Sharpe,+Alexis


 * Use the course materials to help you respond to these questions for each Module.**

>> >> >> >> ** We can improve our assessments so that students are getting more of an individualized learning and testing. by differentiating the assessments students are more engaged in their learning because they are more involved with the learning leading up to the assessments. Students are also able to choose when to be tested because that is when they believe that they are ready for the assessment. ** >> >> ** My first group of kiddos that I taught are going into 5th grade, before that I student taught and those kids are headed into high school. These kids compare because they are the same, essentially. Since they are the same I need to listen to these kids who have a voice and really help the kids I have now. Although my last years class does not compare technologically/digitally, I really want to make a change for this fall. ** >> >> >> ** Effective Communicators: I am definitely an effective communicator, well...I am trying. It is hard to say that my students are as well. They are definitely exposed to analyzing their work and thinking and exposed to thinking outside the box. The get a chance to really do this in many subject areas at a topical level because it is first grade. ** >> ** Effective Global Collaborators: My students have the chance to collaborate with classmates, other first graders about once a month, and older “buddy” classes. ** >> ** Fourth, set up the curriculum so that students have access to it more often and that they know how to access. Next, train students and parents how to navigate the online curriculum. Last, more technology! (Basically I am going to try and do as many of the bullet points from question #2!) ** >> ** The biggest challenge I am facing right now is support from my school and the parents. I am worried that it is too forward thinking. I am also worried that this may be too much for third graders. **
 * Module 1 Notes**
 * 1) What skills you think today's students will need to be able to live and work in the 21st Century?
 * ** *communicate **
 * ** -written form (social networks, IM, blogs, email) **
 * ** -verbal form (phone, audio commands) **
 * ** *social skills **
 * ** -independence **
 * ** -leadership **
 * ** -team player **
 * ** -problem solving **
 * ** -decision making **
 * ** *responsible **
 * ** *creative **
 * ** *entrepreneur **
 * ** *inventive **
 * ** *how to find answers **
 * ** *how to use computer and other devices **
 * 1) How you are preparing your students to gain these skills? If you are not currently teaching: How are educators preparing students to gain these skills?
 * ** The thinking skills have been the hardest to teach because it is hard to hold students accountable for showing their thinking . At my school we follow the Caring School Community (CSC) program and that really does play strongly into the people skills and personal qualities. We have class meetings to make decisions and to come up with class norms. We also use class meetings to talk about problems and get solutions from the other students in the classroom. Personally, I put the thinking back on the student as much as possible by asking the student to think about their question and see if they can make a guess. There is also a lot of choice time where students can choose an activity based on what they want to do. Additionally, we do many community and unity builders within the classroom, with our buddy class, and throughout the whole school. The CSC program allows us to incorporate these skills to help build the "whole child." **
 * 1) What is the difference between ’Foundation Skills" and "Functional Skills"?
 * **Foundational skills are the skills that are directly transferable from school to college/career. These include the basic skills such as reading, writing, math, and other subject areas. Functional skills are the skills that are required to be successful outside of school like managing time/money, using information, cultural diversity, and using computers. The functional skills help a person "function" in a job.**
 * 1) How well your curriculum and current instructional strategies are helping your students acquire these skill? If your are not currently teaching how well do you think our schools are using instructional strategies to help students acquire these skills?
 * **Right now the curriculum, assessments, and report cards focus on the basic foundational skills. There is a small section on the report card that includes "grades" for life skills such as use time wisely, respects authority, etc. It is a start but there really is no accountability and it is left to teacher judgment. Another instructional strategy that is done at my school site and my classroom is talking about traits such as citizenship, integrity, honesty, etc. This is a word of the month program and we focus on learning that word and applying in the classroom and out at the playground. Additionally we will role model and role play how to do each of the words.**
 * 1) Think about today's students and the potential professions they might go into. Which of these skills might each student need? How can we make sure that all students are prepared with the skills necessary to enter the 21st Century Job Market? \
 * **It is clear that every student needs exposure to each of these skills for any job. After watching the videos on the specific skill and seeing that it was applied to many types of jobs, it became clear that no matter what you do you need to have many of these skills to be in the workforce during the current time. I believe that we need to incorporate these skills into the curriculum rather than letting them be "add-ons" or up to the teacher discretion. I also believe that we need to get parent and community to support because students also need the reinforcement outside of school time, too.**
 * 1) What patterns are beginning to emerge between the various resources you’ve been exploring? How do these skills compare with the list you made in question 1?
 * ** 3R’s x 7 C’s = 21st Century Learning ( **** 3R’s = reading, writing, arithmetic) This was one of the most powerful pattern I noticed between the resources. This basically saying the foundational resources and the functional resources are 21st Century Learning. We need to be teaching both types of skill sets because that is what we need to be preparing students for. We need to incorporate as many skills into the classroom now because that is what is expected of current work. One of resources said that we need to **** “create an educational system that models the work world” and I agree completely. We need students to be part of the current work culture so that they are driving the current culture into the future because they are our future. Many of the skills that I listed in question 1 are definitely present in 21st Century Learning but there are many other skills that are needed for 21st Century Learning that I did not include. I am looking forward to learning more about these skills, how to incorporate them into the classroom, and how to get them incorporated in the curriculum, too! **
 * Module 2 Notes**
 * How can we make personalized learning a part of our schools and classrooms?
 * ** We can make personalized learning part of our curriculum by giving students choices. When students have a choice on how/what they learn they are making the learning their own. The space that I use for learning is so different than what I give my students. By giving students a space that works for they way they learn helps them learn. Also, having spaces for small group meetings and space for displaying/discussing work will also help make personalized learning part of the classroom. Another thing we can do to make personalized learning is access to technology and media. **
 * How do we help our students become real learners?
 * ** We can help our students become real learners by giving them the tools to manage, lead, synthesize, summarize, and communicate. We can do this by incorporating a personalized learning environment. This means that students are going to need the following (taken from http://cultureofyes.ca/2012/06/14/personalized-learning-swedish-style/) **
 * **Every student has personal goals that are continually monitored **
 * **Every student has personal strategies on how to reach these goals **
 * **Every student has an assigned coach to meet with them every week in a structured, 15-minute discussion – it was noted this was far more than a conversation, but a structured process **
 * **Teachers had multiple roles – all teachers had a base group they met with each morning and afternoon (an advisory-type program), and these students are the ones they meet for “coaching” once a week. In addition teachers are subject experts (e.g. math or French) and also run tutorial centres that require some more general knowledge **
 * **The schedule is flexible. There were group lessons, individual study sessions and teacher-led workshops **
 * **The school offers a variety of learning sessions and formats – some compulsory, some voluntary – from lectures, to labs, to individual sessions **
 * **The curriculum is organized by steps and students’ progress on an individual basis without being tied to a class or grade **
 * **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thematic courses provide contextual understanding, while providing subject standards **
 * **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Learning Portal gives access to learning resources everywhere and anytime – the entire curriculum is online and teachers are continually working to develop and improve materials **
 * **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline;">Every student has a log book to keep track of their work (like our agendas) with clear purpose and value – this is connected to the weekly coaching sessions **
 * **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline;">There are regular, individual progress tracking review/development discussions **
 * **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline;">The student has their own individual study plan **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What is/should be the role of assessment in student learning? How can we improve upon our assessment practices in order to really help all students be engaged, life-long learners?
 * ** The assessment should be differentiated to the student and where the student is at rather than a teacher believing that the majority is ready to <range type="comment" id="808379">test. The role of the assessment is for the student to achieve and is directly related to the students level of knowledge. It also is an example of mastery in that particular topic/skill. The assessments need to be something that is part of the curriculum process rather than its own thing. They should go more hand in hand. **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What is the role of e-learning, and how will/isl this change(ing) the educational paradigm?
 * ** The role of e-learning is that students have access to the curriculum and the course work all the time. E-learning is also the ability to connect with up-to-date news and with other individuals around the world. E-learning is bringing the academia world closer together. By bringing the academia world closer together we may be able to support one another faster. **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How do your students compare with the 21st Century learners described in Mark Prensky"s article on "The 21st Century Digital Learner"?
 * ** What surprised me the most was that this message comes from students in many of the articles. Hearing it from the students makes me realize that I am not listening to my audience and I want to start learning what they want. **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">HotChalk’s article on 21st Century Learners? If you are not a teacher: How do you as a student or your children compare with the 21 Century learners described in this article?
 * Although my students are not currently being the "screenagers" they are certainly on their way to that or something else. I say something else because I am not sure what technology may come out next. The children they refer to in this article are my students.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To what extent to you see your students (or your children, or yourself as a student) possessing the qualities shown on thegraphic on the wiki for the International School in Bangkok? If you see any gaps, what do you consider the reason for these gaps, and how might educators help students gain these skills and qualities?
 * ** Many of my students are effective communicators because we practice using our words and students learn many tools of negotiation from the Caring School Community (http://www.devstu.org/caring-school-community). Students learn to be flexible because we are all different and learn at different speeds. Students also get a chance to voice any problems and ask questions to the class. First grade students are given sentence starters to help the conversation continue (Someone in the class did ___, you could do__ __, etc). Students throughout the school use problem solving using an I-message (I don’t__ ___, when you____, because_____, and I want____). I know see that the CSC program is useful for being effective communicators but I am intrigued and want to learn how to have my students be effective learners and global collaborators, too! Through this program students also have a chance to be oopen-minded about the students in their class and about their own learning. We often ask students to look at the person beside and answer if they look same or not. Students also laugh and say no and then we connect that to how students learn...we don’t look the same so why would we do the same learning. Although we say this, it is hard to actually continually teach this way. Now that I have had a chance to explore this module I am getting a better look at how to support my 21st Century Learners. A reason why there may be some gaps is due to the way my classroom is setup. Students are creative at some times, students are reflective sometimes. They are exposed but there is definitely less exposure to these skills. **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To what extent are you, your children or your students Effective Learners, Effective Communicators, and Effective Global Collaborators.?
 * ** Effective Learners: Learning is a life-long process for me as shown by taking this class. My children are life-long learners because I try to help stidents connect the things we are learning to what my kiddos may need to use this again later. **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To what extent is your school (or your children's school) and classroom meeting these needs?
 * ** My class and school is elementary and I believe we do a far share of exposing students to all aspects. At our school we do have 5th grade community jobs and our Student Council does clothes and food drives for students in need. Although we are doing these parts to help students become 21st Century Learners there are still areas of need and challenge. **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How might you rethink your classroom to make it a 21st Century classroom? What are the barriers you face to making your class a 21st Century learning environment? If you are not currently teaching how should classrooms be re-thought?
 * ** First, I might rethink the classroom setup to make the classroom more collaborative by having table groups, have a meeting space for presentations, and a space for individual work stations. Second, I might rethink having students have a logbook/agenda for their school year. Third, have a conference time for each student the same time each week. **


 * Module 3 Notes**
 * 1) List how your school and classroom environments support 21st Century learning outcomes. If you are not teaching, think about your school experience of the your children's school. Consider:
 * the extent to which faculty at your school collaborate, share best practices and integrate 21st century skills into classroom practice
 * students learn in relevant, real world 21st century contexts such as project-based and applied learning experiences
 * students experience equitable access to quality learning tools, technologies and resources
 * to what extent architectural design of your classroom creates space for for group, team and individual learning
 * to what extent you provide opportunities for both face to face and online interaction with community members and experts in their field for your students
 * to what extent does your school and classroom reflect the 21st Century Learning environment


 * *Sedgwick does allow students to have space for individual working area but more because that the student is a behavior problem. Students are typically grouped for their day to day work with most of the instruction time being to whole group. There are a lot of centers in the primary grades. At sedgwick we also do many unity builders and other activities that allow students to develop functional skills. We use class meeting time to talk about problems and come up with solutions. <range type="comment" id="129306">Students are engaged in these types of meeting because the students lead the discussion during the class meetings causing students to help/support other students. **
 * Does the faculty at your school collaborate, share best practices and integrate 21st century skills into classroom practice? **
 * *Yes, the faculty does collaborate at my school. We have monthly grade level meetings to talk about the upcoming month and any other important topics. At the beginning of the year, we meet as a grade level to talk about the curriculum and revisit our curriculum map from the previous year. We also plan out field trips and support each other with classroom management. We also plan grade level centers about once a month. A majority of our faculty does share but are also hesitant to share and collaborate. My faculty tries their best to incorporate 21st Century skills by doing month long activities on our Word of the Month (each month we focus on a character trait or skill throughout the whole school). **
 * Do students in your school and classroom learn in relevant, real world 21st century contexts such as project-based and applied learning experiences? **
 * *I thought my kids were learning real world applications until I started this course. There are some teachers who do a really good job of incorporating the skills in project-based learning at my school. Project-based learning does happen in my classroom in science and life skills. However, that is only a portion of the curriculum. **
 * Do your students experience equitable access to quality learning tools, technologies and resources? **
 * *No, my students do not have equitable access. <range type="comment" id="334718">We get about 25 minutes a week with our computer lab. **
 * Does the architectural design of your classroom create space for for group, team and individual learning? **
 * No, the architectural design of my classroom only creates space for group learning and some team and individual learning. There are many teachers that use the hall/community area for individual or team learning. **
 * Do you provide opportunities for both face to face and online interaction with community members and experts in their field for your students? **
 * *<range type="comment" id="820878">No, I never considered having more realistic project-based applications in the curriculum. The only access my kids have to community members is through special occasions like Discovery Day and read-alouds . **


 * Module 4 Notes**
 * 1) In what ways are your assuring that the 21st century skills taught discretely in the context of core subjects Is your curriculum interdisciplinary? If you are a middle or high school teacher how can you or do you collaborate with teachers in other departments to create multidisciplinary projects?
 * *One way that I am discretely teaching 21st Century skills is by infusing them into the curriculum. I do this by including some of the skills or parts of a skill into lessons. I also do this by focusing on life skills in a weekly class meeting. My curriculum allows me to infuse the skills into many lessons and subject areas. **
 * 1) How does your curriculum focus on providing opportunities for applying 21st century skills across content areas and for a competency-based approach to learning?
 * * Right now my subject areas are focusing on certain skills. For example, looking at my chart, the social studies subject area focuses on many of the skills that are global, economics, health, etc. Whereas the reading/writing subject area focuses on the creative and collaborative. This is where my thinking started. As I finished filling out the chart, <range type="comment" id="394795">I realized that I wanted to balance this between the two subject areas rather than only one subject area involving a particular 21st Century skill. By filling out this chart I have learned that all subject areas can incorporate these skills and that I need to be more open to incorporating the 21st CEntury skills into the non-traditional subject area. **
 * 1) What instructional strategies do you use to enable innovative learning methods that integrate the use of supportive technologies such as inquiry-based, project-based and problem-based approaches as well as promote higher order thinking skill?
 * *In my first grade classroom I use many project-based learning. Students are often handed the content and then they are given a question that they must answer. I believe that this works really well in first grade because they are new learners. The next year in third grade I plan to use more of the inquiry based and problem based learning. I will use these because I hope to have the route remembering skills practiced at home and the higher, community thinking done at school. In a sense this is flipping the lessons. I hope to do this so that students are getting the content they need at school and at home they are doing extra practice on the the remembering skills. I also hope to promote higher-level thinking by having students do more creating, analyzing, and evaluating. **
 * 1) How do you encourage the integration of community resources beyond school walls?
 * *Right now I have parents involved in the classroom and students are exposed to a Discovery Day. Once in awhile we will have a guest speaker that reaches out to community resources. In the next year <range type="comment" id="155756">I plan to have video chats with mathematicians and scientists . I also hope to utilize the local community issues and incorporate that into the class using the inquiry based learning method. **
 * 1) How can you better integrate 21st Century skills into your curriculum.
 * *I feel like I can better integrate by understanding the skills better. There are so many skills that are suggested that I do not want to force a skill into the curriculum that does not fit. Also, <range type="comment" id="744604">I am not sure that every skill is appropriate to teach at 3rd grade or elementary level but rather the foundations to these skills . I want to do this so that students have something to build upon and strengthen. Another thing I want to do is have staff and parent support/understanding. By creating that awareness in my community I feel like I can get support. I think planning my lessons differently will help me incorporate more skills. I also think that if I have someone to collaborate with and bounce ideas off of will help me incorporate these skills more often. **

IF you are not currently teaching answer this from the point of view of your children's school or your experience as a college student.


 * Module 5 Notes**
 * 1) What are the best uses of technology to promote student learning in a 21st Century Classroom?
 * 2) What strategies can teachers use to assure their students are acquiring the 21st Century skills necessary for their future?
 * 1. What are the best uses of technology to promote student learning in a 21st Century Classroom? **
 * Some of the best uses of technology is where it is a tool in enhancing their learning rather than a play toy. Technology works when it is accessible and reachable. Teachers can promote learning by have clear expectations and explicit instructions on how to use the technology. By setting up these foundations, students are then able to explore, create, and innovate. Using a google doc to have students sign up for groups and group assignments is a best use. Another is where students can make a connection between the learning and the use of technology. When students use the technology in a safe environment they are more likely to develop and fine tune 21st Century Learning Skills. **
 * 2. What strategies can teachers use to assure their students are acquiring the 21st Century skills necessary for their future? Some possible strategies for a teacher is dive into using it yourself, have the students teach you, and/or find someone else that is willing to try it with you. Another strategy is to take a class or go to a conference about students acquiring 21st Century skills. It is just important to try because it isn’t about just the teacher but rather giving the students what they deserve to be successful. **


 * Module 6 Notes**
 * 1) What aspects of Finland's educational model work in the United States?
 * 2) How can we best reshape education so that all students gain the skills they need to live and work in the 21st Century?


 * 1) **  What aspects of Finland's educational model work in the United States?  **
 * *This is hard to answer because I can only see one thing working here in the United States and that is the teacher flexibility in what/how they teach. The school that I am currently at allows me to do this, of course my goal is to teach to the standards and to have my kiddos test well on STAR tests. That would be the only thing that I could see working in the US in the near future. **


 * 1) **  How can we best reshape education so that all students gain the skills they need to live and work in the 21st Century?  **
 * *I strongly believe that our classrooms need to be more like offices. Students need to be given the tools that we as adults are required to use. Students need the problems that we are given as adults. If we start teaching students to solve our problems, possibly we will get further with solving more/many of the problems in our society. Students deserve it! **