Once in a while a truly unique site is created that promotes genuine 21st Century Skills using technology. A site that provides tools that assist students in reflecting, questioning, collaborating, thinking globally, gathering facts, analyzing, and seeking solutions is currently available for free! Your Take demonstrates the true power found in a group working together. Students must learn thos process if they are to successfully compete in the global world of the 21st Century. Your Take, an effort made possible by the Tregoe Education Forum, can be found at www.yourtake.org. The site emphasizes that a real key to success inside and outside the classroom is the ability to think critically and go beyond grades. The authors of this site have developed a unique tool called SCAN . The SCAN program promotes an interactive and collaborative way for students to use technology to analyze and problem solve an issue. The letters in SCAN stand for:
S – Stop and think things through
C – Clarify the key issues
A – Ask yourself what’s most important
N – Now, what’s your next step
Lessons can be taught as an individual or group activity. Students use the web to follow these guidelines and reflect on various points of view. The end product is a group effort that can be used as a project, writing prompt, or presentation. A video provided by Your Take gives a clear demonstration of how this program works. The program has nearly one hundred pre-made lessons with prompts. I advise you to not stop there. Use lessons that you have used in the past and integrate them using this outstanding technology. Include standards found in your curriculum to better understand past issues in history, current topics of today, and future problems that will need solutions only found through the efforts of a group. An archived Webinar provides an even more thorough examination of Your Take. It provides great information on the ways to set up this online collaborative environment in a safe and effective way. A list of sample of standards, including 21st century technology standards can also be found on the Your Take Web Site.
As you become familiar with this amazing site please feel free to post ideas, plans, and thoughts you may have on using this tool in education. I also invite you to read a book entitled, The Wisdom of Crowds ,by James Surowiecki. It is a must read for twenty-first century educators as they affirm mission and vision for facilitating student growth in twenty-first century skills. After all, we are a crowd of educators and together our collective wisdom has unlimited potential! Feel free to join the constantly growing crowd at my wiki entitled 21centuryedtech at www. 21centuryedtech.wikispaces.com . It really is time for you to become even more familiar with Your Take!
Mike (21centuryedtech)
21 st Century Educational Technology and Learning 
I would love for you to check out the http://www.tregoed.org website and visit:
http://www.tregoed.org/teachers/new-to-scan.html We have moved the yourtake.org site and added some great features for teachers! Although you can use the interactive “facebook” like tool for free. I would be happy to supply a trial code for your followers, so they can see the whole library. SCAN is a great way to get kids to practice civil discourse, netiquette and critical thinking on complex issues – historical or present. Some of the new scenarios include: A Revolutionary Tea Party, Egyptian Artifacts, Finders, Keepers?, Cyberbullying, Setting Smart Goals, Facebook and Privacy. All scenarios have multiple points of view for kids to discuss in a facebook-like interface. Just register, it’s free…no student accounts, etc. to deal with and teachers can monitor and edit all student input! Same great tool as YourTake, but more teacher friendly options- including the ability to write and post your own lessons!
Thanks and I will take a look! – Mike