What is 21st Century Learning? 21st century learning is seen as student centered and technology enhanced. It is also where students need to embody the 4 C's: critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity. These skills that are seen in lessons in the classroom, will help students be lifelong learners and problem solvers in the "real world".
Therefore, I have created a lesson that features 21st Century Learning that could be used for my second grade students. One of the Social Studies Standards is about recognizing National Symbols. During this lesson students will be researching a National Landmark in groups. Students will then take their research and create a Virtual Tour of their Landmark with their group to present to their class, as if they are actually on the tour. Check out my Virtual United States Landmark Tours Lesson below and see how I incorporated 21st century learning inside of it!
Incorporating 21 Century Learning
Collaboration
Students learn so much from one another and they also learn teamwork when faced with group projects. I could have had my students work on a National Landmark individually and reached a similar goal but adding collaboration to the project added a another social learning opportunity for the students. Creativity Giving students the opportunity to be creative in the choice that they make for their virtual tour gives them the freedom to try or create something totally unexpected. Hobbs (2011) explains in her book Digital and Media Literacy: Connecting Culture and Classroom, that students need to create content while thinking about their audience, which I hope I incorporated into my lesson clearly. Communication Communication can look different in various ways in the 21st Century. We have email, texting, Facetime, regular conversations, presentations and so on to communicate, therefore I believe a majority of lessons should include it. During my Virtual National Landmark Tour lesson, students are forced to communicate in many different ways. They need to get their points across clearly and effectively when speaking to their teammates and inside of their creations which is geared for a specific audience. Communication will forever be an authentic "real-world" skill that won't go away, but the medium will change as the years go by so why not foster this skill in the classroom. Technology I decided to use technology in two ways during this lesson. Students use their iPads for research on multiple platforms and students also use creation apps to make their virtual tour. Challenges
The most challenging aspect of creating this lesson was finding the right tool for my second graders to utilize for their virtual tour. While I have a love for teaching my students coding, that does not necessarily mean the rest of my second grade team will be teaching their students how to use Scratch. I also wonder if giving students the opportunity to use Google Slides, the project could possibly turn into more of a presentation. Lastly, I question if expecting them to create a virtual tour is to hefty of a challenge overall, but I am a big supporter of trying it out with the students and giving them the benefit of the doubt and see where the lesson takes it. We can always adjust!
My 21st Century Learning Critiques
Student Centered Learning is where students are more in charge of their learning. Students set goals, work at their own pace while the teacher is there for them as a guide. While I believe this is very important and helps students with skills such as responsibility and accountability, I also believe that this can not be done in the classroom all the time especially with younger grades.
I traveled to Wisconsin last year to tour schools that showcased Personalized Learning (a form of student centered learning). Students chose what topics or lessons to join their teacher in, they chose what math games they played, and the list can continue. While this all sounds great, I believe that students still need teachers at the forefront of their learning and that students need to learn explicitly from adults in both a classroom setting and at home. It is all about balance.
References
Hobbs, R. (2011). Digital and media literacy: Connecting culture and classroom. Corwin/Sage.
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