SETDA - 21st century skills

I’m live blogging from the SETDA Leadership Summit…

21st century skills

Frances Bradburn, Director of Instructional Technology, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction

• State has signed on to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills framework
• North Carolina requires students to complete a 4–component, performance-based graduation project (research paper, product, portfolio, and oral presentation)
• Students also must pass a computer skills test to graduate
• For licensure, has ‘executive’ standards, not principal / superintendent standards
• Joint Commission on Information Technology was a unified voice advocating for the School Connectivity Project (broadband for every school)
• LOTS of neat stuff going on in the state (Learn and Earn, New Schools Project, Learn and Earn Online, North Carolina Virtual Public School, IMPACT, Literacy to Learn, eBistro, Project K-NECT, Quest Atlantis)
• Many initiatives are facilitated by corporations working hand-in-hand with the state department
• Funding technology facilitators, literacy coaches, E-Rate personnel, and regional engineers
• Frances maintains a blog

Brenda Williams, Executive Director, Office of Instructional Technology, West Virginia Department of Education

• State has signed on to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills framework
• Secured critical policymaker support: Governor, Board of Education, legislature
• Had to show folks that 21st century skills are a little different than the old SCANS skills
• Numerous non-technology-related academic policy initiatives align with technology-oriented initiatives
• 8th grade student technology assessment is aligned with classroom assessment (following the Rick Stiggins philosophy)
• Teach 21
• Think.com