them, but it can be time consuming and takes me a lot of trail and error when it comes to streamlining the format. I feel that I am proficient and knowledgeable in sections 3 (Productivity and professional practice) and section 4 (Social, ethical, and human issues) I model, practice, and teach responsible and ethical use of technology in the classroom. I believe this standard it of the utmost importance when incorporating technology in the classroom.

       In self-assessment of level three section 1 (ISTE Standard III: Teaching, Learning, and the Curriculum), section 2 (ISTE Standard IV: assessment and evaluation), section 3 (ISTE Standard V: productivity and professional practice), and section 4 (ISTE Standard VI: Social, Ethical, Legal, and human issues) are the areas in which I have the most to learn. When starting this program I had a beginning knowledge of how to utilize these skills and standards in the classroom. As I come to the completion of this program I have learned many new skills related to the subcategories in each topic, but know that there is a lot more for me to learn and practice to consider myself proficient in all of these categories.  Learning is an ongoing process and to keep current in today’s digital world I need to keep learning.

 ISTE and NETS Self-Assessment 

  To become more confident in my skills as a 21^st century learner and teacher I plan to take a proactive approach to seeking out opportunities to enhance my knowledge and abilities in ALL of the areas. I plan to seek professional development to enhance my knowledge and abilities in these areas as well as using my colleagues as resources. As teachers we can use each other as resources to gain knowledge to enhance our teaching strategies and abilities. Another way I plan to become more confident in my skills as a 21^st century teacher and learner is to explore and research different tools myself. To learn new skills by being an active participant in my own learning. I need to get out there and try new technology, not fear or be intimidated by it. Use trial and error to discover how things work. In essence start creating and experiencing new technology tools myself to gain practice and become familiar in using them. With any new skill learned it takes practice and guidance to refine and become proficient in the skill. In doing these things I will become more confident in my abilities as a 21^st century learner and teacher of digital literacy.