Lessons Learned

Educating the Net Generation
First - while I was reading this article I had 10 different sites up simultaneously and received Facebook messages from 3 different people, so needless to say, none of this was really news to me.... I have 2 teenagers and a 10 year old and am very connected to the Net and the I generation :) I also speak text... I send a couple thousand a month myself, while my daughter can range into the 7 or 8 thousand range! Oh, and one of the facebook pings was from the secretary at my childrens' school. In the 15 or so months since this was created I believe that the online social networking usage has probably gone up exponentially! One concern I have is that students are losing the ability to verbally communicate with intelligence and clarity. I am also concerned about emotional intelligence and well-being in the digital and instant nature of such instant and constant connections. I am seeing it in my own children.

Why Integrate
Four components: active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts. "Through projects, students acquire and refine their analysis and problem-solving skills as they work individually and in teams to find, process, and synthesize information they've found online." I love that!

21st Century Skills
I like the all-encompassing nature of the 21st century skills layout. It takes into consideration knowledge, application, problem solving, communication, collaboration... all the skills necessary for success. I like the idea of assessing career skills, especially communication skills.

Teens Learning Skills Online
Ok, thank you for saying what I've been trying to tell my older friends and parents! Just last week my daughter taught herself a new Ukelele tune on youtube! They are learning skills, and not just technological ones. My major concern, however, is the addiction to being connected, as pointed out in the article. Teens become so addicted to being constantly connected to a web of intimate friends that they can't go a day, or even sometimes an hour without that communication. They are unable to live in the moments surrounding them, be with the people around them in person. This is very disconcerting. The dating situation described where the first text and last text of the day are between two teens is a reality in my house right now. Additionally, conversations that would never be had in person are not a problem in instant messaging when followed by a haha or an lol, and make social inappropriateness difficult to gauge. This level of freedom has also led to an interesting disrespect for authority that I have noticed. It is almost a "say whatever you want to me, but I'm going to text and message what a $#%& you are behind your back so I really don't care."

The new WWW: Whatever Whenever Wherever
Interesting ideas. The concept that having unlimited access to information will somehow leave us feeling hollow and unfulfilled. I have yet to feel that way and I believe that I am taking advantage of many of the available avenues. I do see the point, however, of not letting children become mired in instant information. I like the idea of creative portals for control of access to media for use in your specific classroom... class websites with links to those sites that you wish your students to use.

Engaged Learning
The skills that are important in a modern students world: (these were so awesome I paused it several times to get them all down!)
Ethical Behavior, Critical Thinking, Decision Making, Judgement, Goal Setting, Planning, Self Direction, Self-Evaluation, Communication, Creative Thinking, Designing, Proactivity, Personal Expression, Prudent Risk Taking, Long-Term Thinking, Continual Improvement, Interacting with Individuals, Interacting with Groups, Interacting with Machines, Interacting with a World Audience. Times have certainly changed. Now I believe we teach our subject matter with a goal of teaching the above skills by teaching the content.

Games and Simulations
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