Section

Notes

Design Document Content

Course Title

The title for the course

Integrating 21st Century Skills Into The Curriculum

(original proposed title was "Developing 21st Century Literacy Skills"--I think either could be OK)

Course Description

A strong paragraph (in narrative form) that tells the college and the participant the overview of the course and captures what the participant will know, do, and understand as a result of taking the course. Generally 4-7 sentences.

Are you helping to prepare your students to thrive in the 21st century?  "Yesterday's education is not sufficient for today's learner" (NCREL, 2003, p. 4). Learn how you can help provide your students with an education fit for tomorrow. This course introduces participants to existing frameworks for 21st century skills. In particular, the course focuses on the importance of information literacy and risk taking skills. In addition, participants will learn important multimedia skills - and how to share their creation through the use of read/write web tools such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, and social networks. The course also covers the need for new metrics and means of evaluating student work, as well as the need for organizational change in order to integrate these skills into existing educational institutions. For the culmination of the class, each participant will conceive a student project that meets curricular goals and helps to develop 21st century skills.

Course Outcomes

What participants will know, do, and understand as a result of taking this course; begin with a measurable “Bloom’s” verb; ideally 15-17 outcomes. Avoid starting outcomes with verbs like “understand” or “comprehend”; focus on the actions.

Upon completion of this class, the learner is expected to be able to:

1. Define 21st Century Skills and explain their importance in education.
2. Analyze existing frameworks of 21st Century Skills and propose their own.
   
3. Define information literacy and explain its importance in education.
4. Apply information literacy skills to evaluate the authenticity and value of an online information source, such as a wikipedia article.
5. Define risk taking as a 21st century skill, and explain its importance in education.
6. Evaluate their own willingness to learn through risk taking.
7. Define multimedia skills and explain their importance in education.
8. Apply multimedia skills to design a video or slide show complete with narration and a soundtrack.
   
9. Define digital storytelling and explain its importance in education.
10. Compose a digital story.
11. Define the read/write web and specific tools (such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, and social networks), and explain the importance of the read/write web in education.
12. Create and use a professional blog for their own reflective practice.
13. Explain the need for new metrics and means of evaluating 21st century skills.
14. Prepare a rubric for assessment of a student project that meets curricular goals and helps to develop 21st century skills.
15. Explain the need for organizational (and social) change in order for educational institutions to integrate 21st century skills into curriculum.
16. Develop a student project that meets curricular goals and helps to develop 21st century skills.

Required Text

Textbook, if used.

Redefining Literacy for the 21st Century (Warlick, 2004)

Module Titles

A short title for each module of the course. Nine modules are included in each course; the first module is always Orientation. Each module is one week. Titles should be short phrases or single words.

1. Orientation

2. 21st Century Skills
3. Information Literacy
4. Risk Taking
5. Multimedia Skills
6. Digital Storytelling
   
7. Read/Write Web Skills
8. Metrics and Evaluation
9. Organizational Change
   

Topical Outline

Provide a high level summary of some of the concepts which will be covered in the module. These summaries can be longer than what is given here for the orientation but should not be shorter. You can include activities in this summary. For example, if students will create a lesson plan for a specific situation, that can be included in this concept list. The orientation is given as an example.

1. Orientation: exploring Blackboard, discussion boards, The Kaleidoscope Profile^®, learning styles

2. 21st Century Skills: Discussion of why 21st Century Skills are important, Overview of existing frameworks (enGauge, Partnership for 21st Century Skills), Participants  create their own definition and framework.

[Text: Warlick Chapter 1, Online Resources]

3. Information Literacy: Discussion of why information literacy is a critical 21st century skill, Overview of existing frameworks (Big6, ACRL, enGauge), Participants complete an information literacy activity using the Wikipedia.

[Text: Warlick Chapter 2, Online Resources] 

4. Risk Taking: Discussion of why risk taking is a critical 21st century skill, Overview of how to provide a learning environment that rewards risk taking (by encouraging sharing, constructive criticism, & learning from failure), Participants complete a risk taking exercise and reflection process.

[Text: Online Resources Only]

5. Multimedia Skills: Discussion of why multimedia skills are critical in the 21st century, Overview of free media editing tools (images, audio, & video), Participants create and share a multimedia project.

[Text: Warlick Chapter 3, Online Resources]

6. Digital Storytelling: Discussion of why digital storytelling is important, Overview of educational uses for digital storytelling & examples (storycenter.org, jakesonline.org), Participants tell a digital story.

[Text: Warlick Chatper 4, Online Resources]

7. Read/write Web Skills: Discussion of how the read/write web changes everything, Overview of educational uses for the read/write web and examples (supportblogging.com, educationalwikis.wikispaces.com, epnweb.org, classroom20.ning.com), Participants start a professional blog and build a personal learning network online.

[Text: Warlick Chapter 5, Online Resources]

8. Metrics and Evaluations: Discussion of the need for new metrics and evaluations for 21st century skills, Overview of rubric writing, Participants begin development on - and create a rubric for - a student project that meets curricular goals and helps develop 21st century skills. (Note: development of this project is the culminating activity of the class.)

[Text: Online Resources Only]

9. Organizational Change: Discussion of the need for organizational change (and social change) in order for educational institutions to fully integrate 21st century skills into curriculum, Participants complete development of the student project begun in week 8.

[Text: Online Resources Only]

Bibliography

List sources for content and ideas. At a minimum, include the author, title, and URL for online resources. Aim for at least 6-12 sources.

Books:

Evans, R. (1996). The human side of school change: reform, resistance, and the real-life problems of innovation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Fullan, M. (2001a). The new meaning of educational change. (3rd Edition). New York:  Teachers College Press.

NCREL & Metiri Group. (2003). enGauge 21st century skills: literacy in the digital age. Naperville, Il: NCREL & Metiri Group. Available: http://www.ncrel.org/engauge/

Richardson, W. (2006) Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Thousand Oaks, Ca: Corwin Press.

Warlick, D. F. (2007). Classroom blogging: a teacher's guide to blogs, wikis, & other tools that are shaing a new information landscape. Raleigh, NC: The Landmark Project.

Warlick, D. F. (2005). Raw materials for the mind: a teacher's guide to digital literacy. Raleigh, NC: The Landmark Project.

Warlick, D. F. (2004). Redefining literacy for the 21st century. Worthington, Ohio: Linworth Publishing, Inc.

Online Resources:

Educational Podcasting Nework

http://www.epnweb.org

Classroom 2.0 (a social network)

http://classroom20.ning.com

Rubistar (for creating rubrics)

http://rubistar.4teachers.org/