principal’sblog

Happenings at Hewitt-Trussville Middle School

Learning in the 21st Century

Posted by sunnywilliams on January 30, 2007




I recently read an article in Time about what students need in the 21st century. Recommendations about the skills and disciplines needed included technology and exposure to world cultures. The term “portable skills” was a new term to me. Portable skills are critical think, making connections, and the ability to continuously learn. The article also discussed the importance of teaching students how to assess the accuracy of information read on websites. Did you know that in a recent study of 6,200 high school seniors and college freshman only 50 percent could accurately judge the quality of content on websites?
I would be very interested in hearing from you what you think you need to be well educated in the 21st century. I would also like to hear how you learn when you are away from school. Do you see similarities or differences between HOW you learn at school and away from school?

21 Responses to “Learning in the 21st Century”

  1.   Robert Isbell Says:

    I like to use my computer for everything that I do. It’s something that is me. I would really like to use more technology for learning. The only time I really use a computer for class is computer class. I really want to use more advanced technology for classes. I just wish I could use laptops for somethings in class. I have a better time understanding stuff from the computer because I have spent so much time that it is just something that comes natural to me.

  2.   Bailey Chandler Says:

    When I’m at home and want to learn something i just look it up. Every now and then, I’ll learn something by watching the T.V.

  3.   Kyrie Turner Says:

    When I am not at school I learn by observing people and things. I seem to learn best when there is music playing in the background. I think I learn better at home then I do at school.

  4.   Chris Dunn Says:

    When I am at home I usualy learn from the internet doing research. Or I buy soem movies on it or read about it. At school we do research also read books and watch movies , but we take it in STEPS wich helps me out a lot because I am not the brightest bulb in the box. So what I am saying is I like the teachers and I like the way they teach us.

  5.   William Weller Says:

    How I learn things at home is by going over all my notes. When I go over all my notes I cover up my sheet of notes like if it is vocabulary I cover it up and look at the derfintion and then try to get the word to the defintion right.

  6.   Josh Martin Says:

    I think that a Laptop would help because our generation, for all I know the last generation is VERY unnorganized. With a laptop we would’nt have to keep up with paper, and I know personally that is my problem. I learn outside school from my parents, and just in everyday life sometimes believe it or not Video Games provide some brief knowledge. So I can learn from pretty much anything. Especially from my mistakes.

  7.   Alex Ashby Says:

    The way I learn at school and the way I learn at home are totaly diffrent! I learn a whole lot more at school than I do at home. I think it is more of the fact that someone is drilling the stuff into my head at school. Other whise I wouldn’t learn a whole lot. I am kind of hard headed.

    -alex-

  8.   Cameron Marlin Says:

    I learn better when I am at home because thier is less destraction and I also learn when the TV is on like discovery chanel and stuff like that it is actually pretty interesting to watch the amazing facts that are on the TV and it is pretty fun watching the television with my dad because he knows alot of the stuff that is on the telivision and he explains it really good.

  9.   Adam Trammell Says:

    Well I learn better at home. I like to do my homework at home cause i have peace and quite. I like to listen to my ipod to when I do my homework at home.

  10.   David Lloyd Says:

    I use a computer to learn at home in case there are no examples in the book.

  11.   Josh Chandler Says:

    I think that if everyone had their own Laptop that this world would be more educated because even though the Internet can have some inappropiate sites, it can also be very helpful in how we live our everyday life. Like one of my biggest problems is having a pencil with me everywhere I go. With a Laptop, I wouldn’t have to worry about a pencil. The Internet can be a very helpful source of information while also not being a good source.

  12.   Cole Corcoran Says:

    At home I don’t really read at all unless I’m suppose to for homework. I usually just get on the computer and most of the time I don’t even get on the computer. At my house I’m always outside or at baseball practice orsomething like that. When I do learn at home though it is from the computer or the television.

  13.   Nicole Mullins Says:

    To me there is a big difference between learning at school and at home.Teachers area always at your side during school and you can get help whenever you need it.At home, however, parents do not always understand the homework their kids have so it is difficult to understand it.That is when notes from class come in handy so then you might figure it out.

  14.   Adam Russell Says:

    When Im at home I usually use whatever I can to help me with my homework. Even though I usually like to use my computer or laptop to reaserch things I still like to use the dictionary every once in a while to do homework or a project. I still laugh when my mom tells me about her typewriter classes she took in school.

  15.   Logan Robinson Says:

    At school teachers tell use what to study, what we have to learn ,and what to do projects. At home, I have no teachers to pressuring me. When I go home I just go to the internet and look up what I have to study whether it is the night before the test or the day they tell use to study either way I do it on my own.

  16.   Joshua Stinson Says:

    When I am at home I learn things from my dad. He is a doctor and he likes to tell me about what he does. I also learn things from t.v. and the internet.

  17.   Betheney Holt Says:

    When I am at home I usually use the computer for any research or homework that needs to be done. Also I think that we should use computers more often for homework and achool because it is alot faster and easiyer to do. I also learn alot at home from my family. I think learning at home is alot easiyer becasue you can learn at your own pace, but at school you have to learn, and keep up with everybody else.

  18.   Chase Beacham Says:

    I think I learn better at home, because there aren’t a lot of distractions. I am on the computer most of the day, and I learn a lot about current events, and other things. I also learn a lot when I watch TV, like on the Discovery Channel, and National Geographic.

  19.   Bailey Says:

    Dear Dr. Williams,

    I learn alot it really dosen’t matter where I am!
    I like to learn by reading non-fiction books and watching educational shows for example channel one.

    love,
    Bailey

  20.   Pareasa Says:

    Dear Dr. Williams,

    I think that we are being tought in a great way right now. This is onxly my opinion but I think that if teachers could teach in a more funner way but still teach like they do that students would be more interested in what they are learning. I love the way that my Social Studies teacher teaches. We get to do really fun projects and still learn at the same time. I honestley think that we learn more when we learn in a fun way because we are more interested.My Science teacher is great too because we can watch movies to help us understand more. And i think I learn better at school because when Im at home I always take advantage of it and I cant concentrate that much because my mind is on me going outside to play. But at school I dont really think of that. The way I learn at home is almost like school. My dad tells me to do a few pages every day in a workbook.

    Thanks for the question,
    Pareasa

  21.   Ian Says:

    I don’t like having so much homework all the time.
    We do a lot of homework and a lot of classwork.
    Also I don’t like it when one teacher is giving a
    project when another teacher is giving a lot of
    homework at the same time. It is hard to get everything done at once.

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