tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11431002.post5320318818840141570..comments2023-06-02T05:26:03.426-07:00Comments on Principal Learner: 21st Century Skills of Abraham Lincolndanwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716577295663429569noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11431002.post-84074404112160742142009-02-22T09:06:00.000-08:002009-02-22T09:06:00.000-08:00I just found your blog. Good stuff! Thanks for sha...I just found your blog. Good stuff! Thanks for sharing!<BR/><BR/>Please visit my blog regarding school leadership and change management.<BR/><BR/>www.jenniferspates.blogspot.comCommitted Sardinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12353312656035777440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11431002.post-18746859667128127362009-02-17T21:19:00.000-08:002009-02-17T21:19:00.000-08:00@ anonymousIf you posit that two of the aims of 21...@ anonymous<BR/><BR/>If you posit that two of the aims of 21st century skills are increased collaboration and problem solving, we are in the same ballpark regarding their importance, though I would argue they were equally as important in Lincoln's day. <BR/><BR/>Where education has moved toward an instrumental focus (I confess I had to look that up:), I'm with you again as learning for the sake of learning ought to be our primary goal and not simply job preparation. I never was very comfortable with the old question of, "How much money can you earn with a college diploma v high school, etc...?". <BR/><BR/>A former colleague of mine used to point out to his high school English students that if they never read any good literature, they would just be plain boring.<BR/><BR/>As for the point of my piece, I'm far from anti-technology (this is a blog we're on after all), I just think some folks have drunk the Kool-Aid of the latest and greatest app and lost focus on the foundational skills that make students effective learners, thinkers, and collaborators.danwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06716577295663429569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11431002.post-57040617486882583422009-02-17T11:46:00.000-08:002009-02-17T11:46:00.000-08:00Quite an apropos post, Dawn. We seem wholly inten...Quite an apropos post, Dawn. We seem wholly intent on wrapping "21st Century Skills" in a technology burrito and trying to sell them as a new-fangled paradigm, when in fact these skills have proven to be a cornerstone of successful learning and the keystone of effective leadership throughout history (as you ably present in this Abe test case). <BR/><BR/>My feeling is that many teachers and administrators find the push toward 21st century skills, as a movement, to be overwhelming because it forces a change from the known (textbooks and worksheets) to the unknown (computers and internet). I think that by overlaying the skills atop historical figures, events, and periods of change can help educators (myself included) understand that this skill set can be incorporated into a classroom or school without changing the amount of time spent on computers, the internet, or cell phones. It is more about how we approach learning environments and the context in which we frame our lessons. <BR/><BR/>You might consider visiting http://www.edpolicythoughts.com/ and joining his "Carnival of Education". I think this would be an interesting post for more to read. <BR/><BR/>Best, <BR/>Jason FlomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11431002.post-73594081904635560692009-02-17T08:10:00.000-08:002009-02-17T08:10:00.000-08:00Hey - Abe Lincoln had all those skills and no form...Hey - Abe Lincoln had all those skills and no formal schooling. According to the logic in this piece, I guess we should abolish the whole education system, since Abe Lincoln was able to accomplish an awful lot without it. <BR/><BR/>21st c. skills don't need to rely on iphones. it refers to a more balanced approach to the curriculum, which has swung too far toward instrumentalist education. It's an acknowledgment that collaboration and problem solving -- which were always important -- are now much more important.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com