Title: Orientation to 21things4students
Course: 21 Things for Students > Section: Begin here to learn more about 21things4students

About the 21things4students

This 21things4students (21t4s) Project was developed to equip students with 21st Century Technology Skills, for success in their education, jobs, and lifelong learning experiences.

21 Things - We selected 21 areas of Web 2.0 tools, all FREE, for your learning and exploration. Each of the areas is called a "Thing" and you can receive a special badge for each thing you complete. Some "Things" have more than one badge, and some have "Gems" for completing advanced levels.

Our Mission - is to provide a fun and project-based experience for you as you build your skills using different Web 2.0 tools available on the Internet.

Web 2.0 Tools - There are so many great tools for free on the Internet! Some of the "things we have included let you create visuals, presentations, record your voice and video, create your own tutorials, tell your story digitally, and even design your own game. These are just a few examples. The 21 Things are based on meeting NETS-S, National Educational Technology Standards for students, targeting grades 5-12. These NETS-S standards identify skill areas all students across the globe need to have.

Video and audio - These have been included to make this experience more fun and interesting. Some of the videos are "Flash videos" and some browsers and computing devices may have difficulty displaying them. We have provided the same audio as mp3 files as most or all of you have mp3 player capability. Some Mission video files are from YouTube and we are aware some locations block or filter these. We have kept these to a minimum, using videos from SchoolTube, TeacherTube, or making our own.

Missions & Quests - Each Thing presents you with a Mission, and the Missions are broken down into Quests. We have provided a link to a Map on the right-hand column for those wishing to keep track of where they are in each Mission.

Roles - Your role is that of a recruit in our 21t4s Agency. When you complete the quests in this first Basic Orientation you will graduate to a 21t4s Agent, taking on new Missions and Quest challenges. As a 21t4s Agent your immediate supervisor is referred to as your SSI Department Chief (Secret School Instructor). Your SSI Chief is asked to register on the Teacher Resources Page, and that will give them access to additional files and information to help guide your journey. When you complete the Missions and Quests in a 'thing' approved by your SSI Chief, you will be eligible to receive a Badge. The SSI Chief will have the badges and gems to award to you.

Tracking Document - We have provided a 'tracking document' which you can download in the second quest of this Basic Orientation Mission briefing. This document lists all of the Quests in this 21t4s project, and you can use it to check off the Quests and Missions as you complete them.

Feedback and Suggestions - We need your help. We will be asking for your very important feedback and suggestions along the way to help us improve this Project for future students. We have a link to a survey for you on each graduation page when you complete a 'thing.' We hope you enjoy this Project and learn a lot of new skills.