"Key" Learning for the Future

Over the past month, my students have been using the Apple version of Powerpoint, Keynotes to create presentations.  We are currently completing biography presentations and the results have been outstanding!  Keynotes is one of the productivity apps that I would definitely recommend for any 1:1 classroom setting from Grade 3 and above.  This app allows students to create professional looking presentations, with some of the most AMAZING transitions you may have ever experienced!
Students are thoroughly engaged throughout the entire research process.  Having the opportunity to create projects on the iPad has provided my students a strong incentive to complete their assigned background research, planning, and writing drafts. Completing research and presentations using Keynotes, provides students with a real-life experience that will help them acquire "key" skills for the future.

As we implement Common Core, we must continue to shift our thinking in terms of instruction and assessment.  Instead of worrying about filling our students' minds with lots of content, we need to be conscious of helping students acquire skills that will benefit them as they progress through school and into adulthood.

This weekend I ran across an excellent video on YouTube focusing on the need for teachers to shift teaching practices in an attempt to help students acquire "key" skills for the future.  Please follow the link below and enjoy . . .

Teaching in the 21st Century

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=OTIBDR4Dn2g