Route 21

"Route 21." Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Web. 8 Sept. 2011. http://www.p21.org/route21/.

 

Route 21 is a really interesting site that's easy to get "lost" in. The main idea behind this site is that, in school, students learn the basics: English, literature, history, math, science, geography, etc. Route 21's philosophy is that we should take those subjects that students are already learning, and weave 21st century interdisciplinary themes into them. These themes include global awareness, environmental literacy, health literacy, civic literacy, financial literacy, and much more. Being aware that we can use everyday curriculum to do this has the potential to make the educational experience more valuable for today's students.

 

What I really love about Route 21 is that it doesn't just state this great philosophy; it actually provides resources for teachers to carry it out in their own classrooms. The site currently has 688 resources, in fact, and is always offering the opportunity for more to be uploaded. In addition, there is this cool rainbow diagram that outlines the philosophy in an easy to understand way. Each level of the rainbow is a hyperlink to even more useful learning tools.

 

 

 

What confuses me is these corporate sponsors. Route 21 says that huge companies like Apple, Adobe, AT&T, Blackboard, Cisco, and Verizon are affiliated with them-- but how?

 

I'd like to know more about how many teachers actually adopt these philosophies. A huge complaint that a lot of students have is that their schoolwork doesn't seem relevant to their everyday lives, or their future goals. Route 21 is offering a way for school to become more relevant, and in turn make students more engaged in their studies. I think it's a great idea, and something all teachers should know about.