NETS

[Shelly]

I will be honest...this is my first time previewing the NETS, and i
imagine I am not alone. I agree that the standards do capture the
essence of the types of skills students should have to be prepared for
the 21st century. In viewing Friedman and Mcleod...I agree that these
types of skills are essential to our kids professional development and
survival in the workplace. With practices such as outsourcing and
offshoring...these skills are more critical now than ever. But 21st
century skills are not just critial for our students, they are equally
critical for teachers of every age and content area.

What's missing is not more standards, instead, a plan about how and
when these will be delivered in the classroom across all content
areas. I've been thinking alot about how time, resources, and quality
professional development play a role in the ability, rather the
inability, to integrate the NETS in the classroom effectively. I'm
not sure where in my reading did I come across the premise of "No
Teacher Left Behind," but it made me chuckle. I imagine all teachers,
including myslelf, would like to be proficient in this digital age/
world when it comes to creating learning environments that promote 21
century skills, but with the damands on teachers and limited resources
in many of our schools, this proves to be be very difficult. What
does it say about the importance of classes like this for teachers who
want to take their own skills to the next level, but are told they
can't, because the money ran out? It also scares me that only
economically advantaged school districts are able to create virtual
enviroments that are both innovative and effective in teaching 21
century skills to students. I realize there are ways to combat the
financial strain some schools face, for example, grant
writing..etc..but I would like to see more emphasis on technology and
and skill building as a priority, rather than a luxury.