Today I visited the website: http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/
At first, I found myself not being able to get to everything I wanted quick enough. This website thoroughly addresses the skills needed to be successful in the area of technology in the future, and also the means by which we can accomplish this. I appears that if we have the tools and training necessary, the training is there for the taking. The graphics are clear and concise, with an explanation and examples given for all descriptions. The large "Route 21" sign cleverly placed on the left margin got my attention and upon further investigation, it revealed a very organized way to explore much needed information on the 21st century skills.

It surprised me that there are only 10 states that have committed to this program, and it made me wonder what is taking the other states so long? We have had the "No Child Left Behind" mandate in place for many years and yet the commitment just isn't there. Our country needs to put education first and re-evaluate what is the most important track for our nation to follow. In the next few years, it will be interesting to watch how the policies of education and the requirements of our future leaders mesh together.

I did not disagree with any of the information that I read on this site, however, I wish that there were more "In the News" articles. There appeared to be only 7 articles on the home page that were related to this topic. I consider this to be the hottest topic in education right now, so I'm wondering why there aren't more?

As an educator, I would like to see a stronger support system put into place for this organization. They are like a textbook that has everything laid out by chapter and now they are just waiting for enough people to read the text. Let's get going and start the NEW WAVE!!

How will I use this blog for my students? I am most likely to use it as a forum for discussion for the days lessons. If they have any questions, they can ask me on-line. I will also use this to praise my students for their hard work! It is so easy to focus on one or two that are difficult students, when in reality we have SO many GREAT kids in our classes and we need to praise them loud and often for their hard work and effort in class. I will be checking the procedures for using student names on my blog page, as I'd like to make sure I'm following the rules with my county on the guidelines for our user policy. Perhaps first names only will be in order!

Welcome to my Blog! This is a new avenue for me to use technology to share information and hopefully gain insights into your ideas as well. I am working on my Masters in Technology and will be posting articles that pertain to my classes, as well as discussions with my classmates in the upcoming weeks. I look forward to your comments.