AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner

For this final personal reflection I will be examining the AASL’s Standards for the 21st Century Learner. Coming from an education background, I am no stranger to standards. I probably have back problems caused by hauling my Illinois Learning Standards binder around for four years at Illinois State University. My experience in the classroom, although brief, has taught me that while the Illinois Learning Standards are great for academics, they lack in other areas. The Standards for the 21st Century Learner are not perfect, but I feel that they at least expand their focus beyond the core subjects.

The obvious difference that I noticed was the visual design. Standards for the 21st Century Learner is much more aesthetically pleasing than the drab Illinois Learning Standards. While the content is similar in style, I found the 21st century standards easier to read and follow. The colors in Standards for the 21st Century Learner also adds to this. After looking at the Illinois Learning Standards for a few minutes I start to get a headache due to the black and white grid design.
Aside from the look of Standards for the 21st Century Learner, I find that the content is much more rounded. While most state standards focus primarily on academics, the AASL standards go beyond what is printed in the text books. Because they are put out by the American Association of School Librarians, the standards are more literacy focused. The Illinois Learning Standards do briefly mention using technology, but it is not a main focus. Standards for the 21st Century Learner ties nearly all standards and benchmarks into technology. In the current world in which we live, learning how to use technology is very important.

What really stands out to me more than the literacy and technology standards are the more personal and social benchmarks in Standards for the 21st Century Learner. The skills section is fairly similar to the state standards. However, the addition of disposition, responsibilities, and self –assessment strategies are, in my opinion, a major necessity. I suppose, as educators, our first duty is to impart skills and knowledge. That being said, I strongly believe we should also make it a goal to teach students how to think critically and creatively, using a multitude of resources in the process.

I also really like that the AASL included responsibilities to the standards and benchmarks. When I was in grade school, my teachers always mentioned copyright when we were doing research. Unfortunately it ended there. It would have been very beneficial to study copyright a little more in depth so we understood the key points. I found that my teachers really never really went through finding credible sources or the proper way to use information technology. Granted we did not have to worry about identity theft, cyber bullying, and the other issues that are present today. However, it would have been great to learn how to use technology responsibly. Although the AASL standards better than the Illinois Learning Standards, they are not perfect, nor will they ever be. Technology and teaching fads change so rapidly it would be nearly impossible to keep up with them. I do believe Standards for the 21st Century Learner is a step in the right direction.