The Necessity of Teaching 21st Century Skills

I believe that teaching children how to use technology and implementing technology in the classroom is greatly beneficial. Technology is something that students today can relate to because it has always been part of their 21^st century world. I agree with Regan who wrote, “While the context in which our schools operate today has changed, the goals have not.” Of course we still want to teach children information, ways of communicating, how to problem solve, collaboration, global awareness, and topical literacy, but if teachers continue to teach the old fashion way without integrating technology, teachers are not going to make connections with students. A huge part of learning is forming a relationship with learning through teacher encouragement.

Also, Regan points out that Dewey’s theory of “learning by doing” is still in practice today, however the ways in which students do and participate has drastically changed and we need to embrace that. By creating fully integrated curriculums that allow students to explore through the use of technology, students are able to “get closer to the source of information.” Not only are students able to more closely examine information, but media also helps them to express what they have learned. Including structured media in the classroom does not necessarily mean that social networking, contacting friends, or browsing the web will distract students, but how do teachers set limits?

I fully support the use of media technology in the classroom because I believe that it allows students to build stronger personal connections to the materials. By allowing students to further explore using what they already know, students will only expand their curiosity and problem-solving skills. But, if they are not able to use technology and more easily make connections with the information being taught in school, it is very likely that students will check out and not make as much progress as they can through the use of an integrated curriculum.