The 4 C's of Education: critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation. These four elements are skills that not only students gain and develop but teachers do, as well. There are so many ways to develop these skills in the classroom. In the 21st century, we have access to so many different forms of technology. This tech opens new doors and allows for bigger ideas and imagination. But are there ways we can combine the 4 C's with tech to achieve the penultimate learning experiences, not just for students but us as educators, too? Critical Thinking: It's like a workout for your brain. As students develop this skill, new abilities and comprehensions are achieved, like higher level of concentration, deeper analytical abilities, and improved thought processes. The more you use your brain and think critically, the more developed and adapted you will be for new situations, not only as students but as teachers, too. Problem-solving has real-world implications and impacts; we are all faced with problems and conflicts throughout our day: some good, some bad. There is a website that proposes EdTech through the Global Digital Citizen Foundation (https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/). Their goal is to provide and present sources and information to help teachers develop the critical thinking skills their students need. This source is so cool because it allows for a way to learn and stay in-tune with the ever-changing culture, society, and technology of today. Communication: The world operates through communication. It is key to everything we do as humans. Whether it is through media, jobs, or social networks, communication is a skill that all students and educators must possess. How do students discern which forms of communication are effective and which are not? It is our job as educators to prepare them for the world. Our world requires us to be able to collaborate with each other. How do our students know what healthy collaboration looks like? Again, as teachers, we must model this for our students. In the world today, there are so many different resources and technologies available to help this development. Some of these technologies and trends include: gamification, flipped learning, mind mapping, even social media among others. One trend that was unique was using user-generated content. Students can make YouTube videos to explain how to use many different processes from as simple as "how to bake a cake" to as complex as "how to use the quadratic formula". Anyone from students to teachers can use this as well. It forces the student to think about how to effectively communicate the process and have a developed knowledge of the content. I think that this would obviously be more useful with older students, but teachers can also use this with younger students. It allows for younger students to watch the videos and use their active listening and recall information. Also, it models ways for them to effectively communicate. It can also encompass collaboration between students to create the video. Collaboration: Communication and collaboration go hand-in-hand. The real world requires us to work in collaboration with others through effective communication. Our role as educators is to again be a model of this collaboration in the classroom, as well as with our colleagues. The simplicity of having students work together and contribute to a common goal is something that allows for the development of these skills to occur. Finding unique ways and methods to encourage this collaboration is key, as technology continues to evolve so must our techniques and processes. Some technologies that exist in our world can be as complex as collaborating with other classrooms in places and countries around the globe. An example of this could be like students collaborating to provide relief and supplies to other classrooms in less-desirable situations like Hurricane Harvey and Irma. Other technologies could be video chats to listen to lectures and seminars like Skype and other video-conferencing technologies. Not only does it provide a way for students to develop their skills but it gives exposure to other places and people. Creativity: Creativity and imagination can be the key to a world waiting to be found and explored. In today's age, innovation is something that is so highly emphasized and apart of culture. How do we include a student's creativity into the classroom in a way that allows for effective growth? At our fingertips are endless tools and technologies that allow for students' imagination to blossom. A simple way for their imagination to be put to use is through activities that give them room to roam with boundaries, activities like creating videos, drawing, projects, and any other ways that allow students to be engaged and be creative while fulfilling tasks. One technology that is available is Prezi. Prezi allows students an ability to complete tasks and present information in a way unique to them. It allows students, and even teachers, to combine skills with their imagination to effectively present information in an engaging manner. Like I said, it forces students to effectively communicate information and still have the ability to choose how they do so. All of the 4 C's work in cohesion; one cannot exist without the other. It is so important that teachers make use of the tech available to them so that they might truly meet the needs of all students. These skills are so crucial to the student and the teacher that we must keep finding and creating new ways to develop the skills in every single student, that they might truly be prepared for the world and life.
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R.J.D.Future Professional Educator, Learner, Musician, Friend, Leader BLOGS
December 2018
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