A message to students on their first day of internet access

Teachers and students need new literacy skills as more and more of the resources they turn to are web-based. Janice Friesen (in an article adapted from TechLearning.com) points out nine concerns that students should have when visitng a new web site. On the Web, much of what students read is not always fact - or at least not verified as completely accurate, and articles and blogs are often laced with opinion. Janice's summary should provide a good basis for one of your initial class discussions.

Janice's concerns include: reading URLs for information, looking for information about the author, understanding the "About" section of a Web site, careful reading of Websites and of Email,recognizing advertisements, looking for dates, triangulation(...finding three sources that agree on a fact) and being skeptical

Action Plan Drafted for 21st Century STEM Education

Public comment is encouraged on a recently released draft action plan to address critical 21st Century needs in the nation's STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education system.

The plan, which originates from the National Science Board within the National Science Foundation, is available online A National Action Plan for Addressing the Critical Needs of the U.S. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education System. Comments can be sent to NSB_STEMaction@nsf.gov. Additional materials are available at the Board's site for the action plan.

Framework for 21st Century Learning

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills recently issued a two page handout on student outcomes which summarizes their comprehensive guide to develop 21st Century educational outcomes.