Digital Intelligences for the 21st Century

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Permalink Reply by Gail Desler on August 28, 2008 at 6:37am

Jackie, thanks for starting this topic and the wiki. I'll definitely add resources as I find them. One small piece I like to draw from is the National Council for Teacher's of English definition of 21st century literacies.

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Permalink Reply by Jackie Gerstein on August 28, 2008 at 6:43am

Thanks, Gail - these fit nicely into these "intelligences". I think it is important for these intelligences or literacies are recognized by the broader educational community so they are addressed in the classroom. The back-to-basics, three r's (as is still the focus in my district) just won't be enough in the 21st century!

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Permalink Reply by Gail Desler on August 28, 2008 at 7:50am

I think what is powerful about the NCTE piece is that their definition is for literacy in general and that they are a nationally recognized and respected organization, with a strong record of best practices in the teaching of reading and writing (almost got the 3R's in;-)

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Permalink Reply by Jackie Gerstein on August 28, 2008 at 7:54am

I agree! I actually already add them to the WIki - http://jackiegerstein.wikispaces.com/21st+Century+Learning+Intellig...

They fit in nicely with the learning intelligences that I am finding in the literacies identified by other organizations.

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Permalink Reply by pmptrainer on August 29, 2008 at 6:53am

nice. not really much of a futuristic thinking person but i'm open to ideas. will check this out from time to time!

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Permalink Reply by Donna Millard on September 11, 2008 at 11:36am

Jackie:

My very first attempt at a discussion, so let me know if I'm getting this right!

The buzz phrase around post-secondary institutions is 21st century fluencies which I'm curious if that's the same as intelligences or not. 21st century fluences include information fluency, numeracy, cultural fluency, media fluency, and spatial visualization. One of my colleagues has gathered together a presentation on the topic; slides at: http://teaching.blog.lib.mcmaster.ca/2008/08/27/21-century-fluencies/

Now my concern is this...what is the learning focus on here? Are we teaching the students to learn the tool just to learn a new device to use or are we using the tool as a learning device to further their education in actual content on a higher level? I've been to far too many courses lately on how to use blogs, wikis, etc. but have rarely seen them appropriately applied either in the work world or in educational fields.

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Permalink Reply by Jackie Gerstein on September 11, 2008 at 11:55am

You are getting it right, Donna.

It seems like a two part question, so here is a two-part answer.

First, I am looking as these "intelligences" to reflect the 21st century. They are needed to survive in the world or work, play, relationships. The intelligences needed to do so in the 19th century are different than those needed in the 20th century and it is logical that it will be so in the 21st century. As much as I love the outdoors, I do not NEED to be able to read the weather from the sky to survive. But I need to figure out the bar scan at the supermarket, how to use a digital phone and clock, etc. Obviously, there are some core skills needed from century to century - such as communication BUT again the historical time influences that. The written word didn't even exist for many cultures for this past century. Technology is influencing the skills and tools needed but it should not be mistaken to be the skills needed to use technology. I hope this makes sense.

Second, I am working to use a Wiki for my gifted kids as a tool for learning - as a tool to construct their own learning experiences. You can view it in its initial stages @ http://weewebwonders.pbwiki.com/

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