Redesign

This assignment requires you to make connections between 21st-century support systems, specifically 21st Century Professional Development components. As the emphasis is on professional development, consider prior coursework that included collaboration, self-reflection, and other components pertaining to your growth as a practitioner and how that may contribute to student outcomes. There are several approaches you could take with this assignment. However, it is recommended the assignment you select to redesign includes at least one of the components of 21st Century Professional Development (as listed below):

1. Highlights ways teachers can seize opportunities for integrating 21st century skills, tools, and teaching strategies into their classroom practice — and help them identify what activities they can replace/de-emphasize.

1. Balances direct instruction with project-oriented teaching methods.

1. Illustrates how a deeper understanding of subject matter can actually enhance problem-solving, critical thinking, and other 21st century skills.

1. Enables 21st century professional learning communities for teachers that model the kinds of classroom learning that best promotes 21st century skills for students.

1. Cultivates teachers’ ability to identify students’ particular learning styles, intelligences, strengths, and weaknesses.

1. Helps teachers develop their abilities to use various strategies (such as formative assessments) to reach diverse students and create environments that support differentiated teaching and learning.

1. Supports the continuous evaluation of students’ 21st century skills development.

1. Encourages knowledge sharing among communities of practitioners, using face-to-face, virtual, and blended communications.

1. Uses a scalable and sustainable model of professional development.

For example, you may redesign an instructional plan with assessment plans embedded throughout, or a full assessment plan including a summative assessment that demonstrates either points f or g, both focusing on student assessment. On the other hand, you might select a previous assignment that focused on professional collaboration and/or PLCs and modify it to support points d, h, or i.