Home Resources Standards Inspiration About the Author
21st Century Workforce Readiness TPACK ISTE Common Core UDL
21st Century Learning and Workforce Readiness
4 Cs:
Creativity
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Communication and Collaboration
Creativity
- Use a wide range of idea creation techniques (such as brainstorming)
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
- Information & Discovery
- Interpretation & Analysis
- Reasoning
- Problem-solving/solution finding
- Constructing arguments
- Self-regulation/reflection
Communication and Collaboration
- Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts
- Use communication for a range of purposes (e.g. to inform, instruct, motivate and persuade)
In our rapidly changing world, we must prepare our students for their future success. The need for changing our teaching paradigm is well established. Due to the rapid pace of changing technology, research and societal changes, the current educational system is not developing the skills required to meet the demands of U.S. jobs that require higher levels of expert thinking and complex communication. (Levy & Murname, 2004). According to Darling-Hammond (2010), “The current test driven factory model of education has created dysfunctional learning environments for students and unsupportive settings for strong teaching. (p. 30.)"
As a result of 40 years of educational research, guidelines for school reform are being established. “Schools must become places where students can acquire knowledge and skills they can use to solve complex problems for thee rest of their lives.”(ACOT 2008 p. 8). The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21 2006) states; “We must change our paradigm from one focused on basic skills and accumulation of knowledge to a paradigm of teaching that develops knowledge, deep thinking, effective communication, complex problem solving, analysis, flexibility, emotional balance and technological literacy, that will enable the creation of new knowledge. (P21 p.). Students need strong complex communication skills and collaboration skills to build relationships to pose and solve problems collaboratively and cross-culturally. In addition, “educators must also become collaborators in learning by leveraging the power of students, seeking new knowledge and modeling positive habits of mind, and new ways of thinking and learning.” (ACOT, 2008, p8)
Communication centers on the ability to impart one’s thoughts effectively to others. The International Society for Technology in Education. (ISTE 2012) has created standards for teaching with technology that focuses on 21st Century skill development with technology. Technology is used to interact, communicate, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts and others.
Children learn from a wide variety of experiences and connections. Brain research is showing that early learning experiences have a direct effect on connections made in the brain that have a lasting effect on a child’s intellectual, social and emotional development. (Wolfe 2010). Many researchers suggest that early literacy and numeracy are the greatest predictors for long term student success. Teaching students deep thinking, and the 21st century skills is also important at an early age (Dewar 2008, Norris 1985). Another predictor of success at the university level is how well student are able to form and work in study groups… (Brown 2010). Collaboration and communication skills provide important foundational skills for leveraging the power of working with other people on problems and projects.
Critical thinking skills have been valued since they were elaborated by Bloom in 1956. They are among the higher order skills that are believed to better prepare students for the challenges of work and life. Key to higher order thinking is the ability to analyze, synthesize and evaluate information. Also important is self-awareness or metacognition. Reasearchers agree that the best learning takes place in context of a student’s understanding of their own learning.
As a result of 40 years of educational research, guidelines for school reform are being established. “Schools must become places where students can acquire knowledge and skills they can use to solve complex problems for thee rest of their lives.”(ACOT 2008 p. 8). The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21 2006) states; “We must change our paradigm from one focused on basic skills and accumulation of knowledge to a paradigm of teaching that develops knowledge, deep thinking, effective communication, complex problem solving, analysis, flexibility, emotional balance and technological literacy, that will enable the creation of new knowledge. (P21 p.). Students need strong complex communication skills and collaboration skills to build relationships to pose and solve problems collaboratively and cross-culturally. In addition, “educators must also become collaborators in learning by leveraging the power of students, seeking new knowledge and modeling positive habits of mind, and new ways of thinking and learning.” (ACOT, 2008, p8)
Communication centers on the ability to impart one’s thoughts effectively to others. The International Society for Technology in Education. (ISTE 2012) has created standards for teaching with technology that focuses on 21st Century skill development with technology. Technology is used to interact, communicate, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts and others.
Children learn from a wide variety of experiences and connections. Brain research is showing that early learning experiences have a direct effect on connections made in the brain that have a lasting effect on a child’s intellectual, social and emotional development. (Wolfe 2010). Many researchers suggest that early literacy and numeracy are the greatest predictors for long term student success. Teaching students deep thinking, and the 21st century skills is also important at an early age (Dewar 2008, Norris 1985). Another predictor of success at the university level is how well student are able to form and work in study groups… (Brown 2010). Collaboration and communication skills provide important foundational skills for leveraging the power of working with other people on problems and projects.
Critical thinking skills have been valued since they were elaborated by Bloom in 1956. They are among the higher order skills that are believed to better prepare students for the challenges of work and life. Key to higher order thinking is the ability to analyze, synthesize and evaluate information. Also important is self-awareness or metacognition. Reasearchers agree that the best learning takes place in context of a student’s understanding of their own learning.