21st Century Learning

21st century classroom, might at first thought, seem easy to define; however, as one looks
deeper, the simplicity of a definition seems at best, a challenge. Is a 21st century classroom one which
houses a variety of technologies readily available to the teacher and students? Or, as might seem
obvious, one in which the teacher and students are capable of utilizing the technology? On the contrary,
it appears that merely being capable of utilizing technology within the classroom does not promote the
transfer of learning educators hope for, or of which students are in need. “The term "21st century skills"
is generally used to refer to certain core Barriers to the Transfer of Learning Process The NETS, or National Educational Technology Standards, developed by the ISTE (International Society for Technology in the Classroom) are a set of standards which guide schools and teachers toward a better understanding of what students should be able to accomplish through the use of technology, and includes such topics as Creativity & Innovations, Technology Operations & Concepts, and Research & Information Fluency. (Morrison & Lowther, 2010) These broader terms encompass curriculum elements as learning how to research and analyze data, creating individual works through the use of software, and developing an understanding of a computer network or system. Given the fact that education departments from each state have developed standards for learning, not to mention federal learning standards which have been mandated, it is sometimes difficult for teachers to blend all of these together within their lessons. Teachers might have a tendency to separate technology standards into a separate curriculum; however, Gordon stated, “The 21st century school demands a coherent school wide vision of how technology is aligned with educational goals Teachers sometimes struggle to develop the type of lesson which is not centered on the technology, yet uses it as an accompaniment to the learning.