Partnership for 21st Century Skills

   I recently finished a visit to the P21 site. There is a lot of information there, for me, on the side of overwhelming. Having just recently experienced blogging, and constructing my first and only wiki, the idea of using such tools in the classroom is interesting but not yet compelling. I found the time spent on the projects to be more consumptive than efficient. I am studying, but am not convinced that using these methods in my classroom is at present any more efficient. This stand is contrary to proponents P21 supporters, I know.


My students are on computers using the internet every day. We research topics and share findings everyday in some subject. Groups work together and produce graphs for a project from charting progress of groups learning times tables to finding out just what an ecosystem is, what affects their balance, to what comprises a community, population and how global warming affects local and global ecosystems. Collaborative groups have been a feature of my classroom for a long time. Projects rather than textbook assessment have long been an evaluative tool for knowledge comprehension of subject matter. I have been pleased with the results of how we do things. Therein, lies the problem. I am pleased.

The P21 proponents are concerned with the gap in what is learned and what is needed for success in the 21st century. Information literacy, critical thinking, problem solving, communication skills, teamwork / collaboration, information technology skills and leadership. All these skills, skills noted by the likes of Thornburg, Dede and P21 we do in my classroom and without Blogs, and wikis. I have not been able to find the time amongst all the planning for the group discoveries we do to make time for this, to me, new collaborative tool. I know that proponents of P21 skills will probably say time is not an excuse and I would agree. Time is a resource, one that is in my day 6 1/2 hour teaching day limited and endangered by many demands of curriculum, programs and requirements of district and administration. If I am accomplishing creative and innovative thinking, lifelong learning, self direction and teaching social responsibility through the classroom methods I employ already then should I need to employ the tools of wikis, blogs, podcasts etc.? Or do I have to teach technology because everyone else is doing it. Bells and whistles?

The site was well organized and the video message by Ken Kay, President for Partnership for 21st Century Skills urgent and believable. I like the "snapshot" section in the Edutopia links for glimpses of what is being done and can be done in classrooms. I will study these sources as I continue to practice my style of collaborative learning within the confines of my classroom. On the use of newer tools, I will reserve judgment till better versed and rehearsed. Perhaps some of you out there can provide the success stories that will push me over the brink into the pool. Till then, I seem caught on the precipice.