Response on 21st Century Learning Environment

Question 1: At what age can online/digital literacy be integrated into the classroom?  Provide supporting details in your response.

Online digital literacy can be integrated into the classroom as early as the primary grades.  Teaching young students how to use technology effectively, particularly for academics, will help prepare them for 21st century learning.  Yound children today are immersed in technology from a very young age.  Personally, I have 3 year old twin nephews who can navigate an IPOD touch like I've never seen.  I don't even own one!!!  There are many websites that are applicable to younger students.  In our primary wing at school, our students use the website "Starfall", where students can practice their ABC's, phonics, and practice early stages of reading.  Other websites from "Teaching with the Internet K-12", that I found to be very engaging and meaningful was the website for a picture dictionary.  This particular website is beneficial for vocabulary and also shows the meanings in different languages which is great for bilingual students.  Also, there is a website where students and teachers can get can get leveled text in the genres of fiction and nonfiction.  Students can also practice phonics and fluency, which are very important to a young child's experience with reading.  When it comes to literacy, using technology can be a valuable too. A video that I watched demonstrated how students are using electronic devices such as the IPAd in their literacy block to learn sight words, create plays, and read stories. There is probably an APP to record their voices during fluency time as well!!! In an article from, "Education World", teachers discuss the positive aspects of using technology in the primary grades and how it has a positive impact on a child's education.  Teachers need to promote digital literacy at a very young age so our students will have the advantages and opportunity to access and learn within the technological world they live in. 

Question 2: What is a 21st century learning environment?
A 21st century learning environment is ANY environment where a child can learn.  It does not necessarily have to be in a specific place such as a classroom.  It is a place where a child can learn. A 21st century learning environment must promote a positive physical environment, collaborative interaction amongst students and staff, professional learning communities to share best practices with colleagues, technology, and engaging school culture.  There are many facets to a 21st century learning environment, and they must address the the social, emotional, and academic needs of our children.  After reading the article on 21st century learning environments, I thought about my own school and how we fit the criteria.  I think my school is a good example of a 21st century learning environment.  New Haven Public Schools have gone beyone renovating our schools, and the more schools they renovate, the better they become. My school was one of the first schools to be renovated, so we are lacking in some things that many of the newly renovated schools have such as space, a large library media center, and most importantly technology.  We do not have a technology lab, we have a mobile laptop cart.   However, we do have project based learning, block scheduling, and data teams, which are all positive components of a 21st century learning environment.  From what I've seen in school buildings in New Haven, our students are learning in a 21st century learning environment, and I are learning along with them!!!

Question 3: How can you cultivate at least one of the 21st century skills in your current classroom?
A video on you tube shows the importance of 21st century skills in the classroom, which are some of the skills that we have been learning in class.  This video is great!  It made me think of the ways that I am using 21st century skills in the classroom. One component of 21st century skills in the classrooms that I co-teach in is our physical environment and our schedule.  Our physical environment promotes collaborative groups and discourse among students because students sit in groups.  This allows for easy interaction betwen the students.  Our schedule is also a block schedule which promotes longer blocks of learning time. Another way is the classroom blog that I recently set up for my students.  They were so excited and engaged to be a part of this learning community where they can use technology to express their thoughts and ideas.  Even the most unmotivated students were actively participating and engaged.  I was so happy to be able to bring to them a piece of technology that will be beneficial to their learning.  I am so excited to share many of the ideas I have learned in this class with them.  I have already shared the website that I created for my colleagues with other colleagues and am working on my literacy project which will incorporate more 21st century skills!!!