Developing 21st Century Literacy Skills ~ Course Reflection

So, the PLS course I've been taking,  Developing 21st Century Literacy Skills, is coming to an end. This course has opened my eyes to what students need to learn in order to be ready for success in the 21st century. This course has helped me to better understand my role in creating change in the classroom and it has forced me to step outside my comfort zone, and take risks to improve the quality of my teaching. By changing the quality of my teaching, I mean making it more relevant to my students' lives. In this digital age, even first graders need to be exposed to a variety of skills that just didn't exist when their parents and teachers were in first grade. Before this course, the idea of 1st graders creating digital stories, might have seemed absurd. Now, not only do I see things like this as possible but also necessary. It is absolutely necessary that our students be given these experiences, and taught these 21st century skills, in order for their learning to prepare them for lives and careers in the 21st century digital age.

This course has also helped me develop my own 21st century skills. My instructor encouraged me to use a variety of digital tools that I was previously reluctant to try. I am completing this course with not only a better foundation on which to build my 21st century skills but also a change in attitude. I now see that things I was reluctant to try, weren't really that bad. This course has made me more of a risk -taker. Thankfully, I am now more willing to try new things and as a result increased my likelihood of being a life long learner.

Thank you to my course instructor and online classmates. It has been a rewarding experience!

How To Be a "Change Agent"

In my PLS course, Developing 21st Century Literacy Skills, we have been talking this week about change. Many educators moan and groan at the idea of change, and perhaps it's because it seems as if we are constantly being asked to do so. We are continuously asked to try something different, embrace this new program, add this to your work load etc! So many teachers have a negative viewpoint when it comes to changing what they feel is tried and true. They resist change!

It takes an open-minded educator with strong leadership skills and a real desire to do what's right for children, in order to spark change in the school setting.

The best way to spark change is to educate. Most teachers hesitate to try something new if they have only been given an overview of it. Teachers want to be good at what they do. It's difficult for them to take risks with programs or ideas that they do not fully understand.

Using Google Docs for Collaboration

Google Docs has saved my inbox! Before learning how to use this tool for collaborating on a document, I used to send files back and forth with teammates via e-mail. Google Docs makes it simple to log in at anytime, see the changes that have been made and quickly, easily make further updates. It's also a great tool because you don't have to worry about whether or not your teammates have the same programs on their computers that the document was created in. Since it's all web based there is no program that needs to be downloaded. Learning how to collaborate "21st century style", is just one of the new things I've been learning in my PLS course, "Developing 21st Century Literacy Skills.

Friend's Blogs

A few of my friends are new to blogging as well....I have posted to their blogs as an assignment for our PLS course.

http://kastoops-thenewest21stcenturylearner.blogspot.com

http://capuanoland.blogspot.com

http://a-day-inthelife-bigbswim.blogspot.com

http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5489135&postID=5147696110491645346

http://firstgraderatlast.blogspot.com/2011/04/adventures-in-space.html#comment-form

Finding interesting posts to read at various educational blogs was easy. Thinking of something worthwhile to leave as a comment was more difficult than I expected. It's weird to say, but I guess until you get the hang of it....you can be shy even when blogging. I felt like I didn't want to leave a comment on people's blogs because they would be left wondering, "Who is this person?" I got over that though and was able to leave a compliment at the two blogs above.

Overall this experience of creating a blog and checking out the blogs of others was very valuable for me. I had no idea how many 1st grade teachers out in the world., are blogging about the ups and downs of teaching young children. What a great way to share ideas and resources and just find inspiration....from complete strangers! The internet really does make the world a smaller place:)

21st Century Skills

I have been taking an online course for my graduate program called, Developing 21st Century Literacy Skills. Let me tell you....the course has been true to it's title. I am learning not only how to use a variety of different digital tools but how to incorporate them into my 1st grade classroom as well. It's so great to be taking a course that actually applies to my day to day job of preparing our youth for living and working in the 21st century!

Grand Opening

Today marks the grand opening of my first Blog! I'm excited to share ideas about teaching first grade in the 21st century!