Today we throw 21st Century Learning Skills, Ted Lai, a ladder, YouTube videos, SocioTechnographic Profiles, a rainbow, and catalytic questions into the Education Innovation Blender.
21st Century Learning Skills and 21st Century Learners are the hot buzz word these days. I prefer to call them today's students, but you can use whatever word/s you like.
(Nobody ever called me a 20th Century Learner)
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!"
Partnership for 21st Century Skills has developed a unified, collective
for 21st century learning that can be used to strengthen American
education. They have developed this graphic representation.
Technology and Learning Magazine says there are 4 types of literacy associated with 21st Century Learning.
1. Information Literacy
2. Media Literacy
3. Digital Literacy
4. Network Literacy
These may change over time as they are expanded on or blended together.
I have previously discussed the literacy of the Sociotechnographics Ladder.
Literacy Ladder: Learning on the Social Technographic Ladder
There are many aspects of what makes a 21st Century Learner and sorts of things these students should be expected to be proficient in. Mike at ConverStations provides this interesting video on who 21st Century Learner are.
The question now becomes, are you a 21st Century Teacher, Administrator, or District. Is your school campus a 21st Century School?
In what ways is the current discussion on 21st Century Learning a benefit or an asset to your district or your school?
What might change based on this discussion? What form might those changes take?
How can you take the constraints of your knowledge and ability to teach 21st Century students and turn it into an advantage?
In what ways are you going to have to adopt new strategies and mindsets to adapt to the needs of 21st Century Learning? What needs to change first?
How might changing your viewpoint from that of teacher or administrator to that of student help to change your strategies or methods in meeting the needs of the 21st Century Learner?
What is already working?
What things are you doing now that could be substituted to meet the needs of the 21st Century Learner? What could be modified?
What underlying principles might aide or detract from your efforts?
What unintended consequences might arise from meeting the need of the 21st Century Learner? Which of those consequences might be prevented?
In what ways might your redirect your resources to meet to changing needs? Who are your “people” resources for meeting the need? Are they in the right place?
Who needs to be moved to better help the school or district, meet the needs of 21st Century Learning and the 21st Century Learner?