21st Century Skills:
What Do We Need to Know?
Marian Thacher, OTAN
ACSA Adult Education Conference
November 3, 2011
What do adult learners need to
know in order to survive and
thrive in employment, education
and community?
What is the teacher’s role?
What is the administrator’s role?
How is Tech Changing Reading?
What do we read?
Where do we
read?
 When do we read?
 How do we read?
 Is listening to a
screen reader
different than
reading?


http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/tapped_archive?month=02&year=2011&base_name=draft_inevitable_
3
divisions_sur
What’s Happening to Reading?
4
Screen Readers
There are lots of them!
Every browser has a screen reader
extension
 Take a photo to identify a person


5
Digital Textbooks
http://www.knewton.com/digital-education/
6
FlexBooks

ck-12.org/flexbook/
◦ Digital textbooks for STEM
◦ Free!
◦ Customize your textbook
 Select the whole book, or a few chapters
 Combine chapters from different books
◦ Save in 3 formats – pdf, html or online reader
◦ Post, print, share – just don’t sell!
7
What’s Happening
to Book Stores?
 Borders – gone
 Amazon - already
sells more eBooks
than print books
(in less than 4
years)
8
ISTE: NETS for Teachers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Facilitate and inspire student learning
and creativity
Design and develop digital-age learning
experiences and assessments
Model digital-age work and learning
Promote and model digital citizenship
and responsibility
Engage in professional growth and
leadership
http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx
9
ISTE: NETS for Administrators

Visionary Leadership

Digital Age Learning Culture

Excellence in Professional Practice

Systematic Improvement

Digital Citizenship
http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-administrators/nets-for-administrators-sandards.aspx
10
ISTE: NETS for Administrators

Visionary Leadership

Digital Age Learning Culture

Excellence in Professional Practice

Systematic Improvement

Digital Citizenship
http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-administrators/nets-for-administrators-sandards.aspx
11
Digital Age Resources

“…a shared vision of purposeful change
that maximizes use of digital-age
resources to meet and exceed learning
goals…”
12
80%
79%
68%
76%
78%
81%
53%
66%
65%
72%
77%
62%
61%
55%
52%
40%
36%
2010-11 Range: 19%
28%
28%
30%
31%
40%
43%
50%
48%
60%
50%
57%
64%
70%
66%
68%
80%
73%
76%
90%
83%
Home Internet Access for ESL
Students
2009-10 Range: 52%
20%
10%
0%
ESL Beginning
Literacy
ESL Beginning
ESL Intermediate
Low
2006-07
2007-08
ESL Intermediate
High
2008-09
2009-10
ESL Advanced Low
2010-11
ESL Advanced High
13
Cell Phones
14
…and other mobile devices
15
Broadband Access – DSL & Cable
Broadbandmap.gov/technology
16
Mobile Wireless Access - US
Broadbandmap.gov/technology
17
Mobile vs. Desktop
18
Smartphones

35% of US adults own a smartphone
◦
◦
◦
◦

59% of those making over $75,000
58% of those btw 25 and 34
49% of those btw 18 and 24
44% of blacks and Latinos
25% of them say that their phone is
where they do most of their online
browsing
“35% of American Adults Own a Smartphone,” Aaron Smith, Pew Internet & American Life Project, 7/11/11,
http://pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2011/PIP_Smartphones.pdf
19
US Adults Who Own a Smartphone
48%
50%
38%
45%
40%
27%
35%
30%
25%
18%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
No HS Diploma
HS Grad
Some College
College +
“35% of American Adults Own a Smartphone,” Aaron Smith, Pew Internet & American Life Project, 7/11/11,
http://pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2011/PIP_Smartphones.pdf
20
Race/Ethnicity & Smartphone
Ownership
60%
44%
44%
50%
40%
30%
30%
20%
10%
0%
White, non-Hispanic
Black, non-hispanic
Hispanic
-10%
“35% of American Adults Own a Smartphone,” Aaron Smith, Pew Internet & American Life Project, 7/11/11,
http://pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2011/PIP_Smartphones.pdf
21
Getting Online in California
“Californians and Information Technology,” Public Policy Institute of CA, June 2011
22
Desktop vs. Mobile
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20128243-264/android-browser-bumps-opera-for-no-2-spot/?tag=txt;title
23
Farmers in India
Connect in real
time with vets
and agriculture
experts
 Solve farming
problems
 8.5 million
Indian farmers
are now part of
the network

Photo credit: antkriz via Flickr/Creative Commons
24
C-/E-/M-Learning

C-Learning
◦
◦
◦
◦
Face to face
Shared
physical
context
Easier to build
relationships
Well-balanced
meal

E-Learning
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Online
Any time,
any place,
any pace
Collaboration tools
Assessment
Delicious
buffet

M-Learning
Small chunks
◦ Contextspecific
◦ Locationspecific
◦
◦
◦
Immediate
application
Power snack
25
Mobile Learning
Look at “moments of
need” rather than
courses
 Mobile learning is a
productivity tool, not
a delivery platform
for a course

Learning is
interwoven with task
 Blur between
reference, support
tool, and learning

26
What can you do with a cell phone
in the classroom?

Watch the video on OTAN
Alternate link
27
“Mobile phones are
misnamed. They should
be called ‘gateways to all
human knowledge’.”
-Ray Kurzweil
28
ISTE: NETS for Administrators
1.
Visionary Leadership
1.
Digital Age Learning Culture
1.
Excellence in Professional Practice
1.
Systematic Improvement
1.
Digital Citizenship
http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-administrators/nets-for-administrators-sandards.aspx
29
What’s Happening to Education?
30
What’s Happening to Education?
31
Peer to Peer University

“The Peer 2 Peer University is a
grassroots open education project that
organizes learning outside of institutional
walls and gives learners recognition for
their achievements. ”

P2PU - learning for everyone, by
everyone about almost anything.
32
Badges





Mozilla Open Badge
Project
Helps learners display
21st century skills
Can skip formal
education
Display badges on
networking sites
Use for job applications
and education
opportunities
33
Online College Course Enrollment
http://www.knewton.com/digital-education/
34
Growth of Blended Learning
http://www.knewton.com/digital-education/
35
DL Effectiveness – 2008-09

ESL distance learners completion rates contrasted
with ESL regular learners
Source: CASAS 2009
DL Effectiveness – 2009-10
Level Completion Rate
Classroom
Learning
Distance
Learning
Only
Distance
Learning
Blended
100.0
80.0
60.0
40.0
20.0
0.0
Source: CASAS 2010
37
Partnership for 21st Century Skills
Information Literacy
 Access and Evaluate Information
◦ Access information efficiently (time) and
effectively (sources)
◦ Evaluate information critically and competently

Use and Manage Information
◦ Use information accurately and creatively
◦ Manage the flow of information from a wide
variety of sources
◦ Apply a fundamental understanding of the
ethical/legal issues re use of information
38
Research & Information Fluency


Search strategies
Critical eval of Web sites
◦
◦
◦
◦

Read the URL
Examine the content
Ask about author
Look at the links
Strategies for managing
information, organizing bookmarks
◦ Delicious.com
◦ Diigo.com

Prioritizing, time management, & bunny
trails
http://www.greenwichschools.org/page.cfm?p=6657
39
Teaching Information Fluency
Do you teach a little about search
strategies every day?
 Have you provided critical thinking
activities about Web sites?
 Are you modeling information
management?
 Do you discuss information management
directly?
 Do you monitor how your students
manage information?
 Do you model selecting the appropriate
tool for the task?

40
ePortfolios

What?
◦ Students assemble work samples, creative
projects, Web sites, photos, test scores
◦ Teachers collect evidence of professional
development

Why?
◦
◦
◦
◦
Selectively available anywhere
Easily shared
Can include media
Demonstrates tech skill, and other skills
41
ePortfolios

Where?
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Google Docs
Google Sites
A Wiki
WordPress
Mahara.org
42
ePortfolios - Examples
43
ePortfolios - Examples
44
Using The Cloud



Keep your documents online
Use your software online
Google Docs
◦
◦
◦
◦
Text documents
Slides
Spreadsheets
Forms
45
Bookmarking and Tagging
 How
you save sites
now
 Bookmarking
 Tagging
 Tag clouds
(my Delicious account)
46
ISTE: NETS for Administrators
1.
Visionary Leadership
1.
Digital Age Learning Culture
1.
Excellence in Professional Practice
1.
Systematic Improvement
1.
Digital Citizenship
http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-administrators/nets-for-administrators-sandards.aspx
47
Communication
“Promote and model effective
communication and collaboration among
stakeholders using digital-age tools”
48
Facebook
PROs
 Everybody is already
there!
 Variety of page types
– group, business
page, personal
 Wide access for
discussions and
sharing
49
CONs
 Privacy issues
 Confusing re types of
pages
 Need to have a
separate professional
account
Uses for Facebook
Promote your
program
 Keep in touch
with learners
 Share
information,
photos, videos
 Keep in touch
with alumni

50
3 types of accounts

Individual/personal profile page
◦ Must create this to work with the other two

Fan page/Business page
◦ Official presence by an organization or
institution or celebrity. Maintained by authorized representative.

Group
◦ Allow you to communicate directly with
other people on Facebook about a specific
subject. Anyone can create and admin a group.
51
Types of FB Pages

Personal
◦ To share or not to
share…

Fan/Business
◦ For promoting a
program

Group
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Open or closed?
Under whose account?
Set email notifications
Invite members
Post content regularly
Check daily
52
Steven Ewert, GED at Fresno AS
53
Sean Abajian, ESL, Los Angeles
54
Mato-Kuwapi Parker, EMT, Fresno AS
55
What they do




Provide resources
Spotlight successful stories
Post photos and videos
Encourage discussion
56
Torrance Adult School, CA
57
Downey Adult School, CA
58
Milpitas Adult Ed Group
59
Palo Alto Adult School
Student contest – how adult school
changed your life
 Submit photos
 Photos displayed in an art store and a
book store window
 Prizes, donated by community
 Community partners – promote a
different one each quarter, and they
promote you

60
61
62
What they do
•
Post on regular basis
– News
– About classes
– Current catalog
•
Run contests
– Ask fans/members to share/recommend to others
– Ask fans/members to post about their experience in
relationship to your program
•
•
Feature work by individual teachers/classes
Celebrate
63
Facebook Groups
64
LinkedIn

Professional
Networking
◦ Contacts
◦ Groups

Hiring
◦ Paid membership
◦ Post and search

Getting Information
◦ Posts
◦ Groups
65
Who needs a professional network?
 We all do!
 You can’t build
it
when you need it
 Grows over time
 Grows through
your contributions
66
National Education Technology Plan
 Teaching
◦ Technology-based professional
development
◦ Leverage social networking to create
communities of practice
◦ Develop a teaching force skilled in
online instruction
67
Professional Development Online

Online
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦

Webinars
Workshops
Facilitated Courses
Self-Directed Courses
Conferences
Meetings
Blended
◦ Courses
◦ Conferences
68
CAAdultEdTraining.org
69
CASAS Self-Paced Courses
70
Communities of Practice

CALPRO Multilevel ESL Virtual
Workroom
71
ISTE: NETS for Administrators
1.
Visionary Leadership
1.
Digital Age Learning Culture
1.
Excellence in Professional Practice
1.
Systematic Improvement
1.
Digital Citizenship
http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-administrators/nets-for-administrators-sandards.aspx
72
Mountains of Data
 Find the data you need
 Put it into meaningful form
 Share, discuss, seek input
 Make data-based decisions
73
DIY Data Management
74
Managing Data


Google Forms
◦
◦
◦
◦
Quick and easy
Create a survey
Collect data in a spreadsheet
Share with one person, a group, or the world
◦
◦
◦
◦
Register for an event
Evaluate an event
Get input on an idea of direction
Get ready for WASC
Uses
75
Recruit and Retain



Highly competent
Technology proficient
Creating a culture
76
Robust Infrastructure




It’s a team task
Ask the right questions
Find the right people
Technology is a tool that serves our
ultimate goal – learner outcomes
77
ISTE: NETS for Administrators
1.
Visionary Leadership
1.
Digital Age Learning Culture
1.
Excellence in Professional Practice
1.
Systematic Improvement
1.
Digital Citizenship
http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-administrators/nets-for-administrators-sandards.aspx
78
Online Privacy – There isn’t any!
75% of U.S. recruiters and HR
professionals do online searches on
candidates
 70% have rejected candidates based on
what they found
 Young woman fired for posting on FB “I’m
so totally bored!” at work

79
Create a Positive Online Presence
 Post
positive information on sites
that will show up on the first 1-2
pages of a Web search
 Create a blog, Twitter account or
LinkedIn profile with positive info
 Post and comment on professional
sites
 Create a professional email address
 Limit the contact information you list
online
80
Remove any Negative Content
 Google yourself!
 Create an alert for
your name and
email address
 Search for pictures of you
 If you see something negative, take
action
 Contact Web site owners
 Request removal of cached pages
 Find and modify privacy settings
81
Copyright Laws
Copyright – who
owns what? What
is OK to copy and
use? If not, why
not?
 Creative
Commons
licensing
 Giving credit

http://academic.cuesta.edu/bused/parallinks.htm
82
Security

Basic understanding of security is
important!
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Passwords
Attachments
Phishing emails
Malware/Spyware
Identity Theft
http://lifehacker.com/#!5714296/how-to-stay-secure-online
83
THE ILLITERATE OF THE 21ST
CENTURY WILL NOT BE THOSE
WHO CANNOT READ AND
WRITE, BUT THOSE WHO
CANNOT LEARN, UNLEARN, AND
RELEARN.
-- Alvin Toffler
84