Alabama Education in the 21 st Century

Alabama Education in the 21st Century

Kristan Van Hook, Infotech StrategiesAlabama Department of Education

February 18, 2004

Infotech Strategies, Inc. Confidential

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Alabama in the 21st Century

• Why 21st Century Skills in Alabama?• What are 21st Century Skills?• What must Alabama do?• Summary

Why 21st Century Skills in Alabama?

The needs of Alabama and the Alabama economy have dramatically changed.

The needs of Alabama and its economy will continue to change.


How is our world different from our parents’ world?



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Parents’ World vs. Our World

Parents:• 1.5 jobs over lifetime• Subject mastery was

most important to keep single job over lifetime

Today• 9.6 jobs between ages

18-40• Subject mastery is not as

important- employees need broader skills to handle the diversity of the workforce.



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What has changed…

• Today, people have more than 10 jobs during their lifetime.

• Core subjects are not enough- employees need to know:

» How to communicate» How to use 21st Century Tools» How to collaborate» How to problem-solve



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Our needs have also changed…

• We are in a Global Skills race- Alabama students need to be able to compete in the 21st Century workforce that requires globalization of skills and knowledge



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The Global Skills Race is on…

• Montgomery must be able to compete against cities like Bangalore, India for positions in a knowledge economy.


As our needs change, our education must change…



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Competing Education Models

Traditional Student

• Core Subject Mastery

21st Century Student

• Core Subject Mastery• 21st Century Skills, such as

• Thinking and Problem Solving Skills

• Information and Communication Skills

• Interpersonal and Self-Direction Skills



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As we consider these two models…

• Who would be a better citizen?• Who would be a better employee?• Who would be best prepared for a changing

economy?• Who would be a better leader?



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What does a 21st Century Student Need?

• In order to master the 21st Century, a student needs:

• The ability to use 21st Century Tools appropriately

• The ability to apply 21st Century Tools to their core subject learning.

• The ability to be ICT Literate.


What are 21st Century Skills?


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21st Century Skills are:the full integration of core subjects

with learning skills, 21st Century tools and 21st Century content

as taught in 21st Century contexts.


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Traditional View of Education…What are 21st Century Skills?


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Vision for the future…What are 21st Century Skills?


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What is ICT Literacy?

ICT (information and communication technologies) Literacy is competency in enacting learning

skills via the application of 21st Century Learning Tools.



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What are Learning Skills?

• Information and Media Literacy Skills

• Communication Skills• Critical Thinking and

Systems Thinking • Creativity and Intellectual

Curiosity• Problem Identification,

Formulation and Solution

• Interpersonal and Collaborative Skills

• Self-Direction• Accountability and

Adaptability• Social Responsibility



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Why is ICT Literacy Important?

• It is better than the technology literacy model, as it gives students broader skills for the 21st Century.

• ICT Literacy is an effective way of teaching core subjects to allow students to apply both core subjects and 21st Century Skills to all areas of students’ worlds.


How are communities applying ICT Literacy?



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Maine Township, Illinois

• Maine Township has formally adopted information literacy goals and systematically integrated them into core academics in the high school. By their senior year, students are expected to know how to formulate questions efficiently to meet the requirement of a problem, identify appropriate resources, analyze and organize identified resources, build arguments and problem solve based on the resources.

• Visit them at www.maine207.k12.il.us



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Lawrence Township, Indiana

• The district hired a full-time director of professional development and an internal initiative coordinator and trained 40 master teachers to serve as digital age literacy leaders and coaches. In addition, the district created the framework for an online learning environment, a professional development council and have assessed the self-direction skills of their students.

• Visit them at www.msdlt.k12.in.us



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Napa, California

• Napa New Technology High School features performance-based assessments, daily shared planning time for staff, state-of-the-art technical facilities for project-based learning, internships for all students and close links to high-tech workplaces. All core subjects are integrated and assessments are portfolio-based. In addition, the school teaches and assesses such learning skills as collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

• Visit them at www.nths.nvusd.k12.ca.us


What must Alabama do?

Nine Steps to Build Momentum



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The Nine Steps…

1. Build a Powerful Vision of Education2. Build Capacity for 21st Century Skills3. Take a Self-Assessment4. Develop Priorities for 21st Century Skills5. Develop a Professional Development Plan6. Ensure Equitable Access7. Develop Student Assessments for 21st Century Skills8. Collaborate with Outside Partners9. Plan Strategically for Ongoing Improvement


Step #1: Build a Powerful Vision of Education



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Building a Powerful Vision…

• Does your vision of education include 21st Century Skills?

• Is your vision broader than just core subjects?• Does your vision include learning skills and 21st

Century Tools?


Step #2: Build Capacity for 21st Century Skills



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Building Capacity…

• This cannot be done from the bottom up- everyone must be excited about incorporating 21st Century Skills.

• Everyone must commit to incorporating 21st Century Skills into standards, assessments, professional development.

• Students, teachers, principals, superintendents and other stakeholders must be aligned in their efforts to learn and promote 21st Century Skills.


Step #3: Take a Self-Assessment



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Take a self assessment…

• Use our MILE Guide for 21st Century Skills to gauge schools’ current capacity for preparing students to succeed.

• Share the results with stakeholders.



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The MILE Guide for 21st Century SkillsWhat must Alabama do?

Step #4: Develop Priorities for 21st Century Skills



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Develop Priorities…

• Using your results from the MILE Guide, focus on the gaps between the current realities and your vision.

• What are your short-term and long-term priorities?


Step #5: Develop a Professional Development Plan



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Professional Development Plan…

• 21st Century Skills must be a critical part of professional development.

• Money must be put aside for professional development.


Step #6: Make Sure Students Have Equitable Access to a 21st Century

Education



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Equitable Access…

• All students need highly qualified, effective teachers and regular, reliable access to 21st Century Tools.

• Education leaders and stakeholders must be vigilant about providing underserved students with equitable access.


Step #7: Develop Student Assessments for 21st Century

Skills



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Assessments…

• Develop assessments to measure 21st Century Skills.

• Assessments must be embedded in core subjects and project-based.



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Assessments…

• The Educational Testing Service (ETS) is currently working with higher education to create to conceive, design, and build assessments that gauge whether students possess the ability to use digital technology to solve problems in order to function in an information society. Learn more at http://www.ets.org/ictliteracy/index2.html



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Assessments…

• Microsoft and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) have collaborated to create a formative, online technology learning assessment tool. Available in pilot programs starting in 2004, the tool will offer schools the ability to legitimately document their progression toward and support their implementation of technology standards. Learn more at www.iste.org.


Step #8: Collaborate with Outside Partners



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Collaborate…

• Business• Communities• After school Programs• Partnership for 21st Century Skills• Infotech Strategies


Step #9: Plan Collectively and Strategically for the Future



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Plan…

• Work with stakeholders• Articulate a long-term vision• Work on continuous innovation• Develop an improvement agenda



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Summary

• Those of us dedicated to the future of Alabama must make a commitment to ensuring that students have the 21st Century Skills that they need to succeed.

• This is a daunting challenge- we simply can’t afford not to take it on.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills

www.21stcenturyskills.org

Documents

Alabama Education in the 21 st Century