Journal 4: Create, Collaborate, Communicate: Empowering Students With 21st Century Skills (NETS-T 5)

Riedel, Chris (2009, January). Create, Collaborate, Communicate: Empowering Students With 21st Century Skills. T-H-E Journal, Retrieved February 21, 2009, from http://www.thejournal.com/articles/23872_3

Because technology in the 21st century has become a big part of our daily lives, it is becoming more important than ever for educators to incorporate this type of skill set into their curriculum. In this article, author Chris Riedel directs us to the advice of retired district CIO and emerging technology evangelist Howie DiBlasi. DiBlasi outlines the top sixteen things educators can do in order to prepare students to be the emerging leaders of tomorrow.

For the sake of briefness I will summarize the first six to exemplify the aspects of technology that can be utilized daily by educators. (1) Hug a Geek: If you don’t know how to do something yourself, find someone who does and ask for help. (2) Create a Social Network: Create an individualized social network that can be use in the district, school, or classroom as a community asset. (3) Develop Problem-Solving Skills: This is at the top of the list in terms of what employers are looking for in their future employees. Educators can touch on this by simply taking a few minutes daily to challenge students with brain teasers or puzzles. (4) Start Collaborating: Use such technology as Google Docs to provide ways for students to interact with each other. (5) Use Project-Based Learning: Use real world scenarios to teach students a range of traditional skills. (6) Develop Information Processing Skills: Stress the importance of teaching students how to assess the validity of available information.

Question 1: How important is it to incorporate technological skills into the curriculum?

I agree with both Riedel and DiBlasi that technological skills are very important to incorporate into the classroom. It seems natural that this should be a daily part of the curriculum. Students are surrounded by technology outside of the classroom as part of their daily lives and it should be no different in the classroom. I think that creation, collaboration, and communication are imperative to the success of our students.

Question 2: Which of the sixteen aspects the DiBlasi outlines would you favor in your classroom?

I definitely feel drawn to all of them. They are all valuable tools that educators can use in order to prepare their students for the future. The most important of these tools is to improve students’ critical thinking skills. Employers definitely look for this quality when hiring new employees and it is a good skill to have because it will help students in all areas of the curriculum.