Today’s classrooms are filled with young people who are accustomed to ubiquitous access to gadgets and gizmos. Unfortunately, the use of technology by these students generally stops at the school door where they are expected to put away their cell phones and iPods for an opportunity to return to the archaic pencil/paper note taking and operations.
Our high school students are vulnerable. Every 29 seconds in the United States, a student disappoints teachers and parents by dropping out of school (Diplomas Count, 2007). This year alone, one in every three high school students will not graduate (Laird et al, 2007) and dropout rates are higher than the average for underrepresented minority students, including African Americans, Hispanics, English learners, and those with disabilities (IES National Center for Educational Statistics, 2010). The most recent data from California, collected in 2009 for the 2007/2008 school year, notes a four-year derived dropout rate of 20.1 percent (O’Connell, 2009).
In a world of rapid change and global markets, the education of young people needs to focus on strong academic skills such as math and a science, tangible skills such as language proficiency, and the ability to be creative and adaptive, especially since our schools are preparing students for future jobs in fields that may not currently exist. And the lack of doing so could have enormously negative consequences. Current research shows that students who secure jobs in professions where innovative thinking is required earn more than 50 percent more than jobs that require little to no innovation (Uhalde et al, 2006).
Twenty years ago, classrooms focused on core subject areas where students sat at tables or in rows, receiving the information bestowed upon them and regurgitating it for the periodic quiz and exam. In comparison, today’s students can whip out a computer or cell phone and find the answers to their questions with a sense of immediacy that would have required the former students hours of work in a library if accessible at all. The challenge is that today’s students are not only wired differently, but their ability to think and process information is enhanced with constant stimulation and interactivity, which may not be met in the average classroom. Classrooms have to transform from information input centers to places where students can develop the critical skills needed in the 21st century workplace: creative thinking, the ability to work with others, and effective communication skills.
To make these transitional changes, it is incumbent upon California’s educators to help students develop the “21st century skills” needed to be engaged in learning and be inspired. Examples of 21st century skills include adaptability, accountability, problem solving, critical thinking, and media, civic, and information literacy (Partnership for 21st Century Schools, 2010).
Most schools continue to use a model that was designed to prepare students for life in the middle of the 20th century. Ensuring students have a strong foundation in reading, math, and other core subjects is as important as ever, yet these skills alone are insufficient for success in the 21st century. Students must learn to think both critically and creatively, evaluate massive amounts of information, solve complex problems and communicate well to meet the demands ahead of them.
Amongst the mission of ACSA is the objective to “ensure all students have the essential skills and knowledge needed to excel.” The link between academics, technology, and engagement are critical for the thinking and learning that takes place in California’s K-12 classrooms. And the goal of ACSA’s Technology Leadership Group is to “support the empowerment of educational leaders in the use of technology for professional and educational excellence.”
In support of the critical components of our mission as educators, this paper will provide context and recommendations so that educational leaders can better guide their constituents through the challenges of our transition to this new age. This position paper is the first in a series of four that will focus on the realms of technology. Subsequent position papers will go in depth into technology skills needed for 21st century leaders, effective technology policies, and how to use technology beyond the school community.
