Dowden,+Mary


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

> > ** I n my opinion, communication, creativity and adaptabilit y are the top skills that students will need to survive and succeed in the 21st century. They need to work both independently and in teams to come up with solutions for challenges they will face. With information at their fingertips, the need to think critically, question deeply and analyze information effectively in order to function in this global society. But it is not only the students who need these skills, we teachers need to stay on our toes and adapt our curriculum to keep up with the changes and prepare our students to take the lead. ** > > 2. **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?** > ** When I’m teaching, I try to put as much of the learning as possible in their hands and connect what the content is to their lives and experiences. When teaching a language, the basic communication skills express needs and desires, seeking information and solutions to problems. The complexity comes as the situations become more complicated or nuanced, when one has to express not only opinion but also back up their opinion with accurate sources and original analysis. So, I give my students the space and freedom to create stories, the time to share them with their peers, the responsibility to do research on current events that matter to them and to others, and to discover the connections that our culture/society has with the rest of the world. When doing presentation projects I allow them the choice to use whatever means they find appropriate to communicate their ideas with the rest of the class. I encourage them to explore technologies and sites that they haven’t used before, but I do try to encourage them to share their progress with me as the project is developing so that I can give them feedback (and to check to make sure they’re working!) Self-motivation, time-management and goal-setting are skills that are critical to support the 21st century learning environment. ** > > 3. **What is the difference between ’Foundation Skills" and "Functional Skills"?**  > ** Foundational skills refer to the development of reading, math, writing, understanding, speaking and content knowledge appropriate for a certain level of learning. It is the knowledge base that allows you, the individual, access into the wider world, interacting and being understood. Functional skills refer to what you can do with the knowledge that you have to perform specific tasks based on experience or analysis. Functional skills, or life-skills, are necessary to perform in group environments and contribute to overall achievement of common goals or problem-solving in various environments. Functional skills include self-esteem, cross-cultural understanding, analysis, synthesis, and adaptability. ** > >  4. **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?** > ** I tend to focus on developing content and context in my lessons. In reading the articles and watching the videos, I feel like I’m not doing enough or thinking specifically about the overarching skill development necessary for 21st century learners. I do think I encourage self-expression, global exploration, collaboration and presentational skills on a regular basis, but I now I am reminded to be more deliberate about stretching my skillset and my mindset for the benefit of my students. ** > > 5. **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?** > ** I think the majority of the jobs for the next generation will focus on managing resources--natural, energy, space, economic and educational--so they will be making big decisions on how to extend the quality of life for families, communities, countries and the world. They will be the creators of solutions and the producers of new ideas. They will be connected globally, socially and emotionally that will lead to breakthroughs in understanding and a shift in the power structure. I look at the record business and how they’ve had to adapt to the freeflow of music in order to survive. The funny thing is, music as an art has never been more accessible, more varied or more popular. It’s not the “thing” that goes away, it’s how people try to control access to it and ultimately how to support those who create it. ** > > 6. **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?** > ** Collaboration, creation, adaptation, analysis, understanding and effectiveness all show up multiple times among the resources. The shift from teacher-centered learning to student-generated learning will take a huge amount of energy on our part to let go of the “control” that we now enjoy in the classroom. The mind-shift of teaching how we were taught and what we’re comfortable with to what the students need and what they’re comfortable doing is a major obstacle in most schools. We need to reassess what is valuable content without letting go of the value of the teacher. ** >
 * Module 1 Notes**
 * 1) ** Module 1 Notes **
 * 1) ** What skills you think today's students will need to be able to live and work in the 21st Century? **


 * Module 2 Notes **


 * 1) **How can we make personalized learning a part of our schools and classrooms? **
 * We can personalize learning with targeted use of technology within curriculum units and giving students the power of directed choice to fulfill the defined outcomes of the course. But we have to get to know our students first and find out how they tick, what drives them and where their strengths and weaknesses are. We could do this by individual surveys or questionnaires, interviews, and offering differentiated lessons where student migrate naturally to their starting points. This would be stage one of personalizing learning which is “teacher-centered” but students have “voice and choice”. Stage two is more learner-centered, where student and teacher collaborate and co-design projects that meet desired outcomes. Teacher support, guidance and experience provide the platform for the learner at this stage to take charge of their learning and set personal goals with the road map to meet them. At stage three, the personalization is learner-driven. **


 * To make personalized learning a part of our schools and classrooms we need the technical support of our IT departments, the supportive vision of the administration, and we need to collaborate with other teachers in order to design our curriculum to meet the needs of the students. We need to design flexibility into the curriculum. But while the students learn to “take charge” of their learning, we need to ensure that their moral, social and emotional development doesn’t suffer. Personalized learning should not mean “isolated” learning. So we need to provide that real, physical context both inside and outside the classroom. **


 * 2 ****How do we help our students become real learners? **
 * Real learners care about what they’re learning. They conduct research with purpose and meaning. We can help our students by developing lines of inquiry with them and have appropriate one-on-one and group conversations with them. We can build community and illustrate how one person’s learning is connected to the group’s success. We have to make sure that students can demonstrate their learning in real ways, being recognized not just by the teacher, but also by outside sources. As stated in the article “Teaching the 21st century learner”, “The course focus should be more on applying classroom lessons to real-life problems, institutions, or organizations thus allowing students to center on their learning-style strengths.” (Rodgers, 2006). We all want to feel like what we’re doing matters, will have a positive impact on the world around us. When we lose that impact, we learn to disassociate from what we’re doing to protect ourselves from the pain of rejection or impotency. **


 * 3.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? **
 * Authentic assessment should provide the student and teacher an accurate account of where the student is in achieving mastery of the course outcomes. Assessment should also provide insight into weaknesses or obstacles that need to be addressed which impair this mastery. Assessments should be ongoing, NOT only done at the end of a project. I find that scheduling checkpoints into projects helps meaningful conversations and early-identification where course corrections need to be made. At these checkpoints, a teacher can suggest resources, talk through problems, and help network students with “experts”. Timely feedback is essential to student engagement. **


 * 4. What is the role of e-learning, and how will/isl this change(ing) the educational paradigm? **
 * E-learning offers options that never existed before. Students are no longer confined to a set time-space opportunity to have guided learning experiences. I look at my students who have had to remediate courses and couldn’t find a summer school program that offered their level of French. So the counseling department and I have identified online options for these students. Often the courses cost less than a “live teacher” and they can complete the course at their own pace. One drawback is that students may lack the organization or internal motivation to fulfill the requirements of the course in a timely manner. They don’t have the tangible external support of a live classroom experience and may have a hard time asking personal questions. Often it’s hard to interpret the nuances of online responses, so they need to learn to ask questions effectively. But the opportunity to build networks is impressive and access educational experiences is amazing. It will potentially affect the cost of education and we have to make sure the value is there. **


 * 5. How do your students compare with the 21st Century learners described in 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? **
 * My students are comfortable with emerging technologies and programs. They are multi-taskers, collaborators and goal-oriented for the most part. They are willing to take risks, learn from each other and work collaboratively to achieve common goals. It used to be that when my students worked on a group project the majority of the work fell on one person or at least was driven by one leader who either kept everyone in line or on task. With online collaboration, using Google docs and Apps, I can see who has contributed what and when. It’s not that I want to oversee everything, but I can anticipate and address potential problems early. **


 * 6.To what extent to you see your students (or your children, or yourself as a student) possessing the qualities shown on the graphic 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? **
 * I feel my students are in line with the “effective learner” graphic. This is what we are working on as a school and among the departments. The more teachers use technology and learner-centered projects, the more adept our students become. However,there are gaps that I need to address, that are general weaknesses in the student body such as “Reflective”, “Tenacious” and “Efficient”. In achieving the desired goal, students and teachers need to reflect on progress together, to develop the critical thinking skills, and brainstorm areas of improvement. Get done and move on. . .we need to build reflection into the learning process. I will add a group-reflection log or a learning log as a wrap-up piece after a test or major assessment, and it’s insightful. But I haven’t always ADAPTED my next lessons on the feedback. I see students searching and getting frustrated if the network is slow or if a website is down. They will give up instead of altering their course and problem solve. They want immediate access and their patience is minimal. If we are in the computer lab, I can observe the frustration and we can address issues collaboratively. “Try a different search engine” “Go to a different website”. . .”use this time to plan out your project and figure out how to make the best use of the time that you have together”. This will help them develop efficiency. It’s sure easy to get lost or distracted when doing research. And sometimes that “wandering through the web” is good--it can lead you to new sources of information and expertise. But externally, you have to know when to stop searching and start doing. Timelines and rubrics help set limits and guide decisions so the students can complete the project. **


 * 7. To what extent are you, your children or your students Effective Learners, Effective Communicators , and Effective Global Collaborators .? **


 * This is the heart of what it means to be an educator and to be a productive member of society. It’s hard to quantify the “extent” of effectiveness, but it’s what I strive for as I reach out globally to connect with students, teachers, news in France and French speaking countries. I Bring as much into the classroom as I can. I organize exchange programs, home stays, pen pals, and cultural celebrations that are open to the entire community. I do this because I love it and to keep my program viable. I know it’s up to me to provide some motivation and opportunity to use their skills in real world settings. Then it’s up to them to continue. **


 * 8. To what extent is your school (or your children's school) and classroom meeting these needs? **
 * For the past 10 years our school has been undergoing significant changes towards improvement. We have development plans, technology plans, professional learning communities and have worked towards updating and upgrading our resources to meet and anticipate the needs of our students and our community. We have strong leadership and vision, but there is resistance from certain elements of the school. That’s ok--you need people who make you reflect on the WHY and HOW of what needs to be done. It’s a slow process and I don’t think our school will ever be the “bleeding edge” of educational technology. We are usually the second or third wave. **
 * 9. 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? **
 * Physically, I can change the arrangement of the desks in the room to encourage collaboration in small groups. We have a wireless network, but we don’t have enough labs to easily support. One idea is to have students bring their own devices (iPad, laptop, smartphone) and collaborate that way. Not everyone needs or wants the same devices. Time, money, infrastructure need to be dedicated to support the explosion of technology--and TRAINING for teachers not only on how to use the technology, but how to incoroporate it into the curriculum. **


 * 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


 * As I have posted before, our school has really made concerted efforts in the past 5 years, especially, to support 21st century learning outcomes. We have had year-long in-services from Research for Better Teaching, which helped us do effective collaboration. If you are teaching the same class as another teacher, you are expected to have alignment with major and minor assessments to ensure the same student outcomes. Student data is collected, shared and analyzed for continual improvement. In the past 3 years, we have had an educational technology specialist visit our campus and train small groups of teachers on how to integrate technology into the curriculum--really to address 21st century outcomes. The expectation is that the trained teachers will share their projects and experiences with department members (at the minimum) and also lead faculty “shout-outs” to inspire other teachers to “jump in” and ask for help. We are seen as peer “experts”--or at least we’re there to provide support and encouragement when testing out new ideas. The more teachers are innovating, the more courage others have to follow. What really makes a difference is when the students speak out about their experiences to the faculty. In the past 2 years I find that the quality of the projects and the engagement in my classes has increased significantly. If different classes integrate the same skills, the better the kids get at them. I have used GoAnimate for several storytelling projects, and there are two other teachers who do the same. Therefore, it takes less time to actually do the “tech” part, and more attention goes into the planning of the content. We can identify the pitfalls and give workarounds to avoid tech issues that come up. In the World Languages department, we have “technology” goals to meet as a department. Last year we focused on developing Oral skills, and each teacher shared their lesson plan to enhance speaking assessment. We each wrote up a step-by-step outline of how to plan, use and assess the speaking using a specific technology (audiodropboxes, audacity, Skype, goanimate, photostory3). We supported each other in the classroom when testing out a new technology and had the IT department help us run through the setup. This form of collaboration and support modeled for students how to problem solve. It helps move the teacher from the controller to the facilitator of information. Now that we have some skills with the tech, we can move on to the quality and creativity of the assignment. One key aspect that I feel we need to address is how to manage and give timely feedback on group projects. **


 * One issue that concerns me is equitable access to technology. Most of my students (90%) have internet access at home and can do their work at any time. There are always a few students who rely on computers at school to do their work, but I find that they really are forced to schedule their time out to meet project deadlines. I open up my classroom during lunch and after school for audio recordings, and many kids come to do it with me because it’s a quieter environment than the library. When I can, I book the “teaching” computer lab rather than the library so I don’t have to worry about noise that my kids generate and I can problem solve with the entire group instead of the individual. I prefer using a hard-wired lab rather than the mobile laptop lab because of connectivity issues. The BYOD does not overwhelm me at all. In fact, I think it’s the way to go. Students can keep much of their work in in the cloud or on their hard drive and they learn to organize their work effectively. In my experience, if the outcomes are valued, students will engage and manage their time well. It’s not that I want to prevent them from Facebooking or texting in class, it’s important to teach them “time and place”. When it’s acceptable to be distracted, when it’s not. **


 * The more we can bring in experts in the community, the more students can connect what they’re learning to the real world. Some departments have more speakers and visitors in their classes than others. But all of us can tap into our content areas to find real and engaging opportunities for learning. Since I am the only French teacher at an all-boys’ school, I make it a priority to coordinate with the girls’ schools to provide motivation, socialization and cultural opportunities for our students. We write letters to our pen-pals, we attend cultural plays, films and go to restaurants to practice the language, we even coordinate cultural parties for Christmas, Mardi Gras, and the spring picnic. I also coordinate Exchange student travel opportunities for the school. I know it’s up to me to plant the seed and to get students to connect with others for authentic communication. I know that’s it’s intimidating to speak to someone else in a second language, but I try to provide the support for anyone to engage--not just French students, but the whole school. Language barriers shouldn’t stop us from connecting with the world. I find people to be extremely patient and encouraging, we can’t be afraid to make mistakes. That’s how we learn. **


 * More and more, our teachers are tying content with service learning. Some science and math teachers are flipping their classrooms. When these successes are shared, then more teachers will jump on board. Honestly, I don’t know how to “flip” my class, unless I teach vocabulary beforehand. It’s something I will contemplate and test this semester. We are on track to being a 21st century school--and we’re doing it together. **

> ** One thing that I have toyed with but haven’t followed through on yet is <range type="comment" id="784960">coordinating a reading group with the elementary school down the block. I have established a student exchange program with a high school in Grenoble, France, and we visit each other every other year. I open up this exchange to the whole school and I tell my students that they are the ambassadors of the school. I do try to create a diverse community--like I said, not just the French students can participate in French club activities, events or exchanges. It’s the cross-cultural exchange that enriches the entire community.<range type="comment" id="808281"> I want to foster the desire to jump in, step outside your comfort zone, and learn from the wo rld. I appreciate that 21st century skills include so much about global awareness and personal contributions to problem solving. **
 * 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? ** <range type="comment" id="841424">Barb Luis and I are going to collaborate across the curriculum to explore the French Revolution from different perspectives. Her freshman history students will be learning the causes, conditions and consequences of the French Revolution for the first time. My 3rd year French students will be approaching the topic from a different cultural perspective. Not only will this be a revisiting of the topic, it also aligns well with the junior year study of the American revolution. And to bring it all together, we look at all the revolutions happening in the world today (Occupy Wall Street, Arab Spring, et c). Together we will explore and discuss what it means to be a global citizen, recognizing different perspectives and building connections among the past, present and future. In groups, students will represent different social classes and inform the community about the conditions they face by producing posters,pamphlets, short stories, or comic book style pages. As a final project, student groups will create videos about what they are willing to fight for, what will cause them to take action, and how will they do it. What is the role of the citizenship in our countries, in the world? **
 * 2) How does your curriculum focus on providing opportunities for applying 21st century skills across content areas and for a competency-based approach to learning? ** <range type="comment" id="434262">I can also see developing an environmental unit with science classes, exploring the ideas of sustainable resources and the values that other countries hold towards the environment. <range type="comment" id="978800">In our sister school, the whole school reads certain novels at different levels. So during the second year she teaches Cyrano de Bergerac and the “nose” speech while the students study the novel in English class. The key is being aware of other department’s curriculum, scope and sequence. **
 * 3) 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? ** My curriculum focuses on getting students to use what they have learned, apply it to as many situations as possible, and expand their horizons and experiences. I integrate TPRS strategies--Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling--in my classes. There is a lot of questioning that goes on throughout lessons and opens itself to individualization, personalization, collaboration and sharing. For vocabulary review, I encourage students to use StudyBlue--make their own online flashcards with visual image, recording, and synonyms in French on them. Students have a choice of using tech or not. When creating original stories, students can work collaboratively using Cloud-based tools so they work asynchronously and share their progress with me. I am able to give timely feedback and the end product is improved. I outline the expectations, but the students have the choice on how to meet the project expectations. **
 * 4) How do you encourage the integration of community resources beyond school walls? ** (this is a repetition of my discussion question) Seeking out ways to take advantage of community resources is always a challenge to me. Every year, I try to take advantage of cultural events in the area--art expositions at museums, French productions hosted by the French embassy, French film festivals, and French restaurants and the Basque Cultural center. With these field trips, students write blogs and share their impressions with each other. **
 * 1) How can you better integrate 21st Century skills into your curriculum. ** To integrate more 21st century skills, I<range type="comment" id="392445"> need to keep up with my training, commit to collaboration with colleagues, plan for differentiation and personalization, keep an open mind and dedicate myself to being the best teacher I can be. I also need to tap into the resources that are available to me in the community--or better yet--have the students seek out these resources themselves and share with the class and the wider school community. **

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**
 * 1) ** What are the best uses of technology to promote student learning in a 21st Century Classroom? **
 * The best uses of technology to promote student learning are the ones that the students want to use, engage them and connect them to learning, and challenge them to create, analyze and develop their desire to share information and experiences (past, present and future). The best uses of technology enhance the learning experience and stretch the classroom far beyond the boundaries of the school. **
 * 1) ** What strategies can teachers use to assure their students are acquiring the 21st Century skills necessary for their future? **
 * 2) ** <range type="comment" id="154618">Teachers should keep in tune with their students wants, needs and abilities and choose the best technology options available for them. **
 * 3) ** <range type="comment" id="575290">Put students in charge of their own learning and take responsibility for each other’s learning. Make lessons matter. Ensure that students are growing intellectually, morally, and spiritually by framing lessons in essential questions and enduring understandings. **
 * 4) ** <range type="comment" id="166460">Apply real-life criteria to learning outcomes and projects . This is our chance to prepare the future for what will come. In essence, we need to have apprenticeships in problem-solving and collaboration. **


 * 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?