The document discusses integrating 21st century perspectives into classes. It recommends considering how to incorporate content, students, and technology. Specifically, it suggests engaging the professional community, valuing students' prior experiences, and using technologies like audio, visuals, and mind maps to expand learning beyond text. While emerging tools offer opportunities, instructors must carefully scaffold environments to effectively integrate new understandings and avoid confusion. The document outlines designing for learners, content, and communication while assessing to enable dynamic 21st century learning through guidance and support.

1. Integrating 21st Century
Perspectives into Your
Classes Today
Dr. Eileen O’Connor
Empire State College
January 2015
21st century learning has become a
term of art within the education field
itself; it embraces concepts such as
interdisciplinary learning, critical
thinking, global outreach, creativity
and innovation, and the integration of
technologies that support learning and
communication.

2. Agenda
Review requirements of 21st century – as stated
by some
Consider the content or discipline – from a “field
based” perspective
Embrace the student / students and integrate
their perspective
Review technologies to support interactions and
object creation

3. Embedded assumption
Principles can apply to all learning scenarios
that use an e-tool for a component of the
design
100% online environments
Face to face instruction w/ some aspects that
are online or supported via the web
Blended courses

4. How are you teaching today?
Where and how do you teach? What does your
classroom, group, or study look like?
How do you value, integrate, and “use” the
multiple students in your classes? What
population of students do you have?
Are you getting off-the-stage and embracing the
adult learner? Are you building community?
How are e-technologies extending your outreach
and teaching?

5. What are 21st century
Perspectives? Many
definitions
http://www.p21.org/our-work/p21-framework

6. K12 schools are
being asked to
integrate these
skills &
understandings –
are we doing it?

8. 21st Century
Perspectives
Content Practitioners Learners
F2F Online
Global
 Integrate the world and the
possibilities today – this goes
beyond the static content
and the learners
 Who uses this content? And,
how might I reach students
more effectively?
 Get more ready access to
practice and practitioners via
e-means

9. • So, how do you think about the:
-- content / discipline & professional
community;
-- students & their experience;
-- e-communication?
In what ways can you integrate the disciplinary
community into your teaching?

10. Why learn the content? – think beyond the
textbook or research-literature or even the
course-to-date
Who is
served?
Why is this
field
important?
What
professionals
are involved?

11. Create a community
of inquiry
 Turn the classroom into
an interactive, learning
community; engage &
include professionals /
practitioners in the field
Professional
community
Forums &
communities
of practice
Presentations /
webinars to
the class
Guidance /
review of work
Classroom
community
Shared
experiences /
brainstorming
Discussion from
experience
•Value prior
learning

12. Students and
professional
interactions
Legal, research, interns /
students can conduct
active investigations more
readily today

13. Databases & info
 Students can investigate, learn, infer and
extrapolate from what they learn via the
web
 Where do most lawsuits begin? And why?

14. Students and
professional
interactions
Working in and near
the real world

15. Student can observe . . . even at a
distance
 Students can enter into the culture
& the issues

16. Webinars are growing . . . in all fields
 Find those where
student can
participate
 Have them report
back to the class

17. Students and
professional
interactions
Merchandising,
fashion, retail /
brainstorming

18. Interactions are not
always one way
 Students can bring
insights, markets,
and ideas to
business
 Encourage ongoing
and interaction
conversations
 Cultivate ongoing
interactions w/
businesses and
professionals

19. How can you grow and
value the students
themselves?
What practices can motivate, engage,
empower, and include the students more
actively in their learning?

20. Create classes that
are authentic,
interactive &
communicative
environments
Learning
Community
Design for rich
interactions
Use feedback
loops across
time and
technologies
Create useful
synchronous
communications
Create
ownership;
engage w/
practitioners

21. Value the learners
for their . . .
Prior knowledge
• Professional / experiential
• Transferred
• Needs to be integrated
Transformative
learning
• Awake to new
perspective
• Engage their past
Varying tech
experience
• Use student
“variations”
• Don’t underestimate
adults
• Instructor needs open
attitude

22. The box / outside
the box – if you
could do
anything? What
encourages
value and
motivation in the
learner?
Textbook &
papers
Professional
community
Peer
interactions /
badging
Visits / field
trips /
activities /
conferences
Required,
participatory
environments
Personal
ownership
(encourage
both pride &
application)
The REAL
problems in
the field

23. How can the many available e-
resources extend learning into the 21st
century?
Now, for more focus on the available resources
and tools – for interaction and for learning-object
development

24. Facilitate & frame with technology-
mediation & learning object creation
Interactions &
communications
Visual /
audio /
video
Independence,
authorship and
review
Simulations
/ virtual

25. Key ways that technologies are expanding
beyond just text – in content
Audio
• Experts presenting
• Tape & share later
Visual
• Static / Video
• Multiple intelligences
Schematics
• Models
• Abstractions
Mind Mapping
• Planning & communicating
• Assessment

26. Key ways that technologies are expanding beyond
just text – in organization & community
Asynchronous
• D-boards / voice thread
• Efficient – time independent
Synchronous
• F2F / Webinar / Virtual reality
• Community & sharing
Chronological
• Course embedded
• Emails / blog
Linked / interactive
• Student lounges
• Facebook for class

27. Scaffolding Complex Learning: Integrating 21st Century Thinking,
Emerging Technologies, and Dynamic Design and Assessment to
Expand Learning and Communication Opportunities
Enhanced ways of thinking about learners, learning, and communication in
the 21st century across content areas coupled with technologies that can
extend the outreach beyond text, time, and geography can accelerate
learning and retention in higher education, professional organizations, and
learning environments. However, many assumptions about time, situation,
learning goals, and learner capabilities have been embedded in face-to-
face and online approaches. Thus when moving to the more dynamic
designs available today, instructors, educators, and communicators must also
carefully scaffold the environment to integrate effectively these emerging
tools and understandings. Otherwise, what could be enriched learning can
become confusion and frustration. This paper outlines both ways to
design and integrate content, learners, technology and
communication tools, and assessment thus enabling dynamic, 21st
century learning and ways to scaffold and balance instructional supports,
pacing, and interaction-planning thereby providing guidance for the rich
learning that is possible in integrated, technology-supported environments.
Available through e-
library & on request

28. Your ideas & applications ???

29. Conclusion
Email eileen.oconnor@esc.edu to extend the
conversation