Assignment #1 - Introduction and Philosophy of 21st Century Education

Assignment #1 

 Read: 

• Prensky- Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants 
• 21st Century LearningFramework

Watch:

Post:

• Create Blog & Introduce yourself and your philosophy of 21^st Century Education based on what you read, watched, and your own experience.

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Introduction

My name is Melinda.  My background can be summarized in a whirlwind run-on sentence.  I was born in Pennsylvania, grew up in Kentucky, lived in Germany for a year, served a two year mission in Venezuela, earned a BA in Linguistics in Utah, married in Ohio, started teaching ESL in Hawaii, substitute-taught in Oregon, helped start a school in American Samoa where I lived for six years, and now I'm in Utah putting it all together for a Masters Program through University of Hawaii. 

I have been a teacher for most of my adult life.  The faces, topics, and classrooms have varied, but no matter where, what or whom I'm teaching, I've always enjoyed how teaching gives me both challenge and satisfaction.

21st Century Education Philosophy

Students of today are living in a different world than students of the past.  Where traditional schooling produced citizens ready for the traditional world of the past,  the modern world requires modern schooling tools, topics, and strategies to prepare students for the future.

Prensky (2001) observed, "Our students have changed radically.  Today's students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach."  As Digital Natives these students have grown up broadcasting their opinions instantly with the tap of a finger.  They can interact with information, instructors, and peers across the globe while sitting on the couch.  Their access to greater breadth and depth of knowledge raises possibilities and expectations. 

 It is no longer enough for students to be able to simply memorize and recite facts.  They need important skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and collaboration. The 21st Century Learning Framework serves as a guide to prepare students with core knowledge instruction, as well as these essential skills.  As we educators follow the vision of 21st Century Learning framework, we will be preparing young people to become the global citizens who will lead us in the future.