So what are 21st Century Skills and Why are they Important to Teaching & Learning?

[Lori Holcomb]

After you have become familiar with the materials posted under Week One, please share your thoughts on 21st Century Skills and why they are important to teaching and Learning. Be sure to reference the articles and resources that are posted on the course site.

[Jennifer Tingen]

21st Century Skills are highly impactful to teaching and learning. We, as educators, must remember our ultimate goal of preparing students not only to survive, but to thrive in this Information Age. One key point from the PowerPoint is that students must be able to analyze media if they are to make wise decisions in the future. Discussion about this topic could begin at a young age; for example, one could have family TV time, during which parents discuss the purpose of commercials with their children. One could ask his or her child, “What message are you getting from this? Why do you want that toy? What about that cereal commercial do you like?” As an instructor, I deeply related to what I refer to as the “Big 3 For Workplace Success.” Having a global awareness and various literacies will help students succeed not only in the classroom, but also in life. Finally, “Stupid in America” provides ample evidence that we have a lot of work ahead of us! The idea of schools as monopolies interests me, and as I begin The World is Flat, I am thinking of the possibilities that future generations will have for obtaining an education. We could see students learning high school English from somewhere a few states away, Algebra from a teacher living in another country…there are already online options for K12 schooling. This course will undoubtedly expand my knowledge of 21st Century Skills in teaching and learning!

[Kaitlin]

I agree with Jennifer in that I am already learning a lot about the 21st century skills in teaching and learning. I took a course in college where we learned about how the world is becoming flat and you get almost anything you want from a computer. Whether it is shopping, banking, meeting people and even dating people online without leaving your home. However, in the course we never discussed how students can learn from other students/mentors from across the country. I had never thought of the concept until reading the World is Flat. I would agree with the power point, saying that students should be exposed to this digital world at a young age. They will need to use the skills they learn in the real world. When I taught first grade anything that involved computers got the students attention. It is an engaging experience and they want to learn more about it. I student taught at a school where every week at least one lesson was taught where the students had an individual lap top at their desk. I thought the students would be playing around with the computers but they were so focused on the teacher and listened to all directions. The technology is changing everyday and I think it is an exciting time for us teachers because we are learning how to implement new technologies in the classroom and how to get the students more actively involved in the classroom.

[Joyce Boone]

Jennifer, you've brought out so many great observations. When reading your response, I'm reminded that information is so abundant now that we have to learn to (and teach others) to use information not just for information's sake, but to tailor it to our particular and unique needs and interests.

Joyce

[Rhonda W]

One thing that struck me as I studied this week is that people don't seem to understand what 21st Century skills are. Even fairly knowledgeable people think it is all about technology. And while technology is important (the Partnership for 21st Century Skills gave it a category all by itself -- ICT Literacy), its greater value is as a tool that enhances the other skills. For example, collaboration doesn't depend on technology to exist, but technology makes collaboration better. Today you don’t need to be face-to-face to collaborate. Time and distance shrink as impediments to working together to solve problems.

Although NC’s Future Ready Students for the 21st Century document talks about a range of academic and technical skills students will need to be successful in the future, in reality the two are often separated. Technology may be treated as a fun, segregated activity that doesn’t relate to other things students learn. Witness the Computer Skills Test, which assesses students’ technological skills totally outside of context. Wouldn’t it be better to integrate the assessment so that students can demonstrate at each level what they’ve learned about using technology and how it relates to the rest of their educations? This would also allow us to identify the need for remediation when it occurs instead of waiting until students fail the Computer Skills Test and then inappropriately dumping them in a middle grades business course.

I was going to write something negative about the Future Ready Core graduation requirements, which go into effect with the Freshman Class of 2009-2010, but since I like my job and want to keep it, I believe I’ll hold my tongue. I would like to say that Career and Technical Education courses include objectives related to every one of the 21st Century skills listed by the partnership. De-emphasizing courses that allow students to use their academic lessons in context is somewhat shortsighted.

Rhonda

[Jennifer Cable]

Rhonda,
I totally agree with your comment about the Future Ready Core graduation requirements. I am so thankful that my kids have graduated high school. The demands we are placing on ALL students I think has gone too far. All students are not the same and they should not be held to the same standards. Students should be given a choice as to what classes they want to take (within some boundaries). I feel the new graduation requirements will hurt Career and Technical education. Instead of helping our students to be ready for the workplace, we are just requiring more math and science. Not all students are college bound. Someone must have forget this. Sorry, I will get off my soapbox now. I think your comments were dead-on.
Jennifer Cable

[Kristy Meyrickk]

I agree that not all students are college bound. We need to offer alternatives and give students the freedom to explore and discover what is out there. But there are certain skills all students need to be successful members of our society and to contribute to their communities. The problem-solving skills, the analyzing and evaluating skills and being able to decipher between propaganda and objective news or facts help students become productive adults no matter what their chosen occupation is.

[Jennifer Cable]

As I signed up for this class, I thought that 21st Century Skills were simply technology skills. Boy was I wrong. 21st Century Skills are so much more. Although technology is involved, 21st Century Skills go so much deeper. These skills will help our students become better employees and more productive members of society. A few of these skills are being able to use thinking and problem-solving skills, being creative, analyzing and evaluating information, being responsible, and having global awareness. As educators, we are the link between our students and the world. We must expand our horizons and our teachings. We must help our students develop their problem-solving skills and think outside the box. We must help them learn to be responsible and understand how their actions affect not only themselves but also their community and society. As I read the article “Learning for the 21st Century”, one statement stuck with me. It said, “Employers value job candidates who can acquire new knowledge, learn new technologies, rapidly process information, make decisions and communicate in a global and diverse society”. This is one of the reason I became a teacher. I wanted to help young people become great citizens; to be the best they can be. This will require me to help them succeed to their full potential by introducing them to new and innovative technologies and ideas, to develop a sense of awareness and purpose in society, to use their creative abilities, and to take new information, understand it, use it and communicate it. The world is ever changing and America is lagging behind. We must produce more highly qualified students to stay competitive in the world because we are one huge society. In order to do this, educators must be willing to learn and adapt. We must stay abreast of the constant changing world so we can share this knowledge with our students. We must show students how the information they are learning is relevant to the world and how they will be using this new knowledge in this ever-changing society. This will require new ways of teaching for the 21st century teacher and new ways of learning for the 21st century student.
Jennifer Cable

[Emily Jessee]

Jennifer, you definitely bring up some valid points. Teachers must be flexible and able to adjust to the constant state of change we are experiencing in getting our students prepared to succeed globally in this century.

[Lauren Philbeck]

As I began to read the “Stupid in America” article, I knew it would have plenty of truths, but I was also somewhat skeptical. Growing up in a generation where computers were always present in the classroom, I feel fairly confident in the technology skills that my generation possesses. In addition, I am currently watching the 4 ½ year old little girl I am babysitting click around on Amazon and check her mom’s email. Though I must also recognize that my parents, as well as her parents, have the resources to allow choice in the education we receive, unlike many of the students in the article.

Thinking in terms like that, led me to think about the issues that arose in the Learning in the 21st Century power point. I do not necessarily think that schools today are significantly lacking in the technology skills that they teach, but are lacking in integrating these technology skills into real world applications. So much of education and assessment today simply requires students to memorize information and regurgitate it on to a piece of paper. Assessments should have students apply their knowledge in applicable situations. It does not do to give me a set of resources, if I am not taught how to use these resources. The same goes for technology; it cannot simply be taught and forgot. It needs to be integrated into every subject that students study and maximized in use. This is turn will best prepare students for like in the real world.

[Laura English Lewis]

21st Century Skills for students must focus on the core subjects. In the article Future-Ready Students for the 21st century I learned about the North Carolina (NC) State Board of Education goals for the NC state public schools, students, teachers, education professional, schools community / world involvement, accountability and adaptability for empowering students within their culture of learning. It wasn’t until I read The Intellectual and Policy of the 21st Century Skills Framework white paper in the Partnership for 21st Century Skills where I realized that societal demand, advancements in learning science and learning new technology are all still key factors that support and are still required for the 21st Century Skills.

Yes, society’s needs do affect learning. Schools must take as one of their 21st Century Skills education for social stability of developing in students the intellectual and critical capacities for a stable society. Schooling is intended to develop employable skills among students, which include the ability to think analytically and critically in the various disciplines of the humanities, social sciences, mathematics, and science.

For the 21st Century Skills, the Core Subjects will include but not be limited to Interdisciplinary Themes, Arts, Economics, English, Reading or Language Arts, Geography, Government and Civics, History, Mathematics, Science, World Languages, Financial, Business and Entrepreneurial Literacy, Global Awareness, Civic Literacy, and Health Literacy. Throughout our educational history we continued to add to the concepts and requirements necessary for providing each student with a proper education for our economic innovation for the 21st Century and beyond.

[Rhonda W]

My point is that the need to develop students who can think analytically and critically is not limited to core subjects. Personally, I'd like my automotive service technician (who by the way can easily make as much or more than I do) to be able to critically analyze the evidence and correctly diagnose what is wrong with my car. We are acting like all the jobs in the future are going to require four-year degrees. Some studies suggest the percentage of jobs requiring four-year degrees is actually falling.

[Kay Pitchford]

Before reading the information on 21st Century Skills, I am embarrassed to say that I was unaware that the ideas existed as a sort of program or guidelines. We have 21st Century after-school programs here, but I just assumed it was a sort of buzz word for kids on computers after school. I did not realize that the skills in collaboration and communcation were a part of the project.
As I read more about the skills, I was reminded of what I try to do with my students during the year. I think the skills are emphasized in our literacy and computer curricula, but it is not made explicit that we are teaching the specific skills in these reports. I think more information and training should be available to teachers so that we are aware of what the standards are.
These skills are important to our students because we are preparing them to face whatever the future may hold. It is no longer enough for them to be able to do repetitive or low-level tasks, many of those jobs are leaving our country. Our students must be the critical thinkers and problem solvers. They must be the innovators and the mold-breakers. But they must also be able to function in the basic areas of daily life, that is why I especially appreciated seeing Financial Literacy, Civic Literacy, and Health Literacy included with business thinking (http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php?option=com_content&t...). However, students do not develop these skills through drills and tests. The initiative also emphasizes inquiry-based learning so students can learn and practice skills the way they will use them; in context.
In all, 21st Century Skills are important if we want our students to be competitive in the global arena. Learning must not be out of touch with life, and students need to understand how we all work and fit together to participate in a global economy. I was surprised to see on the website that only 9 states were listed as having specific initiatives to address these goal, yet I completely agree that the goals are appropriate for all students. I wonder why they have not been adopted nationwide?