21st Century Learning

We live in a society where there is so much time, money, and effort set aside to better the future. Due to this, it is highly expected that as our world evolves, we must do the same. The field of education has come a long way, even since we were youngsters. As a child who group up in the 90's, sure we had computer classes and calculators to solve the hard stuff, but there were no smart boards. My father, a math and computer science teacher, was always infuriated when I resorted to using a calculator to solve equations. He didn't have assumed access to a calculator, and was forced to memorize quite a bit more than any student would have to today. That was then, this is now. I think its extremely important that we remain up to date on technological advances. P21 doesn't only cover technology, but covers learning and innovation skills, life and career skills, media, and as always the core subjects. It is important to hone your creativity to remain successful in this world. We are ALWAYS seeking new ideas. It is also important to know what it takes to become successful in todays world. While the core subjects are extremely necessary to any hope of survival, 21st century skills represent what is necessary for TODAY. By starting children off at a young age, we give them the chance to build on these skills. If new technologies weren't integrated into daily schooling, we'd be stuck in the "dinosaur age." Although not all advances may be seen as good, Jane McGonigal demonstrates how we can utilize even what people deem as a threat to education (video games), as a tool for the betterment of society. I believe we should certainly integrate 21st century skills into the learning environment, while continuing to teach in post 21st century ways. I do not believe it is all we should teach.