1. K A R E N K R O L L
The 21st Century Middle School
2. Who is the current middle school student in the
21st Century?
Fighting to fit in
Need to find a group to fit into
Difficult task because student interest are so varied and they
can be split among groups
Bullying issues make being part of the group challenging
Technology is readily available and used
Communication (chatting) is frequent
Challenging to define instructional vs social use
Diverse students
More accepting of differences
3. Purpose of the 21st Century Middle School
Produce students prepare to go to work or further their
education
Produce good citizens
Produce students that have a high level thinking skills
Ability to focus on abstract thoughts
able to analyze complex situations
Prepare students for the world of work
Help students to learn to make important life decisions
Teach important life skills (ethics, adaptability, people skills, social
responsibility)
Guide students toward becoming respectful of adults
Learn how to work with people different from them
4. What can we do?
Provide a variety of learning
opportunities to:
Solve problems
Use higher level thinking skills
Showcase student talents/skills
Help students learn new
information/skills
Provide curriculum and
resources that are:
Age appropriate curriculum
Infused with technology
Develop skills (including technology
skills)
Appropriate for learning styles and
interests
Encourage students to behave
appropriately
Digital citizenship instruction
Anti bullying programs
Character Counts programs
Healthy relationship building
Modeling
Expose students to a variety of
situations
Build adaptability
Reduce stress
Diverse
Challenging