21st Century Learning Matters: Response

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L2XwWq4_BY

"How would I change education to address the needs of students?"

The video states clearly that education as we saw it for the 20th century must change for that of the 21st. It even says, "[in the 20th century] a mastery of the three 'R's could get you pretty far in life. That era is gone." It poses some very interesting questions like, "What are the essential skills and knowledge for the 21st century?" "What needs to be learned?" and "How will it be learned?" These are powerful questions for educators and students alike - questions that need to be answered.

There are several ways to prepare students for learning in the 21st century, some of which were stated in the video. First of all, educators, administrators and policy-makers themselves need to "possess and employ those skills [they] hope to instill in.. children." Teachers having knowledge of new technology will prepare them for teaching with that new technology, which is the next step in adjusting education for the future. Teachers need to use computers in the classroom, assign homework and post grades online. All of these are small steps to take to help children become accustomed to the latest technology. Also, students need to be aware of how important it is to be prepared for the the future. They should learn the facts from the video, like "In five years, a super computer will have more processing power than the human brain."

Changing education and developing new ideas for education today are extremely important. Technology is developing so fast, students need to be prepared. All of these are ways I would change education, to be sure to prepare students for their future.