21st Century High School Issues: Learning how to Make Better Choices

Standards

ISTE (2008) has listed the National Education Technology Standards (NETS) for teachers, which the 21st century issues are aligned with as:

1. Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity:
a. Promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness; and
b. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.

2. Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments:
a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity;
b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress; and
c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students� diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.

3. Model digital age work and learning:
a. Demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations; and
b. collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.

4. Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility:
b. Address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources;
c. promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information; and
d. develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital age communication and collaboration tools. (p. 9)

ISTE (2008) has listed the National Education Technology Standards (NETS) for students, which the 21st century issues are aligned with as:

1. Creativity and innovation:
a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes;
b. create original works as a means of personal or group expression;
c. use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues; and
d. identify trends and forecast possibilities.

2. Communication and collaboration:
a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media;
b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats;
c. develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures; and
d. contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

3. Research and information fluency:
a. Plan strategies to guide inquiry;
b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media;
c. evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks; and
d. process data and report results.

4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making:
a. Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation;
b. plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project;
c. collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions; and
d. use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions.

6. Technology operations and concepts:
a. Understand and use technology systems;
b. select and use applications effectively and productively;
c. troubleshoot systems and applications; and
d. transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies. (p. 7)

Credits

References

Beckett, E. C., Wetzel, K., Chisholm, I. M., Zambo, R., Buss, R., Padgett, H., & ... Odom, M. (1998). Six elements for technology integration in multicultural classrooms. Journal of information technology for teacher education, 7 (2), 23-30. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/14759399800200033

ISTE. (2008). National educational technology standards for teachers (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: ISTE.

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[Photographs by Excitefun.net]. (2010). O wawoo lets dance all. Retrieved from http://forum.xcitefun.net/happy-3rd-anniversary-to-xcitefun-net-forum-t43531,start,10.html

[Photographs by Photobucket]. (2014). Mtv logo. Retrieved from http://s248.photobucket.com/user/kaseybug106/media/MTV.jpg.html

[Photographs by Pixgood.com]. (n.d.). Critical thinking. Retrieved from http://pixgood.com/thinking-icon-png.html

[Photographs by Microsoft Clip Art]. (2014). Colorful people. Retrieved by my computer.

[Photographs by Microsoft Corporation]. (2014). Unity metaphor of earth surrounded by linking stick people. Retrieved from http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=people&ex=1#ai:MC900439613|

[Photographs by Zastavki.com]. (2013). High school usa. Retrieved from http://www.zastavki.com/eng/Cartoons/wallpaper-52218.htm

Lever-Duffy, J., & McDonald, J. B. (2011). Teaching and learning with technology (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Other

Beckett, Wetzel, Chisholm, Zambo, Buss et al. (1998) list six elements, which integrate technology into a multicultural class as: (1) Cultural relevance, (2) cultural awareness, (3) culturally supportive environments, (4) equitable access, (5) instructional flexibility, and (6) instructional integration. My Webquest lesson incorporates all six elements of integrating technology into a multicultural classroom and increases awareness that technology can provide advantages to the multicultural classroom. My Webquest lesson uses technology to enhance teaching and learning.

The first element is cultural relevance. My Webquest lesson, which is about 21st century high school issues, is culturally relevant to students because the types of issues I have brought up in the student scenarios affects the multicultural classroom. My lesson integrates technology, pop culture and personal experiences, which the students can connect it to prior knowledge and immediate relevance in their lives (Beckett et al., 1998). Beckett et al. (1998) has stated �Associating new learning with personal experiences links learning to personal events, knowledge, understanding, perceptions and emotions� more meaningful (p. 255). My lesson is culturally relevant because it provides scenarios, which all types of learners can connect their interests and personal experiences to. It shows what 21st century students are faced with in today�s society. Technology closes the gap in a multicultural classroom by providing more opportunities for students to learn about the world and the issues, which are affecting teens, just like them. I have provided a couple teen friendly websites that connect teens to other teens, who have the same concerns for the issues I have mentioned in the student scenarios. The teen websites and my Webquest in combination of each other are culturally relevant to students needs, which increases culture relevance by giving examples that all teens have similar experiences even though they come from an array of different cultures.

The second element is cultural awareness. In my Webquest lesson, I have included three common types of media (audio, text, video), which provides a variety of learning styles students can gain an understanding about the topics of sex, drugs, alcohol, pregnancy, STD�s, depression, suicide, eating disorders and bullying. My lesson can be applied to any student working alone or with a partner and the lesson can be modified or adjusted to match the students preferred learning style. Lever-Duffy and McDonald (2011) state a good reason for teachers to incorporate technology into the teaching and learning setting is that �Technology, creatively applied, is a powerful tool that can be utilized to address the needs of diverse learners and make the teaching and learning process more effective, efficient, and successful� (p. 104). My Webquest lesson is a perfect example where technology is being applied to increase culture relevance, culture awareness, interest and motivation with diverse learners so that their needs are met through the interactive lesson.

The third element is culturally supportive environments. Beckett et al. (1998) entail the details a culturally supportive environment has to be �Safe, accepting environment in which individuals genuinely respect all forms of diversity� (p. 256). In my lesson, all types of diversities can be seen in the student scenarios where I explain the issues, which teens are experiancing nowadays. For example, I included a website for lesbian and gay students to look at, so that they understand what safe sex entails for them. I have also included a multitude of multicultural resources, which demonstrate that the teen issues affect all teens no matter what major or minority culture he or she comes from.

The fourth element is equitable access. When teachers use my lesson, it can be applied to all types of learners and their preferred learning styles, which promotes higher-level thinking and enhances their learning experiences of understanding 21st century teen issues (Beckett et al., 1998). I have applied videos in the resource section so that English Language Learners (ELL) and other students who learn better through visual inquiry can understand the issues, which are affecting 21st century teens by watching the videos. Within the guidelines of my lesson, students who are ELL can work with a partner in researching 21st century issues.

The fifth element where technology is applied to a multicultural classroom is through instructional flexibility. My lesson includes various modes of assessments (e.g., research paper, video, PowerPoint, song, poem, educational platform) students can choose from on how they want to demonstrate their understanding of the 21st century issues to the teacher and the students. To add to the point that my Webquest lesson incorporates instructional flexibility Beckett et al. (1998) state, �Students can select programs and media, choose topics, and pick partners with whom to work. They can also select how to demonstrate learning in ways that are culturally compatible and supportive of their learning preferences� (p. 261). The lesson allows for instructional flexibility to take place so that all learners can be successful in demonstrating their understanding. The Webquest lesson supports students� individual needs to find their preferred learning method to interpret and demonstrate their understanding of the project. Beckett et al. (1998) mentions a key point in making a multicultural classroom successful is that �The teacher provides for varied intelligences and learning style preferences, supports cultural and individual differences as well as expands children�s repertoire of ways to learn� (p. 260). This is exactly what I demonstrated in my Webquest lesson.

The sixth element where technology is applied to a multicultural classroom is instructional integration. Instructional integration is when �Technology becomes an integral part of classroom learning, student productivity, and information gathering for all learners� (Beckett et al., 1998, p. 261). The students use technology to research the 21st century issues so that they can demonstrate their understanding of it by their final product. Students use technology software and hardware in the Webquest lesson to put together their presentation for the class. Students are able to choose the type of presentation format that they would like to demonstrate their understanding of the 21st century issue.

My lesson allows for the teacher to provide the students with additional educational learning experiences by using certain educational software and educational platforms to enhance their learning experiences in the classroom by using technology. �Learning with computers becomes meaningful, practical, and transferable to the world beyond the school. Through the use of technology, my Webquest lesson provides students opportunities to connect with other students around the globe who are having the same issues that the student scenarios are encountering. The Webquest lesson offers students the opportunity to be creative, problem-solve, and use their higher-order thinking to present their final project by using technology (Beckett et al., 1998).