Preparing 21st Century Learners

“The goal in teaching and learning must be to empower young citizens to live and learn continuously changing 21st Century environment and to enable this citizenry to effectively interact in a global marketplace.” (Texas Long-Range Plan, Nov. 2006) As I’ve heard many times within the last decade that our country is in a state of urgency. The Teaching and Learning domain is one area of the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020. To me it is the most important domain as educators must prepare 21st century learners for their future. In the last decade, teachers have had to adjust and meet the needs of a diverse student population. Educators are finding themselves extending beyond the walls of their sheltered classrooms and creating experiences to meet the needs of all of their students. Technology helps bridge the gap between the known and the un-known realities in which students are taught to make meaningful connections. Some trends of the past are that teachers must no longer be the gatekeepers of education but allow the world of technology to enter into the classrooms to aid in student learning and development. Critical and analytical skills must be taught and explored to allow students to be independent thinkers and learners. With the No Child Left Behind mandate educators must ensure that they are preparing students with the required Technology Application curriculum. My recommendation is that teaching and learning is a simultaneous process. Technology must be integrated seamlessly in the classroom. In conclusion, Teachers are not just teaching students, and students are not just teaching teachers, but they are teaching each other.