Teaching 21st Century Skills

I must admit that the experience of examining the website, http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/, was almost overwhelming. The site was full of information, so much so, I felt I barely scratched the surface. In fact, I found a video in Edutopia on communication skills, in which George Lucas was interviewed. He made such important points, in my opinion, that I found the video very illuminating. There was such a plethora of links to videos and articles, it would take days to explore, but the content that I investigated was fascinating.

The point that Lucas made that really interested me, had to do with the mechanics of grammar. The grammatical tools we teach our students, in his opinion, are incomplete. His question was; why don't we include the tools of visual language, such as, the power of the diagonal line. He proposed we use all of these grammatical tools to facilitate film production. I was also pleasantly surprised that the website offered links to counter arguments. I read an article from U.S. News and World Report that emphasized the importance of careful planning in the implementation of 21st century skills. The article recognized that many initiatives in American education have been rashly planned and poorly executed. Are 21st century skills just another fad to become popular and fail?

The possibilities for the Visual Arts in the 21st century are limitless. Technologically-based projects necessitate proficiency in visual tools. Communication skills involve visual presentations, and educators need to realize its importance in future careers. I look forward to being involved in in the implementation of these skills in the near future.

Blogging in my Classroom

Blogging is a big world and I would feel more comfortable "getting wet" gradually. Obviously, by taking a class, we have an ideal venue for first time bloggers. It's a controlled situation where we are all becoming acquainted with the process together. This is an excellent introduction for me, at least.

I currently teach middle school Visual Arts. At school, I have given some thought to starting the blogging process with my after school clubs which involve photography and Anime. It is common knowledge that the arts can not exist in a bubble, they are by nature, created to be seen by others. A display of quality art work to encourage critiques from others would be one important rationale for blogging in my subject area, but also, I think it is imperative for an artist to clarify, in words, what he is expressing visually; and what, if anything, was learned in the creation. It would be interactive in the sense that the artist could express the personal meaning of the artwork, and their peers could respond with constructive critiques.

If anyone is interested in watching the construction of a blog site and giving input, the URL is http://schoolwires.henry.k12.ga.us/lm/site/default.asp; click on Teachers in the upper tabs, then, select Kimberly Phillips. A slide show of student work is displayed at the bottom of the website, and on the left-hand side there should be an option to visit our blog site which is in test mode to date and only says "Yada Yada". I will be changing the message soon, so let me know what you think. Also, you are welcome to post to my students, adolescents need a lot of encouragement. Thanks in advance for your insights.

Kim's first blog

Well, I was exploring delicious.com, and I got sidetracked for two hours. This is very difficult for a girl with ADD. The possibilities are fantastic.