Elevator Statement Challenge (#idesmar)

A few weeks ago, Tom Schimmer challenged us to create our elevator statements about 21st Century Learning.

With all of the talk about Personalized Learning for the 21st Century, I thought this might be a fun challenge and way for all of us to refine our messages and learn from each other. I am a big believer in making messages simple and accessible, which is why I think this challenge is so relevant. It’s very easy to kill a good idea with a poorly constructed message, especially early in the implementation/exploration phase.

So….here is your assignment, should you choose to accept it:

“You are attending a conference on 21st Century Learning (yes, I see the irony!) At the end of the first day you step into the elevator at the hotel in which the conference is being held with someone who is NOT attending the conference and is NOT an educator. They turn to you, notice your name badge, and say as the doors are closing, “You’re attending that conference on 21st Century Leanring, right? What’s that all about anyway?”

You have 4 floors (3-5 sentences) to explain to this stranger what 21st Century learning is and give one example of what would be different. Can you do it? How would you respond?

Good luck! This message will never self-destruct so send it to every educator you know!!

So, here is something that I wrote for a principal job application. I would convert it from written language to spoken, but the ideas are the same.

The 21st century is an exciting time for education. Never before have there been so many ways to gather information, create content, make global connections, and meet student needs. We need to teach media literacy so that students can be discerning consumers of information. Students can be writers and artists with an authentic, online audience. Instead of just reading about a place, we can Skype with students there to learn even more. Using technology, we can tailor learning for individuals. 21st century education can be summarized with four words: inform, create, connect, and personalize.

What is your elevator statement?

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