21st Century Literacies: The Challenge and The Opportunity As little as we know about the future for which we are preparing our students, it is clear that it will be a place that is governed by information. Accessing, processing, building with, and communicating that information is how we will all make our livings. Being literate in this future will certainly involve the ability to read, write, and do basic math. However, the concept of literacy in the 21st century will be far richer and more comprehensive than the 3 Rs of the one room school house, a legacy that still strongly influences today's education environment. -David Warlick As little as we know about the future for which we are preparing our students, it is clear that it will be a place that is governed by information. Accessing, processing, building with, and communicating that information is how we will all make our livings. Being literate in this future will certainly involve the ability to read, write, and do basic math. However, the concept of literacy in the 21st century will be far richer and more comprehensive than the 3 Rs of the one room school house, a legacy that still strongly influences today's education environment. -David Warlick

The World is Changing

At a rate that is unprecedented!

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that today’s learner will have jobs by age 38!

According to former Secretary of Education Richard Riley...  The top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 will be jobs that didn ’ t exist in 2004.

We are:  currently preparing students for jobs that don ’ t yet exist...  that will require technologies not yet invented...  in order to solve problems we don ’ t even know are problems yet.  currently preparing students for jobs that don ’ t yet exist...  that will require technologies not yet invented...  in order to solve problems we don ’ t even know are problems yet.

What will our students need to operate effectively in 2036? What will our students need to operate effectively in 2036?

Literacy is changing  The ways we access information have changed.  Huge volumes of information are at our fingertips  We need to be able to find appropriate information  We need to judge its credibility.  The ways we access information have changed.  Huge volumes of information are at our fingertips  We need to be able to find appropriate information  We need to judge its credibility.

Literacy is Changing See a movie!

Web 2.0  It is now as easy to publish information to the Web as it is to send an  We are in the era of:  Blogs  Social bookmarking  Social networking  Media communities  Wikis  Podcasts  It is now as easy to publish information to the Web as it is to send an  We are in the era of:  Blogs  Social bookmarking  Social networking  Media communities  Wikis  Podcasts Welcome the age of Web 2.0 The read-write web! Most middle school students know what these are. Do we?

How does this affect teaching and learning?  Students will need to use these tools, in fact many already are.  The tools offer unprecedented opportunities for communication, authentic audiences, and engagement.  We need to model; without models the digital natives are digital orphans.  Students will need to use these tools, in fact many already are.  The tools offer unprecedented opportunities for communication, authentic audiences, and engagement.  We need to model; without models the digital natives are digital orphans.

Teaching New Literacies is Essential  Essential for the world of work  Essential for the development of an informed, reflective and active citizenry in a democracy  Essential in extending the joy of learning into a lifelong experience  Essential for the world of work  Essential for the development of an informed, reflective and active citizenry in a democracy  Essential in extending the joy of learning into a lifelong experience

While much is changing, much of what constitutes great teaching remains the same.  We need to engage students.  We need to teach them to comprehend and think critically.  We need to help them to be effective communicators.  We need to teach and support them to be ethical.  We need to engage students.  We need to teach them to comprehend and think critically.  We need to help them to be effective communicators.  We need to teach and support them to be ethical.

Bloom’s Taxonomy Higher Level Thinking Evaluation : Make recommendations, assess value and make choices, critique ideas Synthesis : Discuss “what if” situations, create new ideas, predict and draw conclusions Analysis : Recognize patterns and meaning, see parts and whole Application :Use information in new situation, solve problems Comprehension :Finding meaning,compare, restate,summarize Knowledge : dates,events, places,vocabulary, key ideas

But while great teaching remains the same …  The tools have changed.  Issues of equity have changed with the tools.  New opportunities carry new risks of inequity.  The tools have changed.  Issues of equity have changed with the tools.  New opportunities carry new risks of inequity.

Many schools and teachers have not yet recognized—much less responded to—the new ways students communicate and access information over the Internet. Students report that there is a substantial disconnect between how they use the Internet for school and how they use the Internet during the school day and under teacher direction. For the most part, students’ educational use of the Internet occurs outside of the school day, outside of the school building, outside the direction of their teachers. Many schools and teachers have not yet recognized—much less responded to—the new ways students communicate and access information over the Internet. Students report that there is a substantial disconnect between how they use the Internet for school and how they use the Internet during the school day and under teacher direction. For the most part, students’ educational use of the Internet occurs outside of the school day, outside of the school building, outside the direction of their teachers. The Internet and School

What are we doing to prepare students for their future? What more can we do? Go to: And record your thoughts.