21st Century Educational Technology

21st Century Skills: - http://ultibase.rmit.edu.au/Articles/sept02/lambert1.htm
"Many districts are so overwhelmed and concerned about the NCLB requirements and potential financial repercussions of not complying, that for lots of them the safest route is the 'back-to-basics' approach-focusing entirely on 20th century skills at the expense of 21st century ones."

This is so tell tale of districts today. It seems that the easiest way to recapture American hegemony is to focus on what we do best: create. 21CT is what can take us there. For example, why do we focus on spelling past the 6th grade? It is an inefficient use of teacher time since our students have spell check. That is like asking someone to use a lug wrench when they have an air impact wrench. Like they also said in the article, it seems to me that test scores go up when we focus on core competencies via tech (students preferred mode of communication)  as opposed to using 20th century methods that are vastly outdated. \

21st Century Learners- http://ultibase.rmit.edu.au/Articles/sept02/lambert1.htm

"Our 21^st century environment is one of rapid communication, action, mobility and change, of intricate social activity and a huge potential for new knowledge."

"As we move from teaching to learning-centred provision, the learner is more central to the higher education process, indeed to education as a whole (Winkley, 2000). The emphasis is shifting ‘from the activities of the teacher or trainer towards development of the student’ (Ball, 1996, p.2)."

This shows how indeed we are moving away from the model of teacher-disseminated information to purveyors of the skill necessary to access such knowledge. For example, we should not teach students about history from a lectern but instead should teach them via project based learning to access the knowledge they need. We must teach them to be discerning and critical. Like the article said, there is more information available to students via the web and intranets than can ever be taught in front of the class. Thus we need to develop students in their true form instead of creating receptacles for knowledge.