Module 2- Curricular Frameworks

 Hello everyone,

     Welcome to my second blog post.  For this post, I will be discussing Curricular Frameworks.  Curricular Frameworks are an organized plan or set of standards that defines the content that is to be learned.  They are clearly defined for what students should be able to know and do.  Each grade level has their on set of content standards.  Having separate grade level content standards, allows students to work at individually ability levels.  By identifying prerequisites and skills for each standard, teachers can plan instruction and make lesson plans accordingly.  In module 2, we discussed a great way educators can guide the level of Curriculum Frameworks and that is by using what is called "Bloom's Digital Taxonomy."  This module has helped me connect Bloom's Taxonomy to 21st Century-Skills in the following ways.

     The Bloom's Digital Taxonomy was created in the 1950s by Educational Psychologist Benjamin Bloom.  Bloom's Digital Taxonomy can help with guiding curriculum, assessments, and instructional strategies.  Their are six levels to the Bloom's Taxonomy Pyramid and they are: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation.  Knowledge, comprehension, and application are classified as lower order thinking skills, meaning students use concrete thinking, memorization, and understanding. Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation are classified as higher order thinking skills, meaning students use abstract, critical metacognitive, and creative thinking.  The Bloom's Digital Taxonomy is a organizational way that educators can use to help guide their students learning experiences.  In the 1990s, the Bloom's Digital Taxonomy was updated by a group that was led by David Krathwohl and Lorin Anderson.  The group updated and revised the model around so that it was relevant with 21st Century Learning.  What they did was updated each noun into associated with each level into action oriented verbs.  Technology is very important in todays society and schools.  It is important that students are able to expand on these skills so that they can become a better 21st Century Learner. 

     21st Century Skills are very important and go beyond basic literacy.  In module 2, we discussed what a 21st Century Learner is and what skills must they have in order to be successful.  These skills provide students the framework for successful learning and make sure that their learning never stop.  A good 21st Century Learner must be able to read and write critically, think and reason logically, and solve complex problems.  Students must be able to incorporate new information and know how to manage it while also having great flexibility to apply new content to their learning.  One way educators are able to enhance technology on building student skills for 21st Century Learning is by using the 4C's.  

     What are the 4C's?  The 4C's are: Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity.  According to the framework that was created for 21st Century Learning, the context of Core Knowledge Instruction says that students must learn the 4C's.  These skills help with students abilities to thrive and work in todays world.  So how does the 4C's help with digital technology?  Critical Thinking can help students with video conferencing to conduct first hand interviews online.  They can use graphic organizers to organize and illustrate their findings while also sharing with one another.  Communication can help with verbal, written, and multi-media messages.  It is also useful by letting students engage in an online conversation or class.  Collaboration helps by teaching students how to work in small teams and other teams from nearby schools.  It teachers students how to use different roles among the teams.  Creativity teaches students different ways to use technology in useful ways to be helpful and presentable to education.      

     In my future classroom one day as a physical education teacher, I look to applying the information that I have read in module 2 in the following ways. I look to using Curriculum Frameworks for developing my lesson plans and curriculum based assignments.  Using 21st Century Learning Skills will be a huge part in my classroom.  First, I looked for my students to emphasize and collaborate with one another so that they can understand each other and be able to work in small teams or groups effectively.  I want them to be able to think creatively and critically while participating in games and activities.  Communication skills with be very important because students will need to be able to use verbal and non-verbal communication skills in different activities.  People sometimes think that physical education does not incorporate or help with 21st Century Skills, but what they actual do not understand that is physical education actually improves learning skills and student performance in general.  21st Century Skills is very important in the educational world and as a future educator myself, I can not wait to incorporate these skills into my classroom.