Teaching in the 21St Century: the Need for Change

Teaching in the 21st Century: The Need for Change

Central Bucks Schools~ Embedded Learning

Contact Info:

Lynne O’Hara

267-893-2585

Room B118, CB West

Teaching in the 21st Century: The Need for Change

Learning Guide - Blended Study Group Version

Use this guide as you progress through the course to organize your thoughts and to help you plan ways to apply the content you have learned in your building/district. At times, you may be prompted to refer to the learning guide for specific directions or activities. This course is structured using units, sections, and topics. For further explanation, please refer back to the online orientation.

Throughout this course you will demonstrate an understanding of the course content and practice the skills discussed. There will be activities requiring planning, applying, reflecting metacognition, and sharing.

Note that some activities will require that you submit responses electronically. All work can be created in a word processing program and then be copied and pasted into the collection fields on screen.

As you progress through the course, be sure to:

Read and listen to the information presented.
Print and read additional materials as directed.
Follow the Learning Guide closely as you progress through the multimedia portions of the course. It contains step-by-step instructions for all activities.
Complete all activities, some of which require application in your building/district.
Participate actively and frequently in all discussion activities.
Add information to your Learning Log as directed and at any other time you choose.
Visit the "Links" section and navigate through the additional web resource links.
Create a course resource binder for future reference by collecting all printed course materials and activities that will help you successfully complete the culminating activity.

Unit 1: Introduction

Section 1.1: Introduction

Topic 1.1.2 Course Overview

This course is divided into five units. The first unit is an introduction to the objectives and materials of the course. The second unit will provide the rationale for 21st Century change by examining students and workplace. The third unit will examine the roles and responsibilities required of teachers to prepare students for the 21st Century workplace. The fourth unit explores how supporting systems must conform in order to accomplish the 21st Century transformation in the classroom. In the last unit, the completion of the culminating activity based on the collection of reflections and results from course activities will occur.

The following is an estimate of the time it will take to complete each unit.

Unit 1 / Unit 2 / Unit 3 / Unit 4 / Culminating Activity / Total
1 hour &
10 minutes / 9 hours &
50 minutes / 6 hours &
30 minutes / 8 hours &
30 minutes / 4 hours / 30 hours

Unit 1 Activity Time Breakdown

Course Objectives

As a result of this course, you will be able to:

identify the needs and preferences of the 21st century learners
recognize the gap that exists between current instructional practices and the skill set needed by students for success in the 21st century workplace
understand the role collegial collaboration plays in establishing a 21st century classroom
establish more effective communication among stakeholders

*For each activity/experience the relevant objectives are identified in the third column of the chart.

Unit 1: Introduction
Title / Estimated Time / Objectives Identified
View Multimedia Segment—Introduction / 5 minutes / NA
Read Series Overview Document / 10 minutes / NA
View Multimedia Segment—Course Objectives/Overview / 5 minutes / NA
Print and review the Learning Guide / 20 minutes / NA
Participate in Sync Point Discussion Activity / 30 minutes / NA
Unit Time Total / 70 minutes / All versions

View multimedia Segment – Introduction

Read Series Overview document on the following pages.

21st Century Teaching and Learning Series:
A Professional Development System to Support All High School Reform Initiatives

Our society is in the midst of an unprecedented explosion in all forms of technology and information. This rapid growth in new technologies or improvements to existing technology are in turn fostering changes in education, the workforce, job skill demand, global competition, and life-long learning. We are in a knowledge-driven economy that demands highly effective workers in workplaces in which working and learning are the same activity. This opportunity encourages us to rethink much of what we do in schools, how we learn, and how we prepare students for a world which is difficult for us to envision.

It is critical that we acknowledge the need to improve academic achievement and to recognize that changing demands within an increasingly technologically sophisticated economy and global competition compel us to do so. By the time students leave high school, they should be prepared for citizenship, work and post secondary education. We can no longer continue to prepare high school students in the traditional core academic skills alone. Preparation for the 21st Century will require not only the traditional academic content that we measure today but also new skills and new knowledge. Today's graduates will need 21st Century skills such as critical thinking and problem solving. Not only will they have to master rigorous academic core content, but they will also need to master emerging content in global awareness, civic literacy, and financial and economic literacy. In order to communicate this knowledge, innovate and collaborate, students must also be able to master technology.

Good teaching has always helped to develop life skills such as adaptability, self-direction, people skills and accountability. Teaching in the 21st Century will require even more deliberate and intentional instruction in these areas as teachers strive to offer meaningful and relevant educational experiences for all students.

Envision high school classrooms where subjects come alive as students take on the roles of historians, scientists, mathematicians, and authors to investigate critical questions, weigh different points of view in light of discoveries, form positions, and present and defend their work while collaborating with peers. Technology is integrated seamlessly in the learning process for research, connecting with experts in the field, career exploration, collaborating with others, and publishing completed works. The teacher acts as a facilitator of learning leading students to higher levels of thinking and creativity while releasing more responsibility to students by using appropriate protocols for classroom management. Instruction is differentiated to meet the individual needs of each student in the class.

In this environment, student engagement dramatically increases, attendance improves and dropout rates decrease. As students feel more engaged and intellectually stimulated, they exhibit more ownership for their learning and perform higher academically.

In order for teachers to accomplish the transformation from instruction primarily delivered through lecture and textbook to using multiple modalities in more authentic and dynamic learning environments, they will need a purposefully designed program of study with the necessary implementation support system and accountability for change.

The 21st Century Teaching & Learning Series takes teachers through the pedagogical transformation process in a program of study that builds the instructional foundation for real change in classroom practice and ensures the change is being implemented through action research and classroom observations. The series begins with the first course that builds a compelling case for change with the learners completing a thorough needs analysis and action plan for accomplishing the change in conjunction with their principal, department, and study group colleagues. The second through fifth courses are subject specific (i.e. there are versions for mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts) and purposefully build the pedagogical skills necessary for accomplishing lasting instructional change. They will lead to the creation of dynamic, authentic classroom environments where students take on the roles of scientists, historians, mathematicians, and writers. Teachers seamlessly incorporate inquiry, projects, technology, and dynamic and flexible groupings into authentic teaching and learning.

The 21st Century Teaching & Learning Series Framework:

Goal:To build the capacity of Pennsylvania's high school teachers to better meet the needs of today's students.

Series Tools

Provides strategies to integrate student use of technology.
Provides opportunities for the teacher to become a facilitator of learning.
Provides performance-based assessment strategies.
Uses lesson planning tools to incorporate series content.
Incorporates student higher order thinking skills.
Provides opportunities for students to have authentic experiences through collaboration and interdisciplinary means.
Provides a principal observation tool for assessing series content implementation.
Provides strategies for communicating with stakeholders.

Program of Study

The 21st Century Teaching & Learning Series takes teachers through a pedagogical transformation process in a program of study that builds the instructional foundation for real change in classroom practice and ensures the change is being implemented through action research and classroom observations.

This series is designed to be meaningful to both novice and experienced teachers and is comprised of five courses. The courses will be available in a variety of versions including self-study and facilitated study groups; however, only the facilitated study group versions of the courses will be acceptable in order to fulfill the Classrooms for the Future requirement.

The series begins with the first course that builds a compelling case for change with the learners completing a thorough needs analysis and action plan for accomplishing the change in conjunction with their principal, department, and study group colleagues. The second course introduces skills for creating dynamic, authentic classroom environments where students take on the roles of scientists, historians, mathematicians, and writers. The third through fifth courses purposefully builds the pedagogical skills necessary for accomplishing lasting instructional change including inquiry-based learning, project-based learning, and differentiated instruction with a special emphasis on continuing the dynamic and authentic classroom environment from course two.

Course 1: / Teaching in the 21st Century – The Need for Change
Course 2: / Teaching Authentic Mathematics in the 21st Century, or
Teaching Authentic Science in the 21st Century, or
Teaching Authentic Social Studies in the 21st Century, or
Teaching Authentic Language Arts in the 21st Century
Course 3: / Differentiated Instruction in the Mathematics Classroom, or
Differentiated Instruction in the Social Studies Classroom, or
Differentiated Instruction in the Science Classroom, or
Differentiated Instruction in the Language Arts Classroom
Course 4: / Authentic Inquiry-Based Learning in the Mathematics Classroom, or
Authentic Inquiry-Based Learning in the Social Studies Classroom, or
Authentic Inquiry-Based Learning in the Science Classroom, or
Authentic Inquiry-Based Learning in the Language Arts Classroom
Course 5: / Authentic Project-Based Learning in the Mathematics Classroom, or
Authentic Project-Based Learning in the Social Studies Classroom, or
Authentic Project-Based Learning in the Science Classroom, or
Authentic Project-Based Learning in the Language Arts Classroom

21st Century Teaching and Learning Series Goals

The goal of the series is to transform high school instruction from the 20th Century to 21st Century teaching and learning.

Change From / Description / Change To / Description
Teacher Centered / Teachers spend time disseminating information to students through direct instruction / Student Centered / Teachers act as facilitators, coaching students as they work on authentic projects
Content Coverage / Teachers cover content through direct instruction and move at a pace to ensure that all material is presented, whether it is learned or not. / Learning and Doing / Teachers design projects to address essential academic standards. Student performance on projects demonstrates proficiency or deficiency with respect to standards. Intervention is done for students not meeting standards.
Memorizing information / Teachers spend most time involved in direct instruction, with assessment occurring as a test at the end where recall of information is tested. / Using information / Teachers have students use information to develop authentic projects where mastery of information is demonstrated in the way information is used in the project.
Lecturer / Teachers spend most of their time involved in “stand and deliver”. Knowledge comes from the teacher. / Facilitator / The teacher provides projects that involve students doing research and assimilating the knowledge themselves. Teachers act as coaches and provide support as need by students. They take on the role of project manager.
Change From / Description / Change To / Description
Whole Group Configuration / All students receive the same instruction. One size fits all. / Flexible Grouping Configuration Based on Individual Student Needs / Teachers group students based on needs. Instruction seldom is to the whole group. Rather, instruction occurs with individuals, pairs, or small groups as needed.
Single Instructional and Learning Modality / Multiple Instructional and Learning Modalities to Include All Students
Memorization and Recall / Tests are the primary means of assessment and focus on recall and lower level thinking. / Higher Order Thinking Skills / Teachers assign projects to the class that requires higher order thinking (synthesis, analysis, application, and evaluation).
Single Discipline / The class is conducted in an isolated manner without connections to other classes or subjects. / Interdisciplinary / Teachers have students complete projects that are designed to use information and skills that cut across other subject areas. Some projects and assignments may be done collaboratively between two or more classes (e.g., history, science, and language arts – a study of what really might have happened at the Little Big Horn)
Isolated / Students are encouraged to work individually / Collaborative / Teachers allow students to work collaboratively on projects and network with others in the class, as well as experts outside of school.
Change From / Description / Change To / Description
Quiz and Test Assessments / Students are assessed through tests only. / Performance-Based Assessments / Teachers utilize projects as well as other products and performances as assessments to determine student achievement and needs. Assessments are tailored to the talents/needs of the students.
Textbook Dependent / The teacher may follow the textbook chapter by chapter, page by page. The text book is the major source of information. / Multiple Sources of Information Including Technology / Teachers use the textbook as just another resource, which is used in conjunction with the internet, journals, interviews of experts, etc.
Technology as a luxury / The teacher is the main user of technology, primarily as a means of presenting information. / Technology fully integrated into the classroom / Teachers have students regularly use technology to find information, network/communicate with each other and experts, and to produce and present their projects, assignments, and performances.
Teachers teaching to the one learning style / Teachers teach to one learning style (nearly) all the time (e.g., always talking only, or always giving notes on the board only). Teachers also expect student submissions to always be the same most or all of the time (e.g., all work is submitted in written form). / Teachers addressing the learning styles of all learners / Teachers use different means of presenting information. Methods are based on the preferences of individual students or groups. Students are able to convey information to the teacher via their projects/ performances/ assignments in a variety of modalities, based on their preferences (written, spoken, music, acted out, etc.).
Change From / Description / Change To / Description
Learning content / The focus is on covering content / Learner-Directed Learning / Through projects, teachers have students learn how to ask the right questions, do an appropriate investigation, get answers, and use the information so they can continue to learn all their lives.
Learning isolated skills and factoids / Facts and skills are learned out of context and for their own sakes. / Using a variety of types of information to complete authentic projects / Teachers devise projects that help students learn information and skills through using them in situations similar to the way they would in real life.
Acting purely as a student / Students are involved in strictly academic endeavors (e.g., note taking, listening to lectures). / Students acting as a worker in the discipline / Teachers set up student assignments, projects, and performances to allow students to operate the way a person would working in the field in the real world (as a scientist, writer, mathematician, etc).
Teaching in isolation / Closing the door and working alone with no contact or help from outside the classroom / Teaching in collaboration / Teachers take part in co- and team teaching, as well as working collaboratively with department members to improve learning for students
Teaching in such a way as to disengage students. / Students become bored because school is not engaging and they feel they have to power down. / Engaging the 21st Century student / Teachers consider utilize the unique characteristics of the 21st Century brain and the habits of the 21st Century digital native to provide engaging and effective instruction.
Change From / Description / Change To / Description
Teaching content / Teachers focus on subject matter alone. / Teaching to prepare students for the 21st Century workplace. / Teachers incorporate elements of the 21st Century workplace into the classroom to prepare the student with 21st Century workplace experiences and skills.
Teachers alone educate the student / Teachers have the primary responsibility for educating the student and focus most if not all of the load / Shared responsibility for educating the student / Teachers communicate with all stakeholders (administrators, school board members, parents, students) and enlist the help and inputs of all to effectively educate students.
“Sit and get” professional development / Teachers take part and accept passive and ineffective professional development / 21st Century professional development and learning communities / Teachers take an active part in planning and participating in professional development that regularly utilize learning communities to improve student learning and achievement.
Teacher looks for one answer for students / Teachers pose low-level questions that require recall answers. Emphasis placed on correct answer. / Teacher looks for multiple answers from students. / Teachers pose questions that require high level thinking with multiple solutions. Emphasis placed on the types of questions.
Teachers reflect on student results. / Teachers analyze assessment scores for the sake of progress reporting progress. / Students reflect on student results with teachers. / Teachers with students analyze assessment scores for the purpose of identifying strengthens and weakness to prescribe instruction and academic supports.