The Partnership for the 21st Century

The Partnership for the 21st Century is a great website that should be visited by everyone involved with education.  Their members provide resources to help states, school districts, and teachers prepare all students with the skills neede in the 21st Century. Combining core subjects such as language arts, mathematics, science and social studies with problem solving, communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and innovation  P21 does not add additional burdens to the teacher but integrates these skills into the curriculum already being taught. The link to videos of teachers utilizing these skills in the classroom was enlightening. The Strategic Council Members include members from all aspects including Dell, Scholastic, and Apple to name a few. The website is colorful and eyecatching. There are links to states involved with incorporating 21st Century Skills into their state standards. I was surprised to find that my state, California, was not on the list. This is disappointing when you consider that Silicon Valley is located in my state. I did not disagree with anything on the site though as an elementary school teacher, I am not sure how I would incorporate some of the issues such as financial and economic literacy into my lessons. Reviewing this site has shown me that as a contemporary educator I need to keep abreast of the issues surrounding the 21st Century. My students are eight and nine years old and will graduate in 2019. I cannot imagine what kind of technology will exist. My job is to teach them to become learners, thinkers, and collaborators. The tools on this website have pointed me in the right direction.