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.
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Hi Kim,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you on the almost overwhelming amounts of information found at the site. It felt like an onion; under each layer there were more layers to be discovered. It is easy to get lost!
I agree that it is a pleasant surprise to find links to counter arguments. So often, we want to persuade people to our own way of thinking. I believe that teaching should be more than just facts. We also need to teach our students how to critically explore both sides of an issue to help them determine their own thoughts. Dr. Thornburg listed creative thinking as a crucial 21st century skill to teach in our video resources for the week, and I could not agree more.
Edutopia is a great site too. I discovered it during our first class at Walden and subscribed to their magazine and the e-mail newsletters.
Shannon Eno
Mr. Eno
ReplyDeleteI like the onion analogy! That is exactly the way I felt when exploring the site. In regard to counter arguments, I have always felt that one can not have a firm grasp on an issue unless you can view it from different viewpoints. So, I guess that would mean, I agree with Thornburg.
I also think I will subscribe to Edutopia. It's a great resource.
Kim