Findings+Related+to+the+Survey

= =

toc

=Survey Teacher Responses= The [|Elementary Level Professional Development Staff Survey]was taken by 32 elementary level staff members. The findings indicated that the vast majority of staff members who took the survey felt confident and comfortable with the curriculum they teach, primarily as a result of the current annual professional development opportunities to learn and deepen understanding of the curriculum presented to our children. There was, however, an overwhelming response regarding children's level of engagement when technology was embedded within the core content of the curriculum. Many teachers expressed that once they solidly grasped the core content of the curriculum, they needed additional support in delivering it a manner that was engaging for our diverse student cliental. Within the survey, teachers expressed the over-arching idea that students' curiosity would be sparked and make them feel that the core content is valuable and worth learning if technology was more frequently integrated into the content we deliver. Other teachers expressed the idea that when we tap into our students' enthusiasm, we are increasing the likelihood that they will dive into deep inquiry and come away with essential understandings, in addition to connecting social and emotional sides of the learning experience. Technology and delving into 21st century literacies was the overwhelming response and plea for support to enhance our students critical thinking skills, as well as prepare them for the digitally intense world that is rapidly evolving.

=Our Flat World= T//**he World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century**// is an international bestselling book by [|Thomas L. Friedman] that analyzes globalization, primarily in the early 21st century. The title is a metaphor for viewing the world as a level playing field in terms of business and trade, where all competitors across the world now have equal opportunity. Education is also following this methodology of acknowledging our increasingly flat world, and the implications it holds for today's learners. This escalating movement toward technology in educational settings has created a need for teachers to gain a deeper understanding of what Web 2.0 multimedia tools are available, and how to integrate them into present teaching practices to meet the needs of today's diverse, 21st century learners. Teachers today need to become facilitators of global cooperation and collaboration, ultimately preparing our 21st century youth for the educational and professional competition of today and tomorrow. Let's take a look at what our diverse, 21st century learners look like: [|A Vision of K-12 Students Today]. By introducing our teachers to just a few of the many technological resources that can impact educational teaching practices and student learning, the needs of our 21st century learners can be addressed and cultivated.

=**Multimedia Education for Today**= [|3 Steps For 21st Century Learning] The multimedia digital world is creating new opportunities for students to gain understanding of social norms, explore interests, develop technical skills, and experiment with new forms of self-expression. New multimedia forms have altered how students socialize and learn (MacArthur, 2008). This raises a new set of issues for educators to consider. To stay relevant in the 21st century, education institutions need to keep pace with the rapid changes introduced by digital multimedia. Students' participation in this networked world suggests new ways of thinking about the role of education and how we deliver our curriculum.

=The Impact of Web 2.0= //Time// magazine’s Person of the Year in 2006 was ‘You’. On the cover of the magazine, underneath the title, was a picture of a PC with a mirror, which reflected not only the face of the reader, but also marked the beginning of an improved, ‘second version ‘user-generated Web: Web 2.0. This new Web is a very different entity. It's capable of bringing together the small contributions of millions of people and making them matter. Web 2.0 is about community and collaboration on a scale never seen before; it's about the cosmic compendium of knowledge Wikipedia, the million-channel people’s network YouTube, and the online metropolis MySpace. Recent national surveys (National Survey of Student Engagement, 2007) highlight the need to rethink formal education’s methods and tools in order to increase its relevance to all types of learners, fostering greater levels of student engagement and participation within the target language. Web 2.0 has the power to provide this transformation, not just changing the world, but also changing how the world changes, creating the potential to revolutionize education in ways that have only recently begun to be explored by teachers. Web 2.0 is here today, and its cosmic impact is just beginning. More than just the latest technology buzzword, it's a transformative force that is propelling schools across the world towards educating their staff to develop a new way of delivering knowledge to all students. Siemens (2007) indicates that the popularity growth in today’s revolutionary Web 2.0 participative tools has not only increased technological ability, but also the desire of teachers to incorporate it into their teaching. The recent Staff Development Survey also conveys the desire for educators to increase their 21st century technological understandings and skills,forging ahead to best meet the needs of our students.