Upload
emilyraley
View
217
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
8/8/2019 21st Century Skills Paper
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/21st-century-skills-paper 1/8
Emily Mullis
~ 1~
Running Head: 21st CENTURY SKILLS
21st
Century Skills
Emily Mullis
Georgia Southern University
FRIT 7136
8/8/2019 21st Century Skills Paper
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/21st-century-skills-paper 2/8
Emily Mullis
~ 2~
21st CENTURY SKILLS
Abstract
This paper focuses on the role of the school library media specialist in guaranteeing that
all students are competent in 21st century skills as outlined by the American Association
of School Librarians. In order for this to happen, teachers and media specialists must
work together to incorporate the standards for the 21
st
century learner into daily
curriculum.
8/8/2019 21st Century Skills Paper
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/21st-century-skills-paper 3/8
Emily Mullis
~ 3~
21st CENTURY SKILLS
21st Century Skills
As we enter a new era of library media, things are quickly changing. The way a
library looks, functions, and supplements the classroom curriculum is becoming
something new at a mind blowing pace. A school library is not just a huge room filled
with books for students to check out anymore. There are books there for that purpose,
obviously, but in today¶s media center, there is so much more offered than books.
Students today can use the library media center for a multitude of tasks and we as
educators need to have the skills and abilities to keep up with the ever-changing world
our students are living in.
Students come into the media center with experience and skills in an array of
web-based technologies, such as blogs, wikis, social networking sites, and photo and
video sharing web sites. In order to reach these students, we must keep up. Authors
Solomon and Schrum state that, ³we can take advantage of the features that new tools
offer and tap into students¶ natural affinity for these tools in order to create learning
experiences that expand their worldview and enhance what they learn´ (p. 24).
Information, information technology, and information literacy concerns are
essential. Teacher-librarians and active, engaged library programs are the keys to
helping students succeed in the information age. Every school library program needs to
be active, vibrant, engaged, and meaningful. The library program should be at the
8/8/2019 21st Century Skills Paper
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/21st-century-skills-paper 4/8
Emily Mullis
~ 4~
center of school curriculum and school-wide initiatives (Eisenberg, 2006). It is important
that the school community understands that this is true and that the library media
program is an indispensable part of the educational setting. The main goal of the
school library media program should be to guarantee that students become successful
at locating information and using it effectively. The role of the school librarian is central
and active in making sure that this goal is met.
The library media specialist must be an instructional leader in his or her school.
Taking on this role calls for a strong knowledge base in the area of information literacy
(Branch & Oberg, 2001). Media specialists have standards that address this in depth.
Teacher 1 shared with me that she believed the standards were a great guide to
implementing information literacy skills into the curriculum. This is not a job for just the
media specialist. Information literacy skills must be taught by every teacher in every
classroom.
Everyone agrees that students need 21st
century skills to be successful in today¶s
world. But when you stop to think about what that really means, are the skills that
students need new or is the extent to which changes in the economy and world mean
that success depends on having these skills new? Critical thinking and problem solving
have always been components of school curriculum. Rotherham and Willingham assert
that there is a definite distinction between ³skills that are novel´ and ³skills that must be
taught more intentionally and effectively´ (Sept. 2009). All students should be fortunate
enough to receive effective education and be taught these skills. In order for this to
happen, schools must be more deliberate about teaching critical thinking, collaboration,
8/8/2019 21st Century Skills Paper
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/21st-century-skills-paper 5/8
Emily Mullis
~ 5~
and problem solving to all students. This may sound simple enough, but making it
happen poses quite a challenge.
Media Specialist 1 believes that the biggest challenge surrounding teaching 21st
century skills to all students is budget. She says that in order to teach 21st century
skills, 21st century technology and resources must be available.
One major challenge of the 21st century skill education reform effort is the risk of
the movement devolving into a fad or being implemented with weak fidelity to its core
intent (Rotherham & Willingham, 2009). Also, with so much new knowledge being
created, it seems that the ways of knowing information are now much more important
than information itself. The issue is how to meet challenges of delivering content and
skills in a rich way that actually improves outcomes for students. Rotheram and
Willingham address three elements that they believe must be implemented for the 21st
century skills effort to be effective. They believe that otherwise, the reform will be
superficial and counterproductive.
The first element is a better curriculum. Some view skills and knowledge as
separate entities. Skills and knowledge are not separate. They are intertwined.
Knowledge often shows us the original composition of a problem. Sometimes we fail to
recognize that we have a particular thinking skill unless it comes in the form of a known
content. At other times, we know that we have a particular thinking skill, but somain
knowledge is necessary if we are to use it. To think critically, students need the
knowledge that is central to the area (Rotherham & Willingham, 2009).
8/8/2019 21st Century Skills Paper
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/21st-century-skills-paper 6/8
Emily Mullis
~ 6~
Another curricular challenge is that we don¶t yet know how to teach students to
self-direct, collaborate, be creative, and be innovative effectively. Many advocates of
the 21st century skills movement believe that if we give students more experiences that
will develop these skills. However, experience and skills are not one and the same.
Experience is using a skill; practice is trying to improve that skill by looking at what you
are doing wrong and working on fixing the problem.
In order to deliver better curriculum to all students, we must plan to teach skills in
the context of particular content knowledge and to treat both as equally important.
The second element in Rotherham¶s and Willingham¶s improvement plan is better
teaching. One of the 21st century skills movement plan¶s greatest strengths calls for
greater collaboration among teachers. Teacher expertise is a valuable resource that is
often wasted when teachers aren¶t given time to share it. There are many questions
surrounding how to make this happen. They raise questions about whether the design
of today¶s schools is compatible with the goals of the 21st
century skills movement
(Rotherham & Willingham, 2009). Teacher 2 believes that ³professional development is
a huge issue surrounding teaching 21st century skills.´
The third and final element mentioned by Rotherham and Willingham is better
tests. When we invest so much in curriculum and human capital, we must also place
emphases on evaluating whether or not what we are accomplishing anything. There
are several challenges to this, such as cost, producing enough high-quality
assessments to meet the needs of a system as large and diverse as U.S. public
schools, and delivery challenges (Rotherham & Willingham, 2009).
8/8/2019 21st Century Skills Paper
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/21st-century-skills-paper 7/8
Emily Mullis
~ 7~
If these challenges are ignored, the 21st century skills movement is in jeopardy of
becoming another fad that ultimately will not change anything in education or could
even cause setbacks in producing more influential schools for students and ultimately
ensuring that they are prepared for the 21st century classroom.
8/8/2019 21st Century Skills Paper
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/21st-century-skills-paper 8/8
Emily Mullis
~ 8~
21st CENTURY SKILLS
References
Branch, Jenniger L., and Oberg, Dianne. (2001). The teacher-librarian in the 21st
century. School Libraries in Canada. (Vol. 21 Issue 2). p9.
Eisenberg, Michael B. (Spring 2006). Three roles for the 21st-century teacher-librarian.
CSLA Journal . (Vol. 29 Issue 2). p21-23.
Rotherham, Andrew J., and Willingham, Daniel. (Sept. 2009). 21st century skills: The
challenges ahead. Educational Leadership. (Vol. 67 Issue 1). p16-21.
Solomon, G., and Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools. Eugene, OR:
International Society for Technology in Education.