21st Century Literacy

Who wants a robotic Tiny Tim? Continuous cycles of learning, global awareness, and interactive communication...whatever happened to that old hometown feeling of closeness to your neighbors and family? This is a different type, a global feel of belonging to the world. Adolescents no longer feel that they have to get into a certain college to spread their roots and get out of their boring hometown just to find out that they actually will miss their hometown. I know, I know...mushy, mushy. But really, as long as kids and adults have access to technology, they will always feel close to home. As Hak recently discussed with me, he can hear (and even see) his family in Hong Kong by talking to them on Skype.

We need a new film for the 21st century - The Wizard of Oz has been remastered and It's A Wonderful Life (oops, should it be world? ) is so old it is out of copyright and can be viewed on the internet by anyone. Will these still be classics or will our children have new classics that will be watched in holographics (like Danielle suggested and like Oz was meant to represent so long ago) right in our own rooms?

Kids still feel the pressure of SAT's and other intelligent tests, but now it's a global pressure! So many definitions of literacy! I even feel like the wealth of knowledge available is mind boggling, especially when I take in other points of view. How do we narrow this down for students to focus? Learning styles, aspirations, and a million other choices to make to gear the century in the right direction. We need to start thinking ahead to the 22nd century at this rate. Wait! Slow down. I want to go back to my hometown.