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What is 21st Century Teaching and Learning?
Since 2000, technology has transformed the way we pay bills, find a job, and plan a vacation. For our millennials (students born in the '80s and '90s ), it's changed the way they study for class, listen to music, socialize, and communicate. These trends are not going away, but signify a shift in our culture and economy. The digital economy is emerging and altering all that we do at rapid-fire pace. The fundamentals of education: reading, writing, math, and science are critical, but must be married to 21st skills: computer and technology skills, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, teamwork and collaboration, and citizenship and global literacy. How do we prepare our students for life and work in the 21st century? This question has driven many conversations and initiatives that have altered the landscape of the traditional classroom. The challenge for educators is to convert the traditional curriculum into one infused with instructional technology. This will be one of the primary goals of our professional development this year. Students in WSSD use tech tools from kindergarten through middle school to enhance their learning experi-ences. SHHS has to continue building this path into the 21st century. New curriculums must be interdisciplinary, project-based, and research-driven. All children must be challenged with differentiated instruction. The use of Web 2.0 applications will help us to begin this transformation. Web 2.0 simply refers to the latest development in web-based communities: social network-ing sites, video sharing sites, podcasting, blogs, and wikis. It also includes software that enhances project-based assignments designed to get students to apply higher-order thinking skills like analysis and synthesis.  21st –Century Skills       (http://eschoolnews.com/new/top-news/  Adapted from: What is 21st Century Education?   Report: Retool Instruction, or U.S. Will Fail visit: [|www.21stcenturyskills.org])

21st Century Professional Development Series Goals

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