21st+Century+Skills

So what are 21st Century Learning Skills? Ted Lai, Director of Information Technology for the Fullerton Elementary School District puts it this way...

// "In a nutshell, these are the skills that will help people be globally competitive in the 21st Century. Especially with our students, these are skills that include not only the curricular standards but also a host of other essential skills like communication, collaboration, and creativity. ** Literacy ** doesn’t merely refer to the ability to read and write but also the ability to evaluate and synthesize information, media, and other technology. // At the heart of 21st Century Learning, in my opinion, is the piece on creating authentic projects and constructing knowledge // … essentially making connections between ** learning ** and the ** real world ** !" //

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has developed a unified, collective vision for 21st century learning that can be used to strengthen American education. They have developed this graphic representation.

This framework represents a holistic view of 21st century teaching and learning. The rainbow depiction combines a focus on 21st century student outcomes (a blending of specific skills, content knowledge, expertise and literacies) with innovative support systems to help students master the multi-dimensional abilities required of them in the 21st century. __ [|http://www.21stcenturyskills.org] __

According to P21, **there are six key elements of 21st century learning**-
 * Emphasize **core subjects**
 * Emphasize **learning skills**
 * Use **21st century tools** to develop learning skills
 * Teach and learn in a **21st century context**
 * Teach and learn **21st century content**
 * Use **21st century assessment** that measure 21st century skills
 * 21st century context** can be created by-
 * Making content relevant to students’ lives
 * Bringing the world into the classroom
 * Taking the students out into the world
 * Creating opportunities for students to interact with each other, with teachers and with other knowledgeable adults in authentic learning experiences
 * 21st-century content** includes:
 * Global awareness
 * Financial, economic and business literacy
 * Civic literacy
 * Health Literacy

Additional Reading:

The [|Partnership for 21st Century Skills] along with [|Fablevision] created this short animated film, // [|Above and Beyond] //, that emphasizes the value of the 4 Cs: //communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity//. There's also a [|downloadable poster].

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