This past week in my coursework I have been introduced to the importance of building 21st century skills within my classroom. I have been refereed to numerous resources and provided with an array of suggestions for incorporating these skills into my own curriculum. Although there are challenges that may accompany the inclusion of these skills, the benefits which may be redeemed conquer and outweigh any obstacles. In fact, the development of 21st century skills in our children seems like an essential component in the future success and advancement of our nation on a global level.
Many of you may not have a clear definition for these skills. In fact, even after completing my own research I still do not have a solid definition. This is due in large part to our society; in other words, 21st century skills encompass a large amount of knowledge which changes on a daily basis given the demands of our society. However, the foundation for these skills seems to remain consistent. This foundation includes skills such as collaboration, problem solving, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and analysis. All of these skills require the learner to do much more than just regurgitate a given set of facts. They must be able to use new illiteracies to adapt their current thinking and create their own knowledge. Most importantly they must be willing to change, remain flexible, and at times conform to meet the demands of different situations.
Luckily, as an educator I have access to a variety of resources that will assist me in my pursuit of incorporating 21st century skills into my curriculum and classroom in general. I do not feel as if 21st century skills should be a separate entity. Instead, I feel as if I should be able to mesh these skills into my core standards particularly through the use of project-based learning and assessments.
After exploring the website of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2004), which can be found at the following link http://www.p21.org/, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of support there is for the inclusion of these skills within our classroom. There seems to be plenty of “big name” corporations who are willing to spend money and provide funding in support of professional development for 21st century skills awareness and research. This support from major affiliates and corporate leaders in our society can be found under the Strategic Council Members page. It is nice to see such major organizations realizing the importance of these skills within our schools. This gives me hope that society may be realizing the importance of preparing our children for the future and global competition within our world.
I found this site to be extremely informative in regards to the use of 21st century skills in our schools and society in general. Furthermore, the information provided correlated well with the resources used during this current week. My favorite aspect of this organization is the fact that they are advocates for educators. They are attempting to close the gap between the skills that are in demand and the skills which are emphasized in our current educational system. I am pleased to learn about their emphasis on local, state, and national policies to compliment this advocacy.
The one thing about this site that did not sit well with me was the fact that my own home state is not included in the initiative plans. I’m sure that this is based on decision making at the state level and not from the organization as a whole. Hopefully, Wyoming will follow the lead of other states and become a part of this initiative framework. It would be pleasing to see us take these necessary steps and receive help in the area of integrating these 21st century skills into our schools and classrooms or at the very least to develop more awareness.
Therefore, as an educator in the great state of Wyoming I may not have access to the same resources as states that have chosen to be a part of this initiative, but there are still plenty of steps I can take to ensure these skills are used and present inside my own classroom. The most important implication this can have on my students is the development of a set of skills that they can take with them into the future. However, these skills must be taught in ways that encourage each individual to remain flexible and at times think outside the box. The 21st century has given way to a world where the possibilities seem endless and given the right skills and mindset my children will have every chance of success possible.
Resources:
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2004). Mission, tools, state initiatives, events, about us. Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/
I was also disappointed that my state, Maryland was not listed. Hopefully in the near future all the states will be listed so we can have equal access to the sources. I also agree with teaching students to be flexible and be able to think outside of the box. These are skills that employers are looking for. I remember when I was going on teaching interviews and many of the questions were geared towards those two skills. In fact, I remember being asked directly to give examples of how I am flexible/dynamic and examples of my most creative lessons. Companies want employees who are going to bring a fresh perspective and fresh ideas to the company. They are not looking for the people with trite ideas. I always try to encourage these skills in my classroom. Every year my school holds a science fair. The students must get their project approved by me first before they can start their project. When students bring me really simple ideas, I always challenge them to think out of the box and create a project that will impress the judges. I know what the students are capable of and I push them to design creative projects with a practical and real world use.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. I agree with Kayla that employers want employees that are flexible, able to communicate, and work well with others. The 21st century skills are not just about technology. Technology is a piece of this puzzle but our students must be able to function with others and be successful in an ever-changing environment. I think we are so lucky because Kindergarten is such an "easy" grade to incorporate all of these traits into our teaching and daily lessons.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. I completely agree with you that we should be able to combine our new skills with technology and develop new ways of teaching the old core standards. My state is developing new standards that are being introduced to us next year. I am anxious to see what changes are taking place with my state being part of the 21st century skills group. I agree that kindergarten and first grade is a great start to introducing these new technology skills to our kids. But one thing that worries me is that I hope we don't focus all on using the new technology and less on using hands on work.
ReplyDeleteDuring your exploration of the website you were able to find many "big name" corporations that are willing to lend support to this initiative. Thank you for including this information in your post. I am finding that it is crucial for teachers to reach out to organizations that are willing to offer monetary and supplementary resources to schools. As the need for technology in classrooms rises school districts are working with budgets that are getting smaller each year. My school district has a budget deficit and rather than laying off teachers is looking at several cuts that it must make, including new textbooks, in order to keep teachers in the classroom. It is increasingly necessary for teachers to look outside of their districts for the support and resources needed to educate our country's youth. Corporations should look at this as an opportunity to get a jump start on the training of their future employees.
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