This is a picture of my "almost" two-year old son talking on the phone. But wait....it's not a cell phone, it's a calculator. And like the crazy mom I am, I simply let him chatter away while I grabbed my cell phone.
I have many dreams for my son (and my daughter) and using the aforementioned calculator is not one of them. But many more have bubbled to the surface. And not just for my own kiddos.
Having been a teacher for over thirteen years before I starting having children of my own has been an eye-opening experience. Growing up, I used to think of my teachers as rockstars. If I saw them in the supermarket- GASP- it was like seeing the rainbow unicorns I used to dream about.
Now, being lucky enough to spend my day surrounded by other people's children, I realize how much difference a teacher makes. I also realize how MY classroom expectations help to really drive the student learning. I try and work hard to be the teacher that prepares students for the real world. To teach where "65% of today's grade school kids will end up at jobs that haven't been invented yet."**
Here are the skills I try to cultivate:
These are adapted from the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and Habits of Mind. I came across this resource from an AH-MAZE-ING colleague, Paul Solarz in Illinois (@PaulSolarz). He created a 21st Century Report Card to help communicate these skills with teachers, parents, and students. It can be found at http://principalgregmiller.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/21st-century-skills-report-card.pdf
** United States Department of Labor. Futurework-Trends and Challenges for Work in the 21st Century.
I have many dreams for my son (and my daughter) and using the aforementioned calculator is not one of them. But many more have bubbled to the surface. And not just for my own kiddos.
Having been a teacher for over thirteen years before I starting having children of my own has been an eye-opening experience. Growing up, I used to think of my teachers as rockstars. If I saw them in the supermarket- GASP- it was like seeing the rainbow unicorns I used to dream about.
Now, being lucky enough to spend my day surrounded by other people's children, I realize how much difference a teacher makes. I also realize how MY classroom expectations help to really drive the student learning. I try and work hard to be the teacher that prepares students for the real world. To teach where "65% of today's grade school kids will end up at jobs that haven't been invented yet."**
Here are the skills I try to cultivate:
- Communicate clearly
- Collaborate with others
- Think Interdependently
- Think Creatively
- Work Creatively with Others
- Implement Innovations
- Apply Past Knowledge to New Situations
- Think Critically
- Make Judgments and Decisions
- Ask Questions
- Solve Problems
- Think about your Thinking (Metacognition)
- Reflect and Synthesize
- Adapt to Change
- Think and Learn Flexibly
- Demonstrate Learning Through All Intelligence Pathways (Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences)
- Manage Goals and Time
- Be Self-Directed Learners
- Persist Despite Setbacks
- Be Curious
- Learn Continuously
- Interact Effectively with Others
- Work Effectively in Diverse Teams
- Find Humor in Appropriate Situations
- Manage Projects
- Produce Results
- Guide and Lead Others
- Be Responsible to Yourself and Others
- Access, Evaluate, use and Manage Information
- Analyze and Apply Technology Effectively
- Create Media Products
These are adapted from the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and Habits of Mind. I came across this resource from an AH-MAZE-ING colleague, Paul Solarz in Illinois (@PaulSolarz). He created a 21st Century Report Card to help communicate these skills with teachers, parents, and students. It can be found at http://principalgregmiller.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/21st-century-skills-report-card.pdf
** United States Department of Labor. Futurework-Trends and Challenges for Work in the 21st Century.