The 21 st Century Learner Addressing their needs By: Magda Martinez/Social Studies Coordinator

Are children’s brains different today? We grew up with with Capt. Kangaroo… They are techies!

Kids are different today. Hawkins, M. L. & Graham, M. D. Curriculum architecture: Creating a place of our own. National Middle School Association, 1994.

Not because of their clothes or their secret codes or their music. Hawkins, M. L. & Graham, M. D. Curriculum architecture: Creating a place of our own. National Middle School Association, 1994.

They are different because of some basic physiological phenomena. Hawkins, M. L. & Graham, M. D. Curriculum architecture: Creating a place of our own. National Middle School Association, 1994.

Kids react while the older generation reflects. Hawkins, M. L. & Graham, M. D. Curriculum architecture: Creating a place of our own. National Middle School Association, 1994.

They are random while we are sequential. They are holistic while we are linear. Hawkins, M. L. & Graham, M. D. Curriculum architecture: Creating a place of our own. National Middle School Association, 1994.

Their predominant sense is motion and touch whereas ours is hearing and seeing. Hawkins, M. L. & Graham, M. D. Curriculum architecture: Creating a place of our own. National Middle School Association, 1994.

Three Key Learning Skills for Today’s Kids Information and Communication Skills Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills Interpersonal and Self- Directional Skills Partnership for 21 st Century Skills. Learning for the 21 st Century.

Let’s explore our options!

Learner-Centered Learner-centered teaching strategies are those that focus instruction on the needs, preferences and interests of the learner. Teachers act as facilitators of the learning process. Benefits: Students become actively engaged in the learning process. Students take responsibility for their own understanding. Students learn how to learn. Students develop a desire for life-long learning. Students retain knowledge and understanding. Students gain social skills by working with others.

Examples of Learner-Centered Strategies Problem-Based Learning: challenge students to learn by working cooperatively to find solutions (better if relevant to real-life problems) Inductive Methods: Begin with a question or series of unknown facts or concepts and move toward known information. Learners search for the unknown/s. Role Play: Role-play situations require students to step out of the confines of traditional roles and take on the characteristics of someone else. Cooperative Learning: Working together in pairs or in small groups to collaborate on a specific task.

Practice Lesson Practice Lesson One: Planning Stage: 1. Decide how you will group your students and how you will set up your classroom. Try to limit group size to 4 students per group. 2. What materials will you be using? Keep it simple. 3. How much time will students be needing to work on activity. Use a timer. 4. Make sure that you write the simple steps up on the board for your students to follow and refer to throughout the activity. 5. Remember, this is your recipe for success…no recipe may spell disaster.

Who are We? The makeup of these United States Activity: Choose your group leader by asking (Example: who has the longest hair, who wears the largest shoe size, who has a last name that is the longest, who has the shortest last name…teacher decides what to use to select a leader) Send leader to the front to pick up materials. (Discussion card, discussion questions and directions for final product) Timer is Set. Teacher monitors.

Carousel Brainstorming! Activity: Leader comes to the front to select a colored marker. Instructions: Each group views a picture/date/word problem/etc.. to introduce/review the unit/chapter… Each group is to discuss the picture and then write on the butcher paper. What to write?? For today we will review different historical eras. Based on the color of your marker, go to the giant post- it. View the picture and discuss it with your group. Using your Visual Discover Note Taking Sheet, reach a group consensus as to what you will write in your chart. This activity is timed. You will have 5 minutes for each station.

Delicious Website! This website allows you to create your personalized page with the links that you want your students to visit.’ It is free It is UISD friendly Teacher sets it up and directs students to viable websites that have been approved by you. Other features include:

How much do we know? Delicious (website) Electronic Portfolios Googledocs I’ve never heard of it! I already use it! I’ve heard about it but don’t know enough to use it effectively.

Electronic Portfolios Benefits: Students can turn in an electronic portfolio after working on an extended project. A portfolio can be turned in as a group for a group grade. It helps students reflect upon what they have learned. College Readiness Projects are easily stored and easily viewed. Teachers organize their own set of student portfolios Rubric for assessment Rubric: Create a template of what you would specifically want in the portfolio. Examples: Artifacts (pictures with a description, audio, graphic organizer, formal paper, outline, etc…)

11/2/2015© 2008 Belinda Manning22 Purpose for Electronic Portfolio Organize and showcase accomplishments Present in a multimedia format Audio samples Video samples Graphics Learning/Instructional/Developmental Assessment (your department can develop a rubric)

Let us view an example of a student portfolio! Student Portfolio Rubric for Assessment

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