Pursuit of 21st Century Skills Part of Seaman Plans
From the Superintendent's Desk
by Mike Mathes, Ed.S., Superintendent
September 18, 2008
Preparing students for the
21st Century is a priority in Seaman USD 345 and several recent
decisions by the Board of Education and administration confirm this
priority.
As students enter our new Freshman Center this fall, they will all
participate in a Success 101 class. This new course, taught by
Cathie Klein, will help all students explore the workforce of the
future by examining the variety of skills and abilities that are
necessary for these jobs.
The development of career portfolios, led by freshman counselor
Kendra Cochran and other staff, will help students begin to chart
their future during high school and beyond.
The regular curriculum is being enhanced throughout the grade
levels by the use of cutting-edge technology. The integration of
technology into every content area, plus the use of technology in
lesson delivery is modeling skills transferable to the 21st Century
workplace. Participation of our students in special programs, such
as Advanced Placement Courses, History Day, and Real World Design
Challenge (detailed below) further give students opportunities to
excel in and outside the classroom.
Development of a leadership course is also part of the 21st Century
direction for the district. The course will eventually be part of a
series of courses that will be a Leadership Academy in which any
SHS student can participate. The Academy will be for students who
want to pursue and develop their leadership skills and
abilities.
In addition, plans are in place to offer Mandarin Chinese by
Interactive Distance Learning in the near future.
This last spring the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, the
nation’s leading advocacy group in this area, approved the Kansas
application to join with seven other Leadership States in promoting
21st century teaching and learning skills for all students.
Seaman takes pride in being a part of this group as a leader in
preparing students for their future.
