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!