Blog 1 Response - Instructional strategies and 21st century skills

It is crucial to use a variety of instructional strategies in today’s world of education for multiple reasons. Most importantly, if a teacher uses a variety of instructional strategies, the teacher has a better chance of relating to all of the various learning styles in the classroom. Especially in today’s society, we are more diverse than ever before, so it is essential that a teacher try to meet the needs of every learner. Take a second to look at a chart I created illustrating the learning styles of all the students I see every day:

As you can see, there are various styles I need to accommodate to.  If a teacher only uses one strategy, they could be missing out on huge opportunities to reach other students. For example, most student learn by seeing or doing, so if those students take a class where the teacher is lecturing a lot, they will not be learning to their full potential.

Luckily for us, we live in a world where it has become easier than ever! We have access to all kinds of technology! We can easily create engaging presentations using Prezi or Microsoft PowerPoint, or edit videos to tailor them to our classroom content or style. With the growing popularity of Chromebooks and laptop carts in schools, more and more kids are getting access to the Internet and World Wide Web. This will make technology integration and teaching of 21^st century skills much easier and more authentic. Watch the following video to gain a better understanding as to why it is so crucial we get students learning 21^st century skills:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGGYIw_pIj8

In my classroom, I will be able to implement more collaboration and team work projects than ever before – a huge skills employers look for in potential job candidates. I will also be able to teach more computer science and digital literacy, such as computer coding and programming, and how to leave a good, ethical digital footprint – which are also big 21^st century skills students need to succeed. I am excited with the opportunities and resources we now have access too, and I can’t wait to see where it goes in the near future.