Task 1: OK, I've browsed for an hour, and if anything, I am perhaps a bit more cynical and overwhelmed than I was an hour ago. If guess if you are an "old guy" like me this stuff needs to be taken in small doses. Much like you'd eat an elephant, one small spoonful at a time.



That being said, if pressed for a definition, I see 2.0 as a two way street designed to provide a multitude of users in a variety of settings, educationally, professionally and geographically, the ability and opportunity to share, interpret and discuss information. I must confess that I worry about the vast quantity of information and the time constraints on anyone to truly take advantage. If 2.0 is going to be utilized effectively, users must be able to quickly navigate and synthesize the information and tools available otherwise I can see 2.0 becoming a time consuming novelty.



I also worry that while 2.0 allows users to connect with a potentially huge audience. Does it also provide users the ability to withdraw from direct human interaction?. I sometimes even wonder if simple e-mail does the same thing. I am not going to argue with the efficiency and value of tools like that but I also can not simply dismiss that fact that all the electronic gizmos and gadgets available to people could allow us all to hole up in a cave and avoid direct interaction with others.



Task 3: Yes- I realize I skipped Task 2 but I'll get there, this just seemed like a logical connection----That leads indirectly into the question of 21st century skills? As our students grow older and we educate them for jobs that don't yet exists. Two areas jump to my attentions. The first is the area of communication and collaboration. I agree 100% that individuals needs to learn to communicate with many people from different cultures, paths and backgrounds. Students also need to be able to communicate and understand a wide variety of communication mediums, oral, written and technological. I believe all are of equal importance. Educators must guard against stressing one form of communication over another. The web with its vast content and connections cannot be used as an excuse to avoid direct face to face contact. Regardless of what job or career our students pursue I refuse to believe that it will not involve some type of direct human interaction. Technology is a great way to transmit and share information, but as yet, emoticons aside, it does not allow for the sharing of emotions, passions and feelings. I worry that we may lose some of that if we are not careful.



Informational literacy is another critical 21st century skills that students need to possess. As the quantity of information available continues to expand exponentially students need to be able to disseminate what information they actually need, they need to know where to look for that specific information and most importantly they need to be able to critically analyze and synthesize the information. Not everything they find is true or verifiable. Not everything is relevant and up-to-date. Without the appropriate informational literacy skills, students will be unable to effectively tap into the vast pool of available information. Instead they will simply find themselves wallowing in a huge pool of quicksand being consumed by useless information and ineffective use of time.

Task 2: 21st century learners? Well, they aren't simply auditory learners or visual learners or tactile learners. You cannot simply lump their learning styles into a well defined easy to explain category. They are all over the map. It is unrealistic to follow the old paradigm of lecture, absorb, and respond. It might work for some "old fashion" student types, but the majority of today's students will simply tune out. Today's students need to be an active part of the process. While they probably should not be driving the bus their input with respect to directions and navigation needs to be considered. They need to see value in what they are learning and there has to be a connection for them. material presented in a disjointed/foreign/ irrelevant manner will simply be retained for evaluation processes and then discarded.

Today's learners are also multi-taskers. They can easily handle more than one task and in all honesty they seem more comfortable when juggling more than one task. They like and need to have more than one window open on their laptops. Picture in a picture TV is right down their alley and outside noises make them comfortable not distracted.

In addition, I believe 21st century learners seek collaboration and cooperative opportunities. They don't live in a vacuum and they don't really want to work in one either. They are ready, willing and able to function and thrive in group settings. They just need to be given the opportunities.

Task 4: 21st century learners are different and 21st century skills are critical for our students to be successful. Any realistic educator has to acknowledge the reality and common sense behind Mr. Jukes's article. What does this look in the classroom? I'm not sure, but I do have a pretty good idea how it doesn't look.

It doesn't look like rows of neatly ordered desks in a classroom with a single voice preaching from above--oops I mean the front--. It doesn't show all students peering at the same resource, book, handout, computer screen, and then responding in unison. A single lesson plan with predetermined concepts and skills doesn't drive the activities in the room. The classroom doesn't have lots of white pieces of paper being handed out or handed in. The report cards don't have a one size fits all template that tries to condense 9-12 weeks of work and effort into a single letter.

Flip the argument how does it look? Well, first of all the room is activity based with numerous centers designed to give all students the opportunity to drive their individual educational process. Teachers serve as navigators helping to chart the course and keep students moving forward. Teachers help students make personal connections. They don't make the connections for them. Paper activities exists but in a less traditional format. Paper is used for note taking, collaboration and cooresponding. Students are assessed based on a body of work and a variety of different techniques. Portfolios are created, modified and published for all to see. Individual differences are celebrated and encouraged. The list could go on and on but I think I want to summarize.

They 21st century classroom looks very different than it did even 5 shorts years ago. the pressure is on the teachers to adapt to the students. the time has passed for students to adapt to the teachers. If students aren't learning the way a teacher teaches, the teacher has to teach in a fashion that allows the studnt to learn. Not an easy task. Successful teaching is an incredibly complex and challenging task that changes at an incredibly fast rate. It is an art and a talent to be able to challenge and engage the minds of the learner. It is not for the meek, the shy or the traditionalist. It is tough!

The goods news: 21st century students are ready to learn 21st century skills. We just need to learn how to teach them effectively...