chapter+2+learning+for+a+21st+century+education

Learning for the 21st Century -- Key Elements []

Emphasize core subjects NCLB: English, reading/language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics, government, economics, arts, history, and geography Emphasize learning skills Information and communication skills Information and media literacy skills Communication skills (oral, written, multimedia) Thinking and Problem-solving skills Critical thinking and systems thinking Problem identification, formulation and solution Creativity and intellectual curiosity Interpersonal and self-directional skills Interpersonal and collaborative skills Self-direction Accountability and adaptability Social responsibility

Use 21st Century tools to develop learning skills Information and communication technologies such as computers, networking and other technologies Audio, video, and other media and multimedia tools Spreadsheets, word processing, email, groupware, presentation, web development, Internet search tools, etc

Teach and learn in a 21st Century context Make content relevant to students’ lives Bring the world into the classroom Take students out into the world Create opportunities for students to interact with each other, with teachers and with other knowledgeable adults in authentic learning experiences

Teach and learn in a 21st Century content Global awareness Use 21st century skills to understand and address global issues Learn from and work collaboratively with individuals representing diverse cultures, religions and lifestyles in a spirit of mutual respect and open dialogue in personal, work and community contexts Promote the study of non-English language as a tool for understanding other nations and cultures Financial, economic and business literacy Know how to make appropriate personal economic choices Understand the role of the economy and the role of business in the economy Apply appropriate 21st century skills to function as a productive contributor within an organizational setting Integrate oneself within and adapt continually to our nation’s evolving economic and business environment Civic literacy Be an informed citizen to participate effectively in government Exercise the rights and obligations of citizenship at local, state, national and global levels Understand the local and global implications of civic decisions Apply 21 century skills to make intelligent choices as a citizen

Use 21st Century assessments that measure 21st Century skills Strengthen classroom assessments and integrate them with the instructional process to reinforce learning, provide immediate feedback and help students learn core subjects and 21st century skills. Learning Goals for a 21st Century Education

Student Services Advising: Traditional and nontraditional students Resident Hall Life for traditional and nontraditional students Calls for reform ** (who says what and why) ** Higher education has given ample proof of its viability over the centuries and of its ability to change and to induce change and progress in society. Owing to the scope and pace of change, society has become increasingly knowledge-based so that higher learning and research now act as essential components of cultural, socio-economic and environmentally sustainable development of individuals, communities and nations. Higher education itself is confronted therefore with formidable challenges and must proceed to the most radical change and renewal it has ever been required to undertake, so that our society, which is currently undergoing a profound crisis of values, can transcend mere economic considerations and incorporate deeper dimensions of morality and spiritualy. President Obama delivered his first presidential speech devoted to education yesterday at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Asserting that education should be a cradle-to-grave endeavor for all Americans, from pre-kindergarten to lifelong advanced learning, Obama emphasized the relationship of education to economic prosperity. "The land-grant colleges and public high schools transformed the economy of an industrializing nation," Obama said. "The GI Bill generated a middle class that made America's economy unrivaled in the 20th century. Investments in math and science under President Eisenhower gave new opportunities to young scientists and engineers all across the country. It made possible somebody like a Sergei Brin to attend graduate school and found an upstart company called Google that would forever change our world. "In a 21st-century world where jobs can be shipped wherever there's an Internet connection, where a child born in Dallas is now competing with a child in New Delhi, where your best job qualification is not what you do, but what you know -- education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity and success, it's a prerequisite for success." Obama laid out **'five pillars' of his education reform agenda**, including: Federal support to reward quality in states' Early Learning programs; **Enhanced standards** and assessments across states and changes to the No Child Left Behind act that tie funding to results; The creation of new avenues and incentives to encourage teaching careers, along with tougher standards and accountability for teachers who do not meet them; **Encouraging innovation, including rethinking the length of the school day and academic** calendar, and new approaches to stem the tide of dropouts; **Providing every American with a quality higher education, whether college or technical training.** Obama stressed the importance of college and noted the costs are making putting it out of reach for many Americans. "**Never has a college degree been more important," he said. "Never has it been more expensive. And at a time when so many of our families are bearing enormous economic burdens, the rising cost of tuition threatens to shatter dreams. And that's why we will simplify federal college assistance forms so it doesn't take a Ph.D to apply for financial aid."** He also highlighted his **budget blueprint** and how his proposed changes to financial aid would help make college more accessible. In addition, he reiterated the benefits of eliminating the **Federal Family Education Loan** program. He also called on colleges and universities to **better control costs.** **Reiterating his message delivered before Congress, Obama also highlighted** **U.S.** **citizens' personal responsibility to make higher education a priority.** "So let's not stop at education with college. Let's recognize a 21st century reality: Learning doesn't end in our early 20s," he said. "Adults of all ages need opportunities to earn new degrees and new skills -- especially in the current economic environment. That means working with all our universities and schools, including community colleges -- a great and undervalued asset -- to prepare workers for good jobs in high-growth industries; and to improve access to job training not only for young people who are just starting their careers, but for older workers who need new skills to change careers. And that's going to be one of the key tasks that Secretary Solis is involved with, is making sure that lifelong learning is a reality and a possibility for more Americans." Read more: [] ** President Obama Calls on Congress to Support Bold Education Reform Agenda ** ** Traditional Goals of Education ** ** Traditional education ** or **back-to-basics** refers to long-established customs found in schools that society has traditionally deemed appropriate. Some forms of [|education reform] promote the adoption of progressive education practices, a more holistic approach which focuses on individual students' needs and self-expression. In the eyes of reformers, traditional teacher-centered methods focused on rote learning and memorization must be abandoned in favor of student-centered and task-based approaches to learning. However, many parents and conservative citizens are concerned with the maintenance of objective educational standards based on testing, which favors a more traditional approach. Depending on the context, the opposite of //traditional education// may be [|progressive education], modern education (the education approaches based on developmental psychology), or [|alternative education] __[1]__ The definition of //traditional education// varies greatly with geography and by historical period. The chief business of traditional education is to transmit to a next generation those skills, facts, and standards of moral and social conduct that adults deem to be necessary for the next generation's material and social success. As beneficiaries of this scheme, which educational progressivist [|John Dewey] described as being "imposed from above and from outside", the students are expected to docilely and obediently receive and believe these fixed answers. Teachers are the instruments by which this knowledge is communicated and these standards of behavior are enforced. Traditional education is associated with much stronger elements of coercion than seems acceptable now in most cultures.[//[|citation needed]//] It has sometimes included: the use of [|corporal punishment] to maintain classroom discipline or punish errors; inculcating the dominant religion and language; separating students according to gender, race, and social class, as well as teaching different subjects to girls and boys. In terms of curriculum there was and still is a high level of attention paid to time-honoured academic knowledge. Policy, programs, state of the art technonlogy. Adaptability of classes offered to home life situations Affordability. Fianacial aid Support services ANSR CAR CLL CNL College graduates tend to have lifetime earnings of a million dollars more than high school-only grads do.That is a big reason.
 * "[W]e're already taking steps to make college or technical training affordable," he said. "For the first time ever, Pell Grants will not be subject to the politics of the moment or the whim of the market - they will be a commitment that Congress is required to uphold each and every year. Not only that; because rising costs m **** ean Pell Grants cover less than half as much tuition as they did 30 years ago, we're raising the maximum Pell Grant to $5,550 a year and indexing it above inflation. We're also providing a $2,500-a-year tuition tax credit for students from working families. And we're modernizing and expanding the Perkins Loan Program to make sure schools like UNLV don't get a tenth as many Perkins loans as schools like Harvard." **
 * "[W]e're putting students ahead of lenders by eliminating wasteful student loan subsidies that cost taxpayers billions each year," he said. "All in all, we are making college affordable for 7 million more students with a sweeping investment in our children's futures and** **America****'s success. And I call on Congress to join me and the American people by making these investments possible."**
 * "[I]t will also be the responsibility of colleges and universities to control spiraling costs," he said. "We can't just keep on putting more money in and universities and colleges not doing their part to hold down tuitions. And it's the responsibility of our students to walk through the doors of opportunity." **
 * "In just a single generation,** **America** **has fallen from 2nd place to 11th place in the portion of students completing college. That is unfortunate, but it's** **by no means irreversible," he said. "With resolve and the right investments, we can retake the lead once more. And that's why, in my address to the nation the other week, I called on Americans to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training, with the goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by the year 2020. And to meet that goal, we are investing $2.5 billion to identify and support innovative initiatives across the country that achieve results in helping students persist and graduate."**
 * Obama also stressed the importance of lifelong learning. **
 * What are they? **
 * Why are they important? **
 * How are they different than calls from Reform? **
 * Local Values and Goals **
 * Who wants what and Why? **
 * Families **
 * Students **

Virtual on-line distance education 24/7/365 undergrads programs graduate programs Equipment, computer labs Accesability to technical programs Professional development programs Tecnology as a means to an end Earning a college degree has become something of a necessity in today's competitive work environment; a lack of a college degree can significantly hinder career goals and the realization of financial needs. But, unfortunately, sometimes by the time we understand how much impact a college degree can have on our lives, we are already well into a life filled with work and family. In many cases, for those who wish to become educated in a particular field in order to further their career - as well as realize personal goals - they find that earning a distance learning degree fits their lifestyle and schedule. A distance learning degree can be earned through any number of accredited online schools. The popularity of the Internet has brought millions of people the opportunity to go to school from the comfort of their own homes. And for those who have neither the time to attend school - nor the availability of a close-by college or university - distance learning has opened up a world of possibilities. Because distance learning has become such a popular choice for non-traditional students, online universities continue to offer a multitude of courses standard to traditional college environments. Today's students can earn a distance learning degree in everything from communications and business management to accounting and sociology. Distance learning through online resources has become such a big business that it only benefits these online universities to offer as many course options as possible.

However, as with any big business, online universities have their share of disreputable organizations. If you choose to attend an online university in pursuit of your distance learning degree, it is absolutely imperative to ensure that you are dealing with a reputable resource that offers accredited degrees upon course completion. Ask plenty of questions when researching an online university. You can also check each school's accreditation status through the U.S. Department of Education's College Search online resource. In some cases, an established college or university that holds traditional classes will also offer the opportunity to earn a distance learning degree for students who prefer to do their studies from home. This can be a terrific way to receive a degree from the school of your choice without driving to and from school and having to sit in a classroom after a full day of work. Often, earning a distance learning degree requires the completion of the same amount of credits required for a traditionally earned degree. Just as you would with any college or university, you are required to pay tuition, purchase books, and complete assignments and exams according to the course syllabus. What differs from traditional classes, however, is the way in which you complete your studies. Lessons are often provided through online instruction, book work as dictated by the professor, or even through video instruction; students can complete these studies at times that are convenient for them, making earning a distance learning degree especially attractive to non-traditional students balancing school with work and family. To be sure, many business leaders ignore the business adage, which is that the only responsibility of the corporation is to its shareholders, Berliner said. But he said: "Very often the business community speaks out of both sides of its mouth. I do not believe it is always seeking what is best for America, and too often it is only seeking what is best for business." The driving force for business' interest in education is the productivity of the American workforce. America has the strongest service economy and if it isn't number one, it is one of the top agriculture producers in the world. The third jewel of the crown is productivity. The U.S. has the highest manufacturing productivity. Japan and Germany tie for second place. Furthermore, if education became privatized, states could reduce corporate tax burdens-a notion that serves the interests of business leaders and of politicians who campaign on the promise of tax cuts. That's not the only way business could cut costs. Corporate executives "want a more intimate link with education-building a school-to-work curriculum, particularly a technology-based curriculum, that serves their purposes, Concerned about preparing today's children for tomorrow's world, the [|Partnership for 21st Century Skills] and [|International Society for Technology in Education] have drafted frameworks and guidelines that outline what our students need to know to meet the challenges of the modern age. Mastery of core content areas, such as English (reading or language arts), mathematic, science and history, remains the centerpiece. But these two organizations emphasize the importance of cultivating interdisciplinary themes, such as global awareness and financial, civic and health literacies, and weaving key skill areas (creativity and innovation, communication and collaboration, research and information fluency, and critical thinking, problem solving and decision making) into core subject matter. These skills and themes are not new to educators. We expect them to be a part of any good teaching practice. The challenge is to be more explicit in their inclusion in core content, incorporating real world problems to bring them into focus for students and drawing on digital tools and resources that can support them. In some respects, the potential of 21st century skills lies in the exploration of how digital tools (cameras, presentation software, computing equipment) and online resources can support and enhance traditional subjects,skills and teaching practices. The Internet alone provides students with enormous opportunities to access: · A trove of primary source documents previously located on library shelves, but now available online through digital archives. · Authentic scientific data across a range of fields from current and historical meteorological forecast data to economic statistics · Geospatial tools that combine data with dynamic maps · Global communications media that make distance collaboration, cross-cultural exchanges and rich media experiences possible Many of the resources available through Thinkfinity's content partners -- from lessons involving online research to those incorporating multimedia development -- reflect 21st century teaching and skills and make use of digital sources. In this section, we highlight opportunities for teachers to engage their students in 21st century skills and themes while they work through core content in science, mathematics and humanities. The snapshots provided here are designed to be lenses that help teachers recognize moments when students can build tomorrow's skills while addressing today's learning goals. These snapshots are really just an introduction to the many such moments available throughout Thinkfinity partner lessons. Use them as a launching pad for your explorations. As a member of the [|Partnership for 21st Century Skills] and [|ISTE 100], Thinkfinity is committed to delivering educational resources that incorporate 21st century skills and themes. Tecnonlogy fund Competetive grants Equity Quality Telecommunications Act Education is considered by Americans to be the single most important long-term issue our country faces. After protecting our borders, public education is the government activity with the single most profound and far-reaching effect on the national character. However, despite all the attention paid to education, attempts to improve our schools and our educational system have generated more questions than answers and more conflict than consensus about teaching, learning, schooling and education. We are approaching this challenge in two ways. First, we are developing media programs that explore and analyze these issues in depth. For instance, [|//Which Way American Education?//] will explore and examine lingering and growing questions about K-12 public education in a search for deeper understanding of the issues that face parents, teachers and policymakers today. In addition, we are moving our own work into the educational domain, by designing curricula around the topics addressed by our media projects. Our first effort in this area is the development of a curriculum -- [|//Going To Green//] -- that uses materials from our [|//Edens Lost & Found//] PBS series as the foundation for a 20-unit high school / community college curriculum on sustainabilty and environmental awareness. Through this project and others like it, we hope to inspire new generations of thinkers and doers to take part in our society and work to benefit us all. Technology Fund We’ve been very successful in the budget so far. We have a 5-year, $2 billion Technology Fund that goes to the states. The smaller states get just minimum grants in the first year. The very small states (by population) receive grants of a million. The larger states receive grants between 14 and 16 million. That was $200 million a year. This year, we hope it’s going to be $425 million.2 Everything will double. What’s so encouraging to us is that this money is leveraging unbelievable resources at the state and local levels. The investment is much larger there. Federal funds have acted as a catalyst and in some cases the glue that brings things together. The other thing I’m very encouraged about in terms of the Technology Fund is how much of the money is actually being used for professional development.
 * Employers **
 * Big business **
 * Media **
 * Government **

Competitive Grants
The second program that we were able to put in place was a competitive grant process to allow educators and school districts to live out their dreams and to develop a vision about technology and its compelling applications across the curriculum. The grant program was intended to encourage school districts to go out and seek partnerships with other districts, with libraries, with museums, with computer companies, with software developers, with telecommunications providers, with colleges and universities. We have had three rounds of these Challenge grant competitions, and every year, they’ve gotten better and we have received more applications. This past year, we received 625 applications. We feel very good about what these projects are doing. What’s even more exciting to us is the number of projects we could fund. We have about 62 projects overall, but they involve hundreds of school districts and hundreds of individual business high-tech partners. It’s like venture capital for education, for //public// education. The grant application has to come from a school district. As I said, we have 62 of those projects, and we expect to do another round this year. We’ve asked for enough money to do what we call the fourth round.3 It looks like Congress is going to give us an extra $30 million to do a new kind of Challenge grant competition that is going to focus on new models of professional development for both teachers in teacher education programs and for teachers in the field.

E-Rate
The last thing that we have put into place is probably the most momentous of the policy and program initiatives. What I’m talking about is the Education Rate (E-rate). How many of you know what the E-rate is? In a nutshell, the E-rate is an unbelievable bargain that we struck in **the passage of the Telecommunications Act.**4 In the early stages of the discussions about the Telecommunications Act and the potential that we might have there to do something, it turned out that data were very important. I met with the head of the National Center for Educational Statistics, who did a fast response survey to find out how many schools and classrooms have access to the Internet. As a result, as the Telecommunications Act discussions were moving along, and we were starting to propose the idea that this universal service fund should support affordable access for schools and libraries, we had the data, and we were able to say, "Only 3% of classrooms have access today. And the reason more don’t have access is because the costs are so high." In addition to this survey, with the help of many people like you who were on the Internet, we found out what schools were paying, per month, for Internet access. It was amazing. Costs ranged from nothing in some cases, because they were able to link up with a university or they found a patron, to about $200, to as high as $2,000 per month. We were able to show how many people were disenfranchised because of the system that was in place. We convinced Congress that the E-rate was worth doing. Never before have we had a Secretary of Education testify before the Commerce Committee, but Secretary Riley did, and he convinced them that this was an opportunity for all of us—that it was a win for the telecommunications industry because ultimately this would expand their markets—and it was a real win for education because we would level the playing field for everybody. In the process of the discussion, we had a lot of help from the American Library Association, and very quickly we became convinced that public libraries absolutely had to be in this equation. This was an interesting point at which we almost lost it all because everyone marched up to the table and said, "Me too." The whole idea would have blown apart, but the Secretary very strategically said, "Let’s start here. Let’s get schools and libraries, schools and libraries." That’s what we kept pitching, and we’ve done it.

//Equity and Quality //
Why do we think having technology in our schools is important? There are many ways this technology can significantly contribute to our schools’ effectiveness and to real learning across the curriculum. It will serve children well for the rest of their lives. I started to say before that, with technology, there always remain issues. I think that we are on the road; I think we have very good models for what to do; and I think that we can make it happen. But what I worry the most about are two things. One is, of course, the issue of equity. The other issue is quality. The quality of what we do, the content of what we do, is critical. Particularly if we look at the Internet and what’s happening with the Internet, we can go two ways. We can let it become overcome, overblown, or overwhelmed by what I would describe as the not-so-great and in some cases harmful resources that we don’t want any of our kids to have access to. The good news is that the Internet is a technology that has tools in it that allow the education community—broadly that’s K and beyond, including libraries, museums, and all the institutions that have a stake in learning—to be contributors to and developers of the resources that can be out there. But I will tell you that I think we are still investing far too little as a nation in high-quality content and in high-quality resources. If you ask me what I’m going to be concentrating on in the remaining 3 years that I think I have with this job, it’s going to be to work in these areas. I think the equity issues are going to be OK as long as we are vigilant in our communities, vigilant in playing out the E-rate, and in encouraging universal access. We have to get technology into our communities; we have to get it into our libraries; we have to get it into our schools. We can’t allow what looks like the demographic profile of today to remain the profile of tomorrow, which is if you are moderately wealthy and beyond, you are 7 times more likely to have a computer in your home and even 10 times more likely to have Internet access than if you have family income below $25,000 a year. We know we can’t just allow this to continue. We’ve got to invest in our communities.


 * Your organization Values Goals and Beliefs **

// At no time in human history was the welfare of nations so closely linked to the quality and outreach of their higher education systems and institutions. (World Conference on Higher Education Partners, June 2003). //  As the only United Nations agency with a mandate in higher education, UNESCO facilitates the development of evidence-based policies in response to new trends and developments in this field emphasizing its role in achieving the Millennium Development Goals and particularly poverty eradication. The Organization fosters innovation to meet education and workforce needs and examines ways of increasing higher education opportunities for young people from vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. It deals with cross-border higher education and quality assurance, with a special focus on mobility and recognition of qualifications, and provides tools to protect students and other stakeholders from low-quality provision of higher education. UNESCO promotes policy dialogue and contributes to enhancing quality education, strengthening research capacities in higher education institutions, and knowledge sharing across borders. **What does your organization value? How do you know?** = Resident Hall life = = NBC Village Mission, Vision, and Outcomes by [|grossm] — last modified Aug 14, 2008  03:05 PM   = = Mission Statement The mission of the NBC Village program is to engage students with the campus and community to achieve a successful transition to the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. =
 * Student Services **
 * Advising for traditional and nontraditional students **
 * Resident Hall Life for traditional and nontraditional students **
 * Synthesis- Pull all the pieces together and tell what goals you think are critical, link back to the literature by citing the author’s name -Resources **

Members of the NBC Village are knowledgeable of the University's academic, social and personal development resources and use them if needed.
Members of the NBC Village take an active role in their education by utilizing faculty and staff as resources to work toward academic achievement. Members of the NBC Village identify and maintain personal wellness. Members of the NBC Village are proud to be a University of Wisconsin Oshkosh TitanUWO Community by erion — last modified Aug 14, 2008 03:05 PM

Why the NBC Village Program?
First-year experience programs are a popular trend at colleges and universities around the country. By implementing this program, UW Oshkosh is joining the already hundreds of institutions that already have this type of program in place. The NBC Village program is one of the first of many steps for UW Oshkosh in really focusing on the first-year student, their needs and wants, and their expectations of college life.

Involvement, Satisfaction, and Retention
The first year is the most important year in determining if a student will finish their college education. Forty-two percent of college students who start college will not earn a degree. Twenty-one percent of students leave college after their first year. Students who are actively involved in both academic and out-of-class activities gain more from the college experience than those who are not so involved” (Kuh, Schuh, Whitt, & Associates, 1991, p. xi). Students who are involved in out-of-class activities tend to me more positive about their college experience, and therefore, “are more satisfied with their social life, living environment, academic major, and contacts with faculty, and are more likely to graduate than students who are not involved” (Kuh, et.al, p. 8).

Calls for reform (who says what, why) Traditional goals of education (what are they, why are they important, how are they different than the calls for reform Local values and goals (who wants what and why – families, students, employers, big business, media, government) Your organizations’ values/goals/beliefs (what does your organization value, how do you know) Synthesis (pull all the pieces together and tell what goals you think are critical, link back to the literature by citing authors’ names) Resources