21st Century Skills

Jason McLaughlin

Kean University EMSE 2801-02

21st Century Skills – What are they?

Core Subjects and 21st Century Themes

• English, reading or language arts• World languages• Arts• Mathematics• Economics• Science• Geography• History• Government and Civics

• Global Awareness• Financial Literacy• Civic Literacy• Health Literacy• Environmental Literacy

Subjects

Interdisciplinary Themes

Glo

bal

Aw

are

ness

• Learning from and working collaboratively with those who represent different cultures

• Understanding other nations and cultures

Non-English speaking cultures a plus

Financi

al L

itera

cy

• Knowing how to make appropriate and personal economic choices

• Understanding the role of the economy in society

• Using entrepreneurial skills to enhance productivity and career options

Economic , Business, and

Entrepreneurial Skills

Civ

ic L

itera

cy

• Knowing how to stay informed and understanding governmental processes

• Exercising the rights and obligations of citizenship at all levels

• Understanding the implications of civic decisions

Local, State, National, and Global levels

Healt

h L

itera

cy

• Understanding basic health information and services while using them to enhance health

• Understanding preventative health measures

• Using available information to make health-related decisions

• Establishing personal and family health goals

• Understanding public health and safety issues

Proper Diet Nutrition Exercise Risk Avoidance Stress Reduction

Envi

ronm

enta

l Li

tera

cy

• Knowledge and understanding of the environment and the conditions affecting it

• Knowledge and understanding of society’s impact on the natural world

• Investigate and analyze environmental issues

• Take action towards addressing environmental challenges

Population growth and development

Resource consumption

21

st Centu

ry

Asse

ssment

• High-quality standardized

tests

• Classroom formative and

summative assessments

• Technology-enhanced

assessments to measure

mastery of skills

• Development of portfolios of

student work that shows a

mastery of 21st Century Skills

Did we see any of these

assessments in our

classroom visits?

Curricu

lum

and

Instru

ction

Curriculum

• Skills

discretely in

the context

of core

subjects and

interdisciplin

ary themes

• Integration

of community

resources

Instruction

• Provide

opportunities to

apply skills

across content

areas

• Innovative

learning

methods

Technology

based

Inquiry &

problem

based

approaches

Higher order

thinking skills

Profe

ssional

Deve

lopm

ent

• Direct instruction and

project-oriented teach

methods

• Identify learning styles,

intelligences, strengths and

weaknesses

• Encourages knowledge

sharing among

communities

Did we see any of these

methods in our classroom

visits?

Learn

ing

Enviro

nm

ents

• Educators collaborate

their best practices

• Project-based and

applied work lessons

• Access to quality

resources and

technologies

Did we see any of these

environments in our

classroom visits?

Learn

ing a

nd

Innova

tion S

kills

What are the Four C’s?

• Critical Thinking

• Communication

• Collaboration

• Creativity

The skills that separate students who are prepared for increasingly complex life and

work environments in the 21st century, and those who are

not.

Life

and C

are

er

Ski

lls

• Adapt to change• Be flexible• Manage goals and time• Work independently• Be self-directed learners• Interact effectively with others• Work effectively in diverse

teams• Manage projects• Produce results• Guide and lead others• Be responsible to others

Students need more than just content knowledge.

Info

rmati

on, M

edia

, and T

ech

nolo

gy

Ski

lls

Information Literacy• Access information efficiently and

effectively• Evaluate information critically and

competently• Use information accurately and creatively• Manage a flow of information from a wide

variety of sources

Media Literacy• Understand how and why media messages are

constructed, and for what purpose• Examine how individuals interpret media• How different points of view are considered?• How media influences behavior?

Technology Literacy• Technology as a tool to organize, evaluate, and

communicate information• Use of digital technologies and social media

What does this mean for future educators?

• To help students understand, connect to and act on

critical global issues by integrating 21st century

perspectives into curricula in all Core Curriculum

Content Standards areas• To connect student acquisition of international

literacies to real world experiences both in New

Jersey and beyond state and national borders

• To enhance teacher capacity for 21st century

teaching excellence through pre-service

education, professional development and

opportunities for exchange and study abroad

In New Jersey, the current goals are:

Do you feel prepared to handle the 21st Century Skill set?

In Conclusion…

References:

P21. Partnership for 21st Century Skills. 2011. 13 October 2012.http://www.p21.org/

"Life and Career Education in the 21st Century." n.d. New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards. 14 October 2012.http://www.state.nj.us/education/cccs/standards/9/9.pdf

"21st Century Skills." n.d. Wikipedia. 14 October 2012.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21st_Century_Skills

Ruddiman, Joan. Make 21st Century Skills Come Alive. Trenton, September 2009. Online Article.http://www.njea.org/news-and-publications/njea-review/september-2009/make-21st-century-skills-come-alive