Well, what would our last week of reading and blogging be without another framework to reflect on?
In this case, the focus on assessment and visible thinking has really
got me thinking about how ICT and Inquiry-Based Learning come together and impact our role as educators and students.
In Draft White Paper 1: Designing 21st Century Skills, Binkley et al (2010) state that
there is more information presented in a week of the New York Times than people would have
learned in a lifetime during the 18th Century. This is truly
astounding! Yet, when I think about the social media I participate in, there is
no way that I could possibly read every Facebook post, Twitter feed, or Google+
share that I look at in a day, never mind a week!
Which brings me to visible thinking. Access to a plethora of information through increased access to technology is part of society and education. Therefore, it is essential students learn to reflect on where and how they attain their
information. Ritchhart & Perkins
(2008) use classrooms as models of visible thinking. In one grade 1 classroom,
the teacher uses the phrase “What makes
you think that?” when her students pose a statement related to a discussion topic. This simple question can provide the teacher with important
information about her students - their background knowledge, accuracy and
source of information, and assessment of their understanding. It also provides
the teacher direction as she facilitates the lesson or unit. Validation of student ideas helps them
to become more critical of what they read and hear.
As students of the 21st Century, the skills
required to function and contribute within society have increased in both
quantity and complexity. Technology has made collaboration, contribution
easier, therefore the expectation will be (if it isn’t already) in most
classrooms that students actively engage in some form of online community or
group shaping the participatory culture. The KSAVE (Knowledge, Skills, and
Attitudes, Values and Ethics) framework established by Binkley et al
(2010) provides “… measurable descriptions of the skills…” required. The detailed framework provides clear
outcomes and expectations of each of the 4 categories outlined in the white
paper:
Ways of
Thinking
Ways of
Working
Tools
for Working
Living
in the World
With the
current curriculum redesign in Alberta, I know that the digital technology competency is an area that is important to me in the work I do as a consultant and teacher. Some educators will embrace this focus and others will be intimidated. Will there be exemplars and
assessment rubrics developed to support teachers as they begin to embed these
skills with their teaching? What are other districts in Alberta planning to
support implementation and build capacity within their schools?
References
Binkley, M., Erstad, O., Herman, J., Raizen, S., Ripley, M. & Rumble, M. (2010). Draft white paper 1: Defining 21st century skills. Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills. Retrieved from http://atc21s.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/1-Defining-21st-Century-Skills.pdf
Ritchhart, R. & Perkins, D. (2008). Making thinking visible. Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education. Retrieved from https://its-csnap01.dcsdk12.org/cia_resources/
thinking_files/Making%20Thinking%20Visible.pdf
