WHAT ARE 21ST CENTURY SKILLS?

Preparing our students for the future classroom and workspace.

The SARS ProjectThe SARS ProjectVideo Clip - The Sars Project

What skills might these students possess to create a

project like this?

A quote by Eric Hoffer, “In times of change learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”

Examples of Skills: Learning and Innovation Skills

Creativity, ability to think critically, problem solving, communicate effectively, cooperate productively with others, apply imagination to create, invent, and discover

Digital Literacy Skills

Information literacy, media literacy, information and communication, and technology literacy

Career & Life Skills

Flexibility, adaptability, initiative and self direction, social and cross-cultural skills, productivity, and accountability, leadership, responsibility, analyze, interpret, and evaluate

More Examples:

21st Century Skills

Summary

Old Newvs.

Learning and Innovation SkillsCritical Thinking and Problem SolvingCommunication and CollaborationCreativity and Innovation

Information, Media and Technology SkillsInformation LiteracyMedia LiteracyInformation and communication Technologies Skills

Life and Career SkillsFlexibility and Adaptability SkillsInitiative and Self-direction SkillsSocial and Cross-Cultural InteractionProductivity and AccountabilityLeadership and Responsibility Skills

Discussion Questions

Who should be responsible for these skills? Who are the

stakeholders?Learning and

Innovation SkillsInformation, Media and

Technology Skills

Life and Career Skills

Critical Thinking, Problem Solving

Communication, Collaboration

Creativity, Innovation__________________________

•Teachers

Information Literacy

Media Literacy

Information/Communication Tech.__________________________

•Teachers

•Tech Coordinators

•Policy Makers

Flexibility, Adaptability

Initiative, Self-Direction

Social/Cross-Cultural Interaction

Productivity, Accountability

Leadership, Responsibility__________________________

•Students•Teachers•Parents

Why are these skills important for the 21st century?

Important: These skills are necessary components that students need to become competent to work and live successfully in the 21st century. Components create real-world learning experiences in the classroom and can build bridges across the world when students graduate from school.

Learning & Innovation Skills Unlock a lifetime of learning and creative work Assist to for learners to reach their highest potential Ability to look at the whole picture vs. a small picture and

moving on to learning the next skill “Taxonomy for Learning = Remember, Understand, Apply,

Analyze, Evaluate, and Create.  This improves learning outcomes of the 21st century student. 

Classrooms must be hands-on, creative, and experimental environment.

Important (continued)

Information, Media, & Technology Skills Technologically literate = understanding how to utilize

technology appropriately, ability to teach others and comprehend consequences. (Utilize technology to their advantage)

Familiarity with technology = applying skills into students’ daily lives

Appropriately access, evaluate, use, manage, and add to the information and media at their fingertips. These are necessary not only for developing learning, but also necessary for the workforce

Fluency will need to increase due to technology environment. This is key. (New Technology Resources)

Important (continued) Life & Career Skills

Individual and cooperative work. Diversity within cooperative group work. By working collaboratively, students need to learn the skills of setting and

meeting goals, prioritizing work, and time management. These skills carry over into adulthood and workforce.

Adapt to the fast paced changing environment to be successful in school, work, and life

Compare to Chapter 3 = Students need to use their imaginations to expand their own learning without direct guidance of a teacher (initiative and self-direction). Closes the gaps for individuals competing for the same jobs in the workforce.

Education = Multi-cultural approach (assists to become connected to others around the world. i.e. The SARS project shows how students constantly changed the website

because they kept sending each other different ideas. They took all the ideas and kept adding to the website creating better insights and making the site better than when they first started. These skills help students incorporate new team members on current ideas and new ones as well. This also shows students can be flexible and adaptable.

Leadership instilled in students.  We want our students to utilize leadership skills in the workforce so that we, the United States, can become “leading leaders” in the world.  For example, we will be able to keep up with other countries, such as China, with their technology and innovative ideas.     

Learning is a lifelong process

Problems?

Classrooms are creating and environment that is technologically advanced to enhance student learning. How does this affect other students in lower socioeconomic statuses? Teachers expect students to continue to

learn outside the classroom and/or take school projects/assignments home. How do lower SES students succeed?

What do you do in your classroom to develop your students’ 21st century skills?

What problems do you encounter and how can you overcome them? Classrooms are creating and

environment that is technologically advanced to enhance student learning. How does this affect other students in lower socioeconomic statuses? Teachers expect students to continue to

learn outside the classroom and/or take school projects/assignments home. How do lower SES students succeed?