Professional Development
I was glad to read in Solomon chapter 11 that along with learning in the 21st century, the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic are still important to master. The idea that all learners emerge as the following:
- Information seekers, analyzers, and evaluators
- Problem solvers and decision makers
- Productive and creative users of technology tools
- Communicators, collaborators, publishers, and producers
- Informed, responsible, and involved citizens (Solomon, p. 149)
The key word here is ALL. Not all students are going to fit this criteria any more than they fit the mold of “school” as we now conduct it. I agree with the authors that professional development is going to have to be transformed to help teachers to utilize technology and incorporate it into the learning process as much as it is ingrained in the lives of students. The last bullet (above) as a goal for all students is more attainable with careful consideration of the way in which each student approaches the prior ones. For example, what motivates them to seek, analyze, and evaluate information? They all do it, but it may not be the type of information seeking that “we” see as productive. They solve problems and make decisions and if they have access to technology, they find ways to use it creatively. Guidance and high expectations according to individual needs are important factors to be considered here.
