Journal 4: Create, Collaborate, Communicate

Riedel's article was based on a speech given by Howie DiBlasi speaking at FETC 2009 in Orlando, FL. DiBlasi is a retired district CIO and he shared his thoughts about the need for educators to infuse 21st century skills into their curriculum in order to motivate and inspire their students. He shared numerous statistics the most astonishing being that according to a study that ranked 55 industry sectors by their level of IT intensiveness, education ranked 55 ... below coal mining.

When presenting his list of the top 16 things educators need to do in order to prepare their students to be effective leaders of the future, DiBlasi used a range of new/current technologies. His list included: Hug a Geek- ask for help, Create a Social Network- web based platform, Develop Problem-Solving Skills- brainteasers/puzzles daily, Start Collaborating- interacting with curriculum and other students, Use Project-Based Learning- real world scenarios, Develop Information Processing Skills- how to assess the validity of the info, Give Kids a Global Voice- use a platform to collaborate with other students around the world, Discover RSS, Improve Critical Thinking Skills, Teach Our Kids to be Self-Directed- invested in the final product, Create, Collaborate, Communicate- create a school blog, Discover Social Bookmarking, Use Interactive Video Conferencing- IVC and virtual field trips, Integrate Web 2.0 Tools into Every Aspect of Curriculum, Promote 1:1 Computing, Staff Development is Fundamental

Question #1: What is an example of a social network? Ning; you can create a social network about your classroom/school/district and/or /join an existing network that incorporates education. I checked out Ning and there was a great social network called Babble for parents.

Question #2: What can I do to improve critical thinking skills? DiBlasi recommended FantasticContraption.com. where students can participate in online physics projects. I checked out the tutorial and it was pretty cool. My students might even be able to do it.

Riedel, Chris (2009, January). Create, Collaborate, Communicate: Empowering Students With 21st Century Skills. T-H-E JOurnal, Retrieved 02/23/2009, from http://www.thejournal.com/articles/23872_1