Communication+is+the+Key

====Before embarking on this journey to discover 21st century ways of learning, I was part of a CDT Team where "The Manifesto" was presented. Our mission was to consider 21st Century Skills as we were developing our curriculum. In all honesty, I didn't give very much thought as to how to incorporate these skills; but now having learned how I can incorporate these technology tools, I am much more willing to (and excited about) using them to reach and engage my students.====

====Specifically, these tools will allow for my students to become __**strong communicators**__, which I believe is an essential skill for them to develop. While I use to view technology as a debilitating factor in students' development of effective oral and written communication, I now see it as a means to improve their communication skills. Becoming strong communicators is an essential skill, as Tony Wagner claims in his book, //The Global Achievement Gap//, that it is one of //the// 7 survival skills kids need to have. Wagner cites Dell Computers Vice President Mike Summers who claims, "We are routinely surprised at the difficulty some young people have in communicating: verbal skills, written skills, presentation skills." He asserts that the institution of education is failing our kids and continually widening the gap between students and not preparing them for their future. In essence, we are teaching to the test rather than real world applicability. As an English teacher, I can attest that students' abilities to express themselves has significantly decreased, and in some ways, probably has been somewhat impacted by the growth and use of technology. I cannot tell you how many times I see "LOL" or the letter "u" used in a paper. But it's not just grammatical or mechanical skills that kids lack in their writing and speaking, it is also the ability to be persuasive and to utilize voice. Again, Wagner insists that it's "not only being able to communicate one's thoughts clearly and concisely, but also being able to create focus, energy, and passion." These are things that are essential no matter what field you choose to pursue or what job you land - you have to be able to express yourself well so that people will listen to you, and have the ability to persuade so that they won't just listen, but believe, too. Especially as an English teacher, it's my mission to help students become better communicators to help lessen that achievement gap and better prepare kids for their future. In order to do that, I have to embrace the communication technology of their time and work with it, rather than against it.====

====What's nice about the ecosystem element I have chosen is that I believe it will impact so many other elements of the ecosystem. For instance, I believe that in developing strong communicators, students will be more __**collaborative**__ (and better at it too). Collaboration is different today than it was 20 years ago - collaboration is no longer defined as working with the people in your building. Teamwork spans geography, time, and cultures now because of technology. Our young people have to be able to collaborate if they are going to succeed, and they have to be able to collaborate with people very different from themselves. You cannot do this if you are not a strong communicator. Moreover, when students can successfully collaborate with people across the world, they are going to become __**connected**__ and develop __**leadership skills**__, making them __**socially responsible human beings**__. At the end of the day, I believe that, more than just teaching my students English, my job is to cultivate good citizens for our world, and I feel as though that is what I will accomplish in focusing my efforts on using 21st Century tools to develop strong communicators. In partnering with the technology, I can help these students prepare for a better tomorrow.====

One of the ways in which I am going to use technology to further the communication and collaboration among my students is through using [|Edmodo]. Over winter break, I have always had students read a class novel and participate in some form of online discussion, whether that be through Google Docs or Blackboard. However, I have always felt like their postings were just kind of "dead" and didn't really reflect any conversation. With Edmodo, I feel as though the conversations will be more "alive" and actually reflect a true discussion over what they are reading.

Another tool I am going to make use of is the Nearpod. For years, my PLC and I have been brainstorming ways to get more audience involvement in the group presentations we do at the end of the year. There is nothing worse than, as a teacher, knowing that half of your students are sitting in class, wasting away while they zone out so they don't have to listen to their 5th day of mindnumbing presentations. My PLC and I have tried various ways of engaging the audience from forcing them to ask questions to making them take notes, to threatening the information was going to be on their final exam. I'm tired of doing this though because the students aren't getting anything out of it. They are "knowers" of the information rather than learners when I teach this way. The Nearpod will hopefully engage them in an interactive way and allow for students to actively participate in the presentation as well. Here is a screen shot of a Nearpod example I created as a model for students to view.



Works Cited

Wagner, Tony. "The Seven Survival Skills for Careers, College, and Citizenship." //Advisors Corner//. Hosa.org, 2008. Web. 2 Aug. 2013. .