STSD Curriculum & Technology Update

Regular updates and musings on curriculum and technology in the Salisbury Township School District in Allentown, PA.

21st Century Skills & New Media Literacies

As with anything worth doing there are always resistors and critics. In Monday’s Washington Post, education reporter Jay Matthews titled his column The Latest Doomed Pedagogical Fad: 21st-Century Skills. In his column, Matthews contends that there is nothing new about 21st century skills. “Young Plato and his classmates did the same thing in ancient Greece.” There is a typical flaw in Matthew’s thinking - understanding how age-old skills look different in the technology-rich world of 2009. What is different then? Take two minutes to watch this video, and I think you’ll start to see how technology changes, in both bold and subtle ways, the rules of the game where “skills” are concerned.

For a detailed response to Matthew’s column, read Will Richardson: Response to Jay Matthew at the Washington Post

21st Skills and the Presidential Campaign

The Wired Whitehouse

It is interesting to me how technology transformed the Presidential campaign from what it was in previous elections. History in the making! I think it will also be interesting to follow how Obama harnesses technology as President. And on a side not, notice, too, that he is pictured with a Macbook! 

What’s new in Smart Notebook 10

If you use or have access to a Smart Board, the company has just posted a video that provides an overview of the new Notebook 10 software. The video includes a look at activating Notebook 10, interface changes and new features and tools. The video runs about 30 minutes.

Click here to view the video.

Also, here are two excellent sites to visit if you are interested in SmartBoard ideas.

Teaching with a SmartBoard - Links for lesson ideas and SmartBoard Notebook files.

Smartboard Lessons Podcasts - Podcasts on using the SmartBoard!

What is this shift? --- in 5 minutes

Here is an excellent video that captures the direction of education for the future. Chris Lehman, Principal of the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, shares his thoughts on education in the 21st century. He talks real fast because the format of the presentation was to assemble 20 slides in 5 minutes. There are a lot of great thoughts in here. Leave yours in the comments…

Here are the actual slides in the presentation, some which you cannot see in the video:

Changing Times

“A Brave New World World Wide Web” asks....

1. What is a 21st century educator/leader?
2. What do we need to do professionally to prepare to teach future generations?
3. What supports will we need to get there?

Leave a comment with your thoughts!