21st+Century+Skills

= 21st Century Skills =

__ 21st Century Skill I Currently Teach: __
 * **Communication Skills**—Understanding, managing, and creating effective oral, written, and multimedia communication in a variety of forms and contexts

I employ a variety of media for students to improve communication. Tasks included are group challenge activities, blog writing, discussion forum writing, creation of iMovie videos. In addition to the "output" of communication, I work with students on "input" or taking in information with critical thinking activities. I show students fake but believable websites and teach them to triangulate information, watch for exaggerations, and sift through excessive information.

__21st Century Skill I Need to Teach more Effectively: __
 * **Self-Direction**—Monitoring one's own understanding and learning needs; locating appropriate resources; transferring learning from one domain to another

Junior High is a time of shift of responsibility from parent and teacher to student. It needs to be infused into lessons and daily procedures. Metacognition is a buzzword that she be explicitly taught across content areas. I want to touch on that topic in both academic work along with behavioral reflection in social skills class. I will take a day to discuss how "thinking about thinking" is crucial to owning the learning (or behavior).