21st-Century Teaching and Learning

Adisa Hodzic

CUR/545

September 4, 2017

Cheryl Franklin
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21st-Century Teaching and Learning

Figure 1: Word Cloud

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Mission Statement

Recent technological advances have affected many areas of our lives: the way we

communicate, collaborate, learn, and, of course, teach. Along with that, those advances

necessitated an expansion of our vocabulary, producing definitions such as digital natives, digital

immigrants (Palmer, 2015, para. 1), as well as the 21st-century teachers and learners. To

effectively respond to these continuous technological advancements and standards demands is by

embracing them and staying informed. As much as we teach our students, and they believe that

teachers know it all, but the truth is that we learn more and at all times, and it is a never ending

cycle, in order to provide and offer our students with paramount educational quality and

experiences, and utilizing and embracing technology to help close the academic gaps by using

technology effectively to differentiate and facilitate instructions for struggling learners.

Even though our students might be digital natives or are digital age learners, some

teachers, as digital immigrants, are more than capable, when keeping an growth-mindset. In

addition, we ought to make it a continuous mission to stay updated, informed, technology savvy,

and if possible, surpass our students for the sake of acquiring effective skills in the application of

technology, so that they are supplied and afforded with opportunities to succeed in this digital

age, and become highly competent, successful, and competitive citizens in our society and

around the globe.

These new 21st century learners are highly relational and demand quick access to new

knowledge. More than that, they are capable of engaging in learning at a whole new level. With

the world literally at their fingertips, todays students need teachers and administrators to re-

envision the role of technology in the classroom (Blair, 2012, para. 3). There is a difference

between technology use and technology integration, just like there is a difference between eating
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a delicious meal that has no nutritious value, in comparison to eating a balanced meal that would

nourish ones body and mind. It is the same with technology where students might be constantly

using it, and are likely skilled at it, but not in a meaningful way that would benefit in improving

a certain subject, or a grade, for example.

Figure 2: Technology Integration

Therefore, in order to reap the outmost benefits, we must ensure that we are providing

students with meaningful and relevant activities, aligned to their needs, focusing on improving

their skills, and to promote and facilitates the teaching, develop new skills, and learning in

general. For more details on the differences between using and integrating technology see the

chart below (Figure 2).

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Figure 3: Using and Integrating Technology

(Kharbach, 2010 2017).

The role of state and national standards is to align technology and facilitate learning,

while at the same time; students are learning the standards that are established for them to learn.
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All the while, teachers and administrators need not to stress over what technology to teach and

integrate, and how to align them with other subjects in perfect unison, but are provided with

standards to follow, clearly listed in details what each students should learn and know at certain

age, along with strategies on how. A set of NETS-based progressive technology objectives

that outline what and when technology skills will be introduced, developed, and mastered by

students. Additionally, the vision should account for the evolution of the program to sufficiently

adapt to the emergent needs of learners (Blair, 2012, para. 25).

Figure 4: Methods of Integrating Technology

(https://s-media-cacheak0.pinimg.com/736x/1a/81/8f/1a818f6016dcc403c6734525ad2840db.jpg)
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Figure 5: Integrating Technology

(http://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.Q9dDrbnAJEoPe3h4kGVqHQEZDd&pid=15.1)

Finally, digital and media literacies (See Figure 5 and 6) refers to many interconnected or

interrelated components categorized under the digital and/or media literacy canopy, starting or

varying from basic skills (basic access), awareness and training to inform citizens and build

consumer and user confidence to highly sophisticated, and more complex creative and critical

literacies and outcomes. There is a logical progression from the more fundamental skills towards

the higher, and more transformative levels (Media Smart, n/d, para. 5). Every child, even before

starting school, are often both digital and media literate.

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Figure 6: Digital and Media Literacy

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References

Blair, N. (2012). Technology integration for the new 21st-century learner. National Association

of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). Retrieved from

Digital literacies fundamentals. (n/d). Retrieved from http://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-

literacy-fundamentals/digital-literacy-fundamentals

Digital tools technology integration graphic taken from

http://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.Q9dDrbnAJEoPe3h4kGVqHQEZDd&pid=15.1

Kharbach, M. (2010 2017). Using technology versus technology integration - an excellent chart

for teachers. Educational Technology and Mobile Learning. Retrieved from

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/04/using-technology-vs-technology.html

Palmer, T. (2015). 15 Characteristics of a 21st-Century Teacher. Edutopia. Retrieved from

https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/15-characteristics-21st-century-teacher

Story book illustration retrieved from https://s-media-cache-

ak0.pinimg.com/736x/1a/81/8f/1a818f6016dcc403c6734525ad2840db.jpg