Review of Chapters 1-3

Review Chapters 1, 2 and 3 of the provided dissertation, and answer the questions below.

1. What are some of the technology tools utilized during data collection?
Web 2.o tools were used.  Correspondence and data collection were through wikis, blogs, Google docs, email and web-based collaborative tools.  

2. In your own words, describe the term “digital native” as referenced by the author in mentioning Prensky?
Digital Native are those individuals who have grown up with technology and find it second nature.

3. In your own words, what is the “purpose of this study”?
The purpose of this study is to look at several exemplary schools to determine what method of inclusion they have chosen to engage both students and adults in 21st century education.

4. What are the sub-questions used by the dissertation author(s) in support of the central question?

1. How do educators prepare students for work in the 21st century?
2. How does project-based learning support the skills of the 21st century?
3. How do students use 21st century skills and technology to create and share work?
4. How do the professional development opportunities provided for teachers impact the work and products produced by the students?
5. What is the nature of the information systems in place that support 21st century instruction?

5. Summarize briefly (1 paragraph) John Dewey’s ideas about students and work as gleaned from Chapter 2 of this dissertation.
John Dewey did not believe that students should be trained for specific tasks or vocations, rather they should be trained to think.  Students, as learners, are not just receptacles for information, they should be given the opportunity to build knowledge and develop problem solving skills that spans various vocations.  In order to exist in a Democratic society, students mus become catalysts of change rather than by-standers.   

6. Contrast Technical vs. Illusory (1-2 paragraphs) vs. Constructivist schools as outlined by Popkewitz, and referenced by the dissertation authors.
According to Popkewitz all three schools have distinctive differences.  The technical school focuses on the teachers role as a clinician.  Knowledge is imparted to the students based on a standard curriculum.  Students have to prove mastery on a standardized test before moving on to the next topic.  The Illusory school focuses on the teachers role as a disciplinarian.  Learning is about how to behave rather than academics.  The classroom is very ritualistic, and learning is very passive.  The Constructivist school focuses on the teachers role as an instrument that evaluates students on their current task and project.  Learning is discovered by the students and evaluated by self reflection.

7. What is the dual focus of the “Advocacy Design Center” (ADC) framework?

• A focus on a holistic view of the school’s culture or on the school’s design as an institution in its social context; and
• A focus on inquiry or self-assessment by a core group of the school’s 34 stakeholders. Self-assessment serves as the basis for asking questions of leadership and planning.

8. What are the four components of ADC, and how many areas are contained within?

• How instruction is conducted in the school (Student work & what students know) - 12 areas
• How people work together or how the school is organized - 6 areas
• Its pattern of governance and decision making, or how authority is used and distributed - 6 areas
• How the school examines and accounts for its performance - 5 areas

9. Summarize briefly (1 paragraph) the work of Adria Steinberg as referenced by the dissertation authors.  
Is what was old new again?  Steinberg’s work focuses on student engagement in the “real world.”  She believes that a work paradigm will open up a world that will bring learning alive for students.  Steinberg focuses on programs that involve bridging the school and community through work based learning and real world projects.  Steinberg wants to engage students in their own learning by giving them different work experiences that they can reflect on to deepen their understanding of what they want to accomplish in the world beyond school.

10. What are the right-brained aptitudes as outlined by Daniel Pink?

• Design-products, services and experiences need to be more than functional.  They need to be beautiful, whimsical or emotionally engaging.
• Story-with all the information and data available, creating compelling narrative is 45 essential for make meaning.
• Symphony-analysis is not sufficient, seeing the big picture, crossing boundaries and combining pieces into a new whole.
• Empathy-the ability to understand and forge relationships.
• Play-in the conceptual age, a balance between work and play will bring benefits for both emotional and professional well-being.
• Meaning-the accumulation of material wealth is not enough, the pursuit of more significant desires such as purpose, transcendence and spiritual fulfillment.

11. Summarize Thomas Friedman’s theory of a “flattened world” in one or two sentences.

Thomas Friedman’s theory of a “flattened world” addresses the phenomena of globalization and how technology has eliminated geographic boundaries, bringing people from all over the world together in digitized virtual world.  

12. The “Partnership for 21st Century Skills” visual framework was used as the backbone of the dissertation conceptual framework. Insert a picture of the P21 visual within your Blog page.

13. What are ALL the elements of the Conceptual Framework in this study?

1. Core Subjects and 21st Century Themes
2. Learning and Innovation Skills
1. Creativity and Innovation
2. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
3. Communication and Collaboration
3. Information, Media and Technology Skills
1. Information Literacy
2. Media Literacy
3. ICT Literacy
4. Life and Career Skills

14. Briefly explain (1 paragraph) the “method” used in this study to collect data.
The data collection method used in this study is the critical incident technique.  This technique emphasis the importance of understanding the perspective of the subjects and the importance of having a clearly defined target for data collection.  Significant events are the focus and data is collected about what leads up to these events.

15. In looking at the “limitations” of this study, what could be a natural “next study” for a new dissertation in this arena? 

In our opinion the next study would be a replica of this study using different schools to see if their are similar outcomes.  As more schools integrate 21st century skills it would be interesting to see the effect these schools have on student learning based on the amount of time 21st century skills have been implemented.