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The Education Podcast Network offers a wide range of podcast programming that may be helpful to teachers looking for content to teach in any subject area, and to explore issues of teaching and learning in the 21st century.  The specific title I chose to view to on this site was “CareerStrides Podcast.”   Within this area of podcasts, I listened to “Episode 15: Your Resume Should Have Character.”  As business or marketing teacher, there is a significant amount of resources on here for you to incorporate into your classroom as supplemental material.  It provides excellent perspectives related to Career Development that any business teacher could use in the classroom to give their students that extra edge.

http://epnweb.org/index.php?request_id=1564&openpod=14#anchor14

I found this podcast on a website called Podcast Alley.  This specific business related podcast title was Business Daily.  It provides a new topic and podcast throughout the week. In addition, it examines the big issues facing the global economy, and asks the questions about free trade, technology and investment. There is also analysis of management and marketing trends, and what business jargon really means.  This podcast is very beneficial because it brings together reports on business news from around the world and informs individuals on current trends in the business world.

http://www.podcastalley.com/podcast_details.php?pod_id=103309

The concept behind the New Technology High School is a very interesting one.  This specific model is very beneficial for any school district because is utilizes project- and problem-based learning.  With this method of teaching and learning, students are able to continue building teamwork, critical thinking, and communication skills necessary for them to be successful in the workplace.  “The most important aspect of the New Tech High model is that it was developed as part of an overall education reform effort and to implement a 21^st-cenutry learning environment” (pg. 79).  I think it is essential for this pedagogical approach to be put into action within our schools because it will continue to help prepare our students think critically and collaboratively.  However, it is difficult for many districts to implement this model because of funding.  I think this will be a challenge to incorporate this method, but because of its importance, needs to continually be examined in every option.  

This chapter also discusses many different classroom applications for learning and teaching content within the classroom.  A few tools that I believe would be truly beneficial in my classroom include Blogs, Wikis, Podcasting, and Digital Storytelling.  I believe many of these tools will also allow for subjects and teachers to integrate teaching and learning.  

1. Blogs are a very diverse tool that can be used in many different ways in the classroom.  This chapter discusses its use for the writing process.  This is very beneficial in any content area within a school.  However, a great example for a business or marketing education classroom would be the use of a weekly journal.  Students could post thoughts of a specific concept and their classmates could comment accordingly.
2. I believe Wikis are truly vital for any collaborative project that a teacher could use in the classroom.  “Wikis keep track of changes and teachers can monitor progress to see if someone is taking over or if someone isn’t doing his or her fair share of the work” (pg. 81).  This is a great tool to ensure all students are collaborating appropriately during a specific project.
3. I believe podcasts are valuable tools that many businesses are already using.  It would be a great resource to use in any subject area, but especially important in a business classroom.  I believe a great example would be listening to someone who specializes in a certain area.  Students could be engaged and listen to someone who has a different perspective.
4. Digital Storytelling allows for students to create a personal multimedia story.  I think this would be a great resource to use as students can really bring out their creative and critical thinking skills towards a specific project.  A great example I believe is in a Marketing classroom creating an Advertisement project. 

There are so many Web 2.0 tools available for anyone to access and utilize in their everyday lives.  These tools are allowing for more collaboration and effective communication than ever before.  It is essential for educators to understand this, and utilize Web 2.0 tools in their classrooms to engage students in the teaching and learning process.  With teachers using more Web 2.0 tools in the classroom, it will allow for students to get a better understanding of the importance and impact Web 2.0 tools have on the world. 

A great is example is that it is vital for a business or marketing teacher to have your students practice and used these effectively because when students are in the workforce, they will have a competitive advantage among other individuals.  Many businesses are operating online, and they are using many Web 2.0 tools in their every day operation.  A great example is social networking. Companies are finding websites like Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube to be very useful tools for promoting their services and offerings and connecting with customers and business associates.  Many businesses have caught onto this trend and are taking advantage of the benefits. 

This chapter also discusses in detail many valuable Web 2.0 tools such as weblogs, RSS, video casting, social bookmarking, social networking, podcasts, and picture sharing sites.  By using these tools often within the classroom, it will allow for students to understand the real-world impact they have on a personal and professional basis.  There are so many projects my students could do using these tools to practice communication and collaboration.  One great example would be Skype.  I believe it would be a very creative tool to use within lessons so students can learn from a variety of individuals.  This is a great way to have a guest speaker, and for my students to get great perspective from someone in the field.

When reflecting back after reading this chapter, it is all about student change.  The makeup of students in our classrooms is different now than ever before.  I believe it is essential to embrace this change in a positive manner, and understand that 21^st century students need to be taught differently.  By understanding your students, it is essential to reflect on the different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.  This chapter discusses the traditional version of Bloom’s compared to the revised version.  “The distinctions indicate that new technology tools have the capacity to support higher order thinking and more engaged learning” (pg 36).  I think it is vital to understand those differences in the revised version as in related to the needs of today’s students.  We need to challenge our students to the highest level of thinking to ensure their future success in the real world.  For example, if we can challenge our students to the “creating” level of Bloom’s, it will build the essential 21^st century skills such as problem solving.

It is so important to change our classrooms to benefit students learning styles, which leads to the students being more engaged in what they are learning.  This chapter discusses project-based learning and its relation to using technology in meaningful ways throughout student learning.  I believe project-based learning is a key element to integrate into any classroom because it challenges the students and allows them to be engaged in activities they are interested in.  I also believe students can also utilize their critical thinking skills to be successful with problem-based learning by using the vast resources on the Web.

     After reading the chapter the major theme that I perceived came up many times is change.  The Internet is changing dramatically and the tools available are becoming more diverse.   These specific tools are enabling businesses to be more effective and efficient within their organization.  In addition, tools such as Blogs and Twitter are changing the way education is being taught.  It is essential for students to gain knowledge on the importance of these tools so they can utilize these in an effective manner when they are in the workforce.  I believe this can be established in the classroom by understanding what your students already know, and maybe what they want to gain about new tools and learning.

     This chapter also discussed 21^st century skills and the importance for education and business to embrace this change.  The text mentions four categories of skills including digital-age literacy, inventive thinking, effective communication, and high productivity.  The needs for 21^st century skills are growing and will continue to into the future.  I believe one of the most influential issues regarding 21^st century learning is collaboration.  Working together is an essential skill that all students need to excel at primarily because it is required in the workforce.  They must be able to collect, synthesize, and analyze information, then be able to work with others to employ that information.  Students must learn how to learn, while also responding to endlessly changing technologies and social, economic, and global conditions.  This issue can become an opportunity with incorporating group projects into the classroom and challenging the students to the best of their capability.

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