www.21stcenturyskills.org

I was impressed with how dedicated this group of people is in emphasizing the importance of teaching 21st century skills to today's youth. The 21st century standards focus on skills, content knowledge, and expertise that students need to succeed in the 21st century work force. the standards emphasize engaging students in real world learning in and outside of the classroom.

As I was looking through the website, I did not really find anything that I disagreed with. In fact, I found the articles on cursive writing becoming a lost art to be very interesting and true. this website has many varied topics that affect us as educators, parents, business professionals, and future workers. It has a lot to offer and is a great resource for staying current with what is taking place within education.

As an educator, I need to find ways to implement technology into my teaching to help provide the skills my students will need to be successful upon graduation.

Utilizing blogs in the Classroom

From the start of this course, I have been asking myself how I could use blogs in my classrooms? This year, I will be having my level one students reading a book together in class. I would like to use a classroom blog for the students to post their reactions, make comments, or ask questions about what we will be reading. Every class has a student or two who never participates in a discussion. I believe a blog will give those students an opportunity to express themselves without intimidation.
I would also like to post my students' work. I know that I can post pictures, but I would also like to submit videos of my students signing their stories, if this is possible. I wonder, would this be like you-tube? This would be a great way for the students to see how far they have advanced from a level one student up to a level three student! These could become their ASL portfolios!
By posting assignments on our blogs, my students would be able to keep track of their assignments, especially if they miss school due to an illness or an unscheduled vacation from school. Parents would also be able to access the blogs to keep track of their children's assignments and accomplishments.
I am looking forward to all the possibilities of blogging!

My First Blog

Hello, everyone! This is the first time I have created a blog! I am a high school teacher of American Sign Language (ASL). I have been teaching now for eight years. Before that, I was an educational interpreter for deaf students for fourteen years. I am working on my Master's degree in Integrating Technology into the Classroom from Walden University. As overwhelming as I sometimes feel, I am excited about this program.