The following essay was published in the International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Volume 1, Number 2, 2007. Learning, Knowing and Reflecting; Literacy’s for the 21st Century looks as what our students will need to learn to be successful in the future.

Learning, Knowing, and Reflecting: Literacy’s for the 21st Century

Abstract

The “aha” moments in life delight us. We suddenly gain an insight, experience a profound joy, or realize something important for the first time. A second grader provided for me a crucial “aha” moment about the purposes of education. As a regular part of their learning, students in this second grader’s school throughout the year collected evidence of their learning in portfolios, pausing periodically to reflect on and explain the contents of the portfolio. On this particular day the second graders were sharing their portfolios with other students, parents, and guests, including me.

Link to Full Essay.