Tomorrow morning I’m delivering a short presentation for the Region 1 superintendents group focused on 21st century skills in Chesterfield. I’ll be sharing how our district is focused on 21st century skills.
One of the things I’ll be talking about is a train model which I’ve used more than once, because the metaphor of a train really can be applied in a number of ways to education, professional development, and of course, 21st century skills.
My fellow colleagues in other places (i.e. in Virginia but especially beyond) have opined their distrust and dissatisfaction with this term: twenty-first century skills. I can’t say it’s a perfect term, but then again, I didn’t invent it and I don’t routinely inject it into the consciousness of educators.
The problem is, the term (read also: tool, technology, software application, hardware implementation) that was new two years ago for one group of educators may very well be stale in the lexicon of this same group today. One example I’d use is laptops for teachers. We rolled out laptops in 2001-2002 for teachers to take home. Today, there are districts still planning to do the same in SY 2010-2011. These memes are like rolling waves. I don’t think it’s fair to cringe one’s nose at last year’s term (or last year’s recognition of innovation) when we’re all riding different trains.
One instance of my train model is the engine, passenger car, and caboose. Each represent, respectively, the innovators, the majority, and the laggards in terms of the adoption of innovation. The question is: where do we focus our attention? Those pulling the train, or those adding “extra weight” at the end?
Some organizations spend their time so focused on getting the caboose to help make the train move. We focus on trying to get those teachers “up to speed” on adopting some of the district’s initiatives with technology.
The real focus is not on the tools (or at least it shouldn’t be). It should be on quality teaching and learning. And if we really believe the emphasis always with professional development should be on improving the experience of teaching & learning, then we ought to focus on those who bring innovative change into the classrooms we populate each day with students.
Focus on the engine, on your innovators and cutting-edge idea-makers.
This week I felt spoiled having the opportunity to meet a great group of educators from Virginia, Pennsylvania, and some 19 other states at the 2009 Washington, D.C. Google Teacher Academy. Not only did I learn more about some of Google’s amazing Web 2.0 tools available to the education community, but I also was inspired by the excitement of putting innovative pedagogy into play. If my normal excitement level at your average conference were a “5,” this day and a half experience was a “10.” The buzzword didn’t get used (e.g. twenty-first century skills), but it might have been silly.
As you read this blog going forward, please know that when I write twenty-first century skills I’m talking about the inclusion of best-in-class learning experiences with best-in-class tools. While collaboration, teaching others, and global insight have always been skill-sets worthy of practice, when they are combined with modern tools like online video chat, video production, and the publication of ideas for a world audience, that’s when we really have twenty-first century skills.