An underlying theme in my recent readings has been the changes we need to make in education, and the new skills that students need to have. One example is the National Council of Teachers of English, and their new 21st century literacy that "readers and writers need to manage, analyze, and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information." Other skills mentioned have included collaboration, cooperative work, reading by scanning, being globally aware, be creators and consumers of hypertext, and be able to consume and edit information. These have moved far beyond focusing on the basics of reading, writing, and arithmatic.
The readings also point out how technology is the cause behind the shift, but also the solution in teaching these skills. Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, wikis, and RSS feeds, when implemented correctly, can provide students with lessons and hands on experience practicing these new 21st century skills that will be invaluable for them as they continue on in life. The school librarian plays a key role in this process. It is up to us to help teach these skills through lessons in the library, collaboration, or providing professional development so that teachers feel comfortable implementing these tools in their classrooms. It is necessary to stay up-to-date with these skills, and practice them ourselves. It is hard to teach students 21st century skills if we do not have them ourselves.
Over the summer I began to build up my own knowledge of web tools by setting up an RSS feed through Google Reader. It was fairly simple to do, and I love the amount of information I able to view regularly without taking a lot of time to go to each site. I am slowly learning more about RSS feeds and how to fully utilize them. My experience with this tool has allowed me to feel more confident about encouraging others to use and helping them get started. I feel that students could really benefit from this tool, and I cannot wait to share this tool, and many others, with them one day.
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