1.

Insight about the Video

Technology and project based learning have changed how teachers are thinking about instruction
and assessment in today’s classrooms. The essential components of an excellent education today
embody much more than the traditional three R’s. Past President of NAIS, Pat Bassett, identifies
FourC’s – critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, as the skills that will be in
demand and will be rewarded in this century. (Bereiter & Scardamalia, 2008; ; Darling-
Hammond, 2015; Guerriero, 2017; Herrington, Reeves, & Oliver, 2010; Hoadley, 2011;
Laurillard, 2002; Hung & Khine, 2006; Mishra, 2012).

Being on the cusp of a technology revolution provides a unique opportunity to rethink not only
what we teach but how we teach it,” says Cindy Hoisington, nationally recognized early
childhood education expert, professional developer, and curriculum designer.
Cindy Hoisington shares this point of view with many educators across the nation. In the modern
classroom, teachers are not only imparting content; they are developing skills. The overall goal is
to create future-ready learners - students who are ready to apply their knowledge in any new
situation. 
In fact, there is a well-known skillset that prepares students for our changing world: the four C’s
of 21st century learners. 
“Teaching through the lens of the "Four Cs"—critical thinking, communication,
collaboration, and creativity—will help us and our students stay essential in an evolving world
of work,” says Cindy. With these skills, students can prepare for future success by learning how
to take initiative, work together, and formulate solutions. 
All of the four C’s are extremely interconnected, especially in computer science curriculum. In
this post, we explore the four C’s, why they are important for student development, and how
Codelicious curriculum reinforces each skill.
Communication- Educators help students connect with each other and the world around them.
In the digital age, communication has an extra layer. Students are not only connecting face-to-
face, but also through messaging apps, social media, and other device-led forums. That is why
educators must continue to foster strong research, writing, and presentation skills among their
students. Learning how to navigate digital spaces with responsibility and kindness is essential to
21st century learning. 
Collaboration- A common frame of reference for computer science resources include isolated
events - one and done activities where students sit alone in front of a computer to play games or
solve puzzles. Computer science curriculum, however, has the unique opportunity to create an
energized classroom environment. Using project-based learning, students work together to reach
a common goal. This helps students open up to different ideas, and brainstorm with their peers,
and present solutions.
Critical Thinking- Since we have constant access to information, students can fall into the trap
of searching for “the” answer. Often, there are many solutions to a problem - and many paths to
reach those solutions. This is where critical thinking plays a key role in student development.
Educators can encourage idea generation, brainstorming, and problem solving. As a result,
students become engaged learners, investing in their own problem solving skills.
Creativity- Creativity isn’t only about art or theater; it’s about using the tools at your disposal to
solve problems. Educators can empower students to find new ways to accomplish tasks or create
connections between concepts and ideas. Using their imagination and resourcefulness, students
can think outside the box and see the world around them in different ways.

Other Resources Around the 4 C’s

http://rechargelearning.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-iste-standards-and-4-cs-of.html
https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2018/07/4-cs-learning-connected-classroom
http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/A-Guide-to-Four-Cs.pdf
http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol14/num29/dont-be-a-robot-manage-your-classroom-with-
the-four-cs.aspx

According to Mr. Atul Temurnikar the Co-founder and Chairman, Global Schools Foundation
(GSF) which he established in Sept 2002. Bringing learners up to speed with the demands of the
current industry trends became the ultimate goal for every educator, and how to achieve this
became a burning issue. Curriculum were adapted and school systems modified to inculcate
technology into daily routines without disrupting the comfort of students at every stage of their
learning journey. However, with all the focus diverted on making students more newgen-savvy,
critics often missed asking one important question - are our teachers also adopting 21st century
skills?
Nowadays, with technology becoming easily accessible, students are more privy to information
that is expected of their age. Mobile phones, computers, social media, etc. – a child’s life without
these is a rare scenario to come across. Technology is no more considered a luxury; it has well
entered the territory of essential necessities. The increasing ease of accessibility of technology
also gives students the ability to learn beyond what is taught in school. Thus, teachers have to
always keep themselves a step ahead of their pupils making it imminent that schools hire and
constantly train teachers to be ahead of the curve, and provide more to students than just
textbook knowledge.
Many teachers understand the need for this and constantly upskill themselves. But, at the same
time, it is the responsibility of schools and educational institutions to regularly conduct learning
activities for teachers to keep them up to date with various new age teaching tools, concepts and
processes.
Here are some ways to help ensure teachers have adopted the requisite skills required to impart
right kind of education to the new generation of learners in the right way:
Provide teachers with access to the latest tools:
Information and communication technologies (ICT) and access to these is the need of the hour
for the education system today. ICT has become a norm since few decades that has silently been
impacting our daily life and teaching world is no exception to it. ICT helps teachers modify the
study material to bring in more real-world concepts to the classroom so that students get a more
well-round practical education. Classrooms are no more a one-way education medium.
Education has become more interactive and diverse. With a large number of concepts and
formats of imparting education available, bringing a technological edge to the classroom also
helps in making the learning process more interesting and faster. Thus ensuring that teachers can
continue to create value and be relevant to their students. Some examples of ICT tools that
teachers should be given access to are virtual classrooms, webinars, web/video conferencing,
using the internet, CDs and videotapes. 
Integrating technology with teaching processes:
Learning management systems like Google Classroom, Canvas, and Blackboard Learn has made
processes like grading, planning studies and sharing files between students and teachers easy,
quick and paperless. Not only is this method eco-friendly but it also saves a lot of effort which
would have otherwise been consumed in doing these tasks physically. Teaching educators to use
technology in their teaching processes will help them innovate further in planning their lessons
due to the availability and assistance of sophisticated software and designing tools. 
Introducing 21st-century concepts to teachers:
21st-century learning is all about innovation, problem-solving and critical thinking. Education is
no more restricted to a sage and student method where a teacher would read from a book and
students would listen disinterestedly. In the 21st century, teachers have to deliver concepts in a
way that binds the interest of the student. Thus for teachers to be able to educate students in the
21st century, they must adopt skills like practical application, creativity, innovation, interaction,
and critical questioning and analysis. Teachers should be provided training sessions on a
continued basis to adapt them to these concepts and show them innovative ways of applying it.
Using technology to train teachers:
Learning & development and continuous training are an integral part of every profession.
Teaching is no different. Introducing teachers to modern technologies and making sure they
utilize it, should be the priority of every educational institution. Professionally available digital
methods should be wired to conduct remote sessions for teachers on the newest tools available
for teaching. They should also be given sessions on new methods of instruction and
understanding the psychology of students. This will help them understand the thought processes
and background of students and bring about a degree of customization in the classroom.
Innovation and customization:
The 21st century is the era of customization. Teachers must be willing to try out new things in
academics to deliver lessons that are aligned to the needs, goals, and interests of the learners.
Teachers have to understand that no two students are alike, and hence every student has to be
taught differently. Innovation and customization should be encouraged at all levels and should be
strictly observed. 
Lastly, no matter what the generation, it is true that nothing can replace a teacher. No robot or
technology can become big enough to replace the role of an educator. However, with the
application of these methods – teachers can be made to upgrade to the needs of the new crop of
learners thus preventing them from becoming redundant and their existing skills irrelevant. The
need of a student has changed exponentially in the last few years. The mind-set and attitude of
students are no more determined by their teachers or primary caregivers. Even students as young
as 3-5-year-olds have the capability of choosing their area of interests and sticking by it, thus to
garner their attention – it is pertinent that teachers realign their skills.
With learning becoming ‘smart’ – teaching has also undergone a drastic change. Educational
institutions have adopted cutting-edge modern technology to expedite and simplify routine
processes for teachers; thus helping them focus their time towards more productive activities –
like effective classroom interaction, communication with students and more importantly focused
and meaningful knowledge sharing which will make students more capable of taking over the
world. Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). New policies for 21st century demands. 21st century skills:
Rethinking how students learn, 33-49.
Darling-Hammond, L., Barron, B., Pearson, P. D., Schoenfeld, A. H., Stage, E. K., Zimmerman,
T. D., ... & Tilson, J. L. (2015). Powerful learning: What we know about teaching for
understanding. John Wiley & Sons.
Dewey, J. (1938). Experiential education. New York: Collier.

2. Reflection focusing on realizations and applications to specific education situations

(teaching internship).

Educators in professional or service-related fields desire their students not only to learn theory
and understand why theories are important but also to learn how to apply the theoretical
frameworks in practice. Too often we hear anecdotal accounts of students in internships who are
unable to make this transition from theory to practice with confidence and effectiveness. Perhaps
the difficulty in making the transition from theory to practice arises, at least in part, from a
failure of the teacher to integrate both theory and practice into the same course in the curriculum
in ways that are relevant and meaningful to the student. Such integration helps students to more
closely associate the practical value of learning theoretical concepts. It is imperative that students
in professional programs be able to put into practice what they have learned in the classroom. As
Hutchings (1990) wrote, “What’s at stake is the capacity to perform, to put what one knows into
practice (p. 1).” To help students become capable and competent practitioners requires that they
have training in self-awareness, knowledge acquisition, and skill building (Kramer, 1998).
According to Shebib (2003), practitioners need to have skills in four areas: relationship building,
exploring or probing, empowering, and challenging. An essential additional skill is the ability to
gain and utilize knowledge from practice (Dorfman, 1996). Mendenhall (2007) says that in order
for students to develop these skills, education at the master’s level, as well as practical
experience, is necessary and expected. What can we do in our classrooms to increase student
success, not only in their internships but most importantly in work settings following graduation?
How can we use classroom teaching to enhance the ability of students to put what they’ve
learned into practice, and how can we use that improved practice to enhance classroom learning?
As Fiszer (2004) states in his book How Teachers Learn Best, “The resulting data point to the
need for an ongoing professional development model that directly connects training and
practice” (p. 1).
As teachers, we keep on talking about the 21st century skills our students need to acquire. But as
I reflect on this how can our students acquire these skills if we, the teachers, don’t have the
necessary skills and abilities in order for us to pass it to our students. As Brene Brown said “We
cannot give our children what we don’t have.”
Teachers nowadays are being trained to cope with the society’s fast growing technology to be
able to face challenges and demands of the 21st century education. Guro 21 is one of the tools to
develop teachers professional and personal readiness as a 21st century teacher. Honestly, to be
part of this course is really a tough job for me but I consider this as a challenge and I know I will
gain more knowledge and skills to become an effective 21st century teacher.
To become an effective 21st century teacher, I choose to have these Five Characteristics of an
Effective 21st Century Educator. First, Anticipates the Future. A good 21st century educator is
cognizant of the rapidly changing technology trends and aware of the career opportunities for
children in the coming years.
Second, a lifelong learner. Lifelong learning is learning that is pursued throughout life. This
applies what we learn in our module 1 that is Learning to Know, Learning to Do, Learning to
Live Together and Learning to Be.
Third, foster peer relationships. Technology can foster isolation, therefore interpersonal
relationship skills must be taught in our classrooms so that our students can go on to be effective
in the workplace and fulfilled in their lives.
Fourth, can teach and assess all levels of learners. This means incorporating teaching strategies
to serve a range of learners.
And lastly, to discern effective and non-effective technology. Effective 21st century teacher need
to be adept in judging the educative and non-educative use of technologies made available to
them and their students at school and at home.
These characteristics would help and guide me to become effective 21st century teacher.
Equipped with knowledge, skills, attitudes and values needed to meet the challenges and
demands of the 21st century education.