I’m attending NYSCATE, the annual conference for New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education. As always, the conference has been engaging, exciting, and renewing! Although the conference has kept me very busy, I did want to share this marvelous keynote given by Sir Ken Robinson: Do Schools Kill Creativity? I should mention that this is NOT the exact keynote that I listened to today, but the the message was very similar in nature and listening to Sir Robinson was absolutely inspiring. If you have an opportunity to hear him in person, I promise you will not be disappointed. In the mean time, his video still offers insight to his humor, wit, and thought provoking message.

As I take a brief interlude from my daily blogging regime to develop a workshop, I am pleased to share an archived copy of a monthly article I wrote a couple of years ago…

In past posts I have discussed several strands of the 21st Century Skills framework. In this post I will begin to explore technology integration that supports the Life and Career Skills strand of the 21st Century Skills Matrix. [Partnership for 21st Century Skills]

Students who demonstrate Life and Career skills…

• are flexible and adaptable
• show initiative and self-direction
• demonstrate social & cross-cultural skills
• are productive and accountable
• demonstrate leadership and & responsibility

Below, I have used information from the Partnership for 21st Century Skills to expand on the theme of helping student develop life and career skills. I have also included a few technology integration strategies/ideas that could help build those skills.

Students who are flexible and adaptable…

• adjust to varied roles and responsibilities
• work effectively in a climate of ambiguity and changing priorities

Suggested Technology Integration Strategies:

• Simulation Games – visit my Simulations Site to learn about simulation theory and to access links to numerous online free simulation activities
• WebQuests – look for or create WebQuests that include roles and collaborative opportunities. Visit my Web Activities and WebQuest site to learn more

Students who show initiative and self-direction…

• monitor their own understanding and learning needs
• go beyond basic mastery of skills and/or curriculum to explore and expand their own learning and opportunities to gain expertise
• demonstrate initiative to advance skill levels towards a professional level
• define, prioritize and complete tasks without direct oversight
• utilize time efficiently and manage workload
• demonstrate commitment to learning as a lifelong process

Suggested Technology Integration Strategies:

• Develop independent study or online units/courses using programs like Blackboard or Moodle
• Involve students in the development of rubrics, project-based checklists, and timelines for long-term projects
• Give students an opportunity to develop electronic portfolios

Students who demonstrate social & cross-cultural skills…

• Work appropriately and productively with others
• Leverage the collective intelligence of groups when appropriate
• Bridge cultural differences and use differing perspectives to increase innovation and the quality of work

Suggested Technology Integration Strategies:

• Give students an opportunity to develop a Wiki detailing local history or a topic of their choice
• Skype and/or set up email exchanges or e-Pals blog with a class from a foreign country or different part of the country

Students who are productive and accountable…

• Set and meet high standards and goals for delivering quality work on time
• Demonstrate diligence and a positive work ethic (e.g., being punctual and reliable)

Suggested Technology Integration Strategies:

• Develop an advertising campaign for a community project that incorporates digital film making, photographs, podcasting, desktop publishing, etc.
• Use architectural and landscaping software to plan the refurbishing or redesign of an area or a building in your school district

Students who demonstrate leadership and & responsibility…

• Use interpersonal and problem-solving skills to influence and guide others toward a goal
• Leverage strengths of others to accomplish a common goal
• Demonstrate integrity and ethical behavior
• Act responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind

Suggested Technology Integration Strategies

• Give students an opportunity to refurbish older computers that could be donated to needy families
• Develop and implement a fundraising effort for a charity using publisher techniques, webpages, podcasting, and film making
• Give students an opportunity to host an information seminar for the district detailing Internet safety strategies and responsible use practice.

As I take a brief interlude from my daily blogging regime to develop a workshop, I am pleased to share an archived copy of a monthly article I wrote a couple of years ago…

In this post I will begin to explore technology integration that supports the Information, Media, and Technology Skills strand of the 21st Century Skills Matrix with an emphasis on Information and Communication Technology. [Partnership for 21st Century Skills]

Students who demonstrate Information Skills…

• Use digital technology, communication tools and/or networks appropriately to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information in order to function in a knowledge economy.
• Use technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate and communicate information, and the possession of a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and use of information.

In January of 2000, the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education were approved and in February of 2004, the American Association for Higher Education and the Council of Independent Colleges endorsed the following standards that dictate that an information literate person:

• Determines the nature and extent of information needed
• Accesses the needed information effectively and efficiently
• Evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system
• Uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
• Understands many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and accesses and uses information ethically and legally

Resources and suggestions that you may find helpful as you help students build information literacy skills:

• ICT Literacy Maps – The Partnership 21st Century Skills Coalition and national content groups partnered to illustrate the intersection between 21st century tools and 21st century skills. They created the following documents as a result of that partnership:
  • English (.pdf format)
  • Social Studies (.pdf format)
  • Geography (.pdf format)
  • Math (.pdf format)
  • Science (.pdf format)

• Visit the Information and Communication Technologies ICT Digital Literacy site to learn more about Digital Literacy Skills. The site serves as a portal to ICT Digital Literacy Resources.
• Watch the iSkills™ tour to see sample tasks that exemplify how the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) proficiencies are tested (at the college level) and the difference between the Core and Advanced assessments.
• Literacy with ITC Across the Curriculum – this online handbook is designed to help teachers, school leaders, and curriculum developers understand the role of information and communication technology (ICT) in classroom learning, teaching, and assessment.
• National Literacy Trust – This collection or resources pulls together ideas and information to help everyone share good practice.
• National Educational Technology Standards (NETS): Rubrics – “The purpose of the NETS for Students: Achievement Rubric is to define four achievement levels in relation to the NETS. The rubric is being developed to assist state and school-district leaders in their efforts to measure and monitor the development of student technology literacy throughout the elementary and secondary grades.”
• National Center for Technological Literacy – a site developed by the Boston Museum of Science that contains resources and information related to ICT literacy.

Students who demonstrate media literacy skills…

• Understand how media messages are constructed, for what purposes and using which tools, characteristics and conventions.
• Examine how individuals interpret messages differently, how values and points of view are included or excluded and how media can influence beliefs and behaviors.
• Possess a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and use of information

Below, I have included a few resources and suggestions that you may find helpful as you help students build information literacy skills for the 21st Century:

Defining and Understanding Media Literacy

• The National Telemedia Council sponsored an interesting and in-depth article written by David Considine: Introduction to Media Literacy. The article which is posted on the Appalachian State University website defines what media literacy is and why we need it; the site also includes sections about the approaches and principles of media literacy. I would strongly urge you to read over the material found at this site. It’s a quick read and offers a solid foundational perspective and guide to media literacy, despite the fact that the article was written over 10 years ago.
• Cable in the Classroom has also posted information defining what it means to be media literate. Information found on this site emphasizes the importance of knowing how to use television, the Internet and other technologies safely, productively and ethically. This is a great resource for educators and parents. Cable in the Classroom suggests the following “Five Things Everyone Should Know About Media”:
  • All media messages are constructions
  • Each person interprets messages differently
  • Media have commercial interests
  • Media have values
  • Each medium has its own language and style
• Media Awareness Network features resources and support for individuals interested in media and information literacy for young people. The Media Literacy Key Concepts “provide an effective foundation for examining mass media and popular culture.”

Media Literacy Curriculum

• The Just Think site features media literacy curriculum. I am not making a recommendation one way or the other regarding the curriculum, but I do think the site offers opportunities to explore some of the components of a media-based curriculum.
• The Literacy Assistance Center has posted a brief article about Introducing Media Literacy in the Classroom. Use the provided KQED link to search and access numerous sample media-focused lesson plans that you can evaluate for use in your classroom.
• PBS has posted an interactive site…Don’t Buy It: Get Media Smart that teaches students the tricks of advertising and how to buy smart.
• Education World has posted an interesting and informative lesson planning article…Caught in the Web: Online Advertising Targets Kids that features eighteen K-12 activities that can be used to build media literacy.

Critically Analyzing Media Sources

• The Cornell University Library has posted an excellent resource for students that applies in lower grades as well: Critically Analyzing Information Sources.
• Use the Read*Write*Think Lesson Critical Media Literacy: TV Programs as a blueprint to help students critically analyze popular television programs.

Additional Resources

• The Center for Media Literacy (CML) is a nonprofit educational organization that provides leadership, public education, professional development and educational resources nationally.
• The Alliance for a Media Literate America (AMLA) project strives to expand the boundaries of Media Literacy with dialogue that centers around The Core Principles of Media Literacy (.pdf file).
• Media Literacy.com is a major portal for media literacy education. Look for the curriculum strands on the left side of the page to access information about media literacy that is associated with your curriculum area.