SJLS into the 21st Century

We know the world of education is rapidly changing. It is hard to look down the road even five to ten years and imagine what kinds of innovations will transform our classrooms. Who could have imagined what kinds of technology would be available to kids just 5 years ago? Digital tools, mass communications, social networking, global connections are all changing the ways kids learn and how teachers teach. Just last week, Apple announced the ability to capture the school textbook industry through ITunes. Besides introducing new tools that influence change, there are other motivating factors that impact 21^st century instruction. Here are results from a study of what skills employers are looking for in their hire of college graduates:

· The ability to work well in teams—especially with people different from yourself

· An understanding of science and technology and how these subjects are used in real-world settings

· The ability to write and speak well

· The ability to think clearly about complex problems

· The ability to analyze a problem to develop workable solutions

· An understanding of global context in which work is now done

· The ability to be creative and innovative in solving problems

· The ability to apply knowledge and skills in new settings

· The ability to understand numbers and statistics

· A strong sense of ethics and integrity *

These expectations are being drilled down into the world of educational thinking through the “C’s”:

Critical Thinking / Communication – both face to face, and virtually / Collaboration / Cultural Awareness / Creativity / Computing skills

These C’s are classified as 21^st Century skills that must be part of the learning environment. These C’s continue to be developed and added to the purposeful design of instruction at SJLS. We are blessed to have a teaching staff open to learning and implementing the skills our students need to prepare them for their tomorrow. Next month our entire Preschool through elementary staff will attend the Midwest Technology Conference (Feb. 14 & 15), which is the largest educationally-focused conference offered to all levels of education. You can learn more about what we will be learning at www.metcconference.org.

*Source: "How Should Colleges Prepare Students to Succeed in Today's Global Economy?" (Results of a national poll by Peter D. Hart Research Associates, 2007).