21st Century skills important to flourish

I found myself lost in http://www.21stcenturyskill.org/ , not because I couldn't navigate the site, but to the contrary, I was engaged by each article I read and wanted to see where each link would take me. For some reason I was surprised to see a link to an article from The Christian Science Monitor. When I clicked on this link, I found myself agreeing out loud as I read. "In a knowledge economy, the ability to articulate and solve problems, to generate original ideas, and to work collaboratively across cultural boundaries is growing exponentially in importance." Yep. Of course this is the premise that each of the 10 states that have States Initiatives posted have also bought into. Why isn't Ohio one of these states? Is the governor the reason we are holding back, or is this really because our Department of Education in Ohio is not quite to this realization? From all that I have read about President Obama, I believe all states will start to feel the push from Washington to get on board. Yes, It is going to take money and time, but these 10 states are paving the way. I find this to be exciting to me, my students and my future in teaching. I want to see us forge ahead at the speed of light. Being a project facilitator fits the style of teaching I have become accustom to. I want my students to want to ask why and what if and leave rote memorization for the history books.

I am excited about all the possibilities that blogging holds for my students. I understand that this is a learning curve that I must take at a reasonable and cautious speed. I would like to begin by introducing the class blog as an informational page for students and parents. Information including, up coming school dates, deadlines and group meetings. I think I would include a math or science "problem of the week" for all to ponder and respond to. I have a colleague in the same building that is willing to have her students respond to a weekly question posed to and answered by my classes. I am still thinking through the idea of showcasing student work. This will be a project for the coming year. I am comfortable with using the digital camera in class to capture some of the activities the students are engaged in; I'm not sure what I'd do with this to showcase it however. While I currently teach Kindergarten to fifth grade, math and science, I believe I would like to begin with the fifth graders and expand to younger grades as I gain experience. I am looking to pioneers like Anne Davis, "The Write Weblog" for ideas and inspiration.

teachersetc

Is testing the end all we are looking for? My school is sharing past scores with all 3-5 grade students in an attempt to motivate them to do their best on the state mandated tests in May. Is this what we have resorted to? I want my students to want to learn. I want them to be excited to come to my science lab. They will learn if we give them opportunities. To quote one of my favorite movies, "If you build it, they will come."