SELVIRAVI: 2015

WHAT ARE 21ST CENTURY SKILLS?

Everybody seems to be talking about learning 21st century skills, but what does it all mean for the classroom teacher who needs better technology in education and more resources for tomorrow's mathematics or history lesson?

Concerned about preparing today's children for tomorrow's world, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and International Society for Technology in Education have drafted frameworks and guidelines that outline what our students need to know to meet the challenges of the modern age. Mastery of core content areas, such as language Arts (including English language arts, reading, Spanish, etc....), mathematics, science and history, remains the centerpiece. But these two organizations emphasize the importance of cultivating interdisciplinary themes, such as global awareness and financial, civic and health literacies, and weaving key skill areas (creativity and innovation, communication and collaboration, research and information fluency, and critical thinking, problem solving and decision making) into core subject matter.

Communication & Collaboration

Communicate Clearly

Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts

Listen effectively to decipher meaning, including knowledge, values, attitudes and intentions

Use communication for a range of purposes (e.g. to inform, instruct, motivate and persuade)

Utilize multiple media and technologies, and know how to judge their effectiveness a priori as well as assess their impact

Communicate effectively in diverse environments (including multi-lingual)

Collaborate with Others

Demonstrate ability to work effectively and respectfully with diverse teams

Exercise flexibility and willingness to be helpful in making necessary compromises to accomplish a common goal

Assume shared responsibility for collaborative work, and value the individual contributions made by each team member

21ST CENTURY TOOLS

One can easily become overwhelmed by the variety of Web 2.0 tools that are available online today. In order to effectively choose the appropriate tool, being aware of your intended instructional outcomes is key. To assist you in this search, educationally relevant Web 2.0 tools have been grouped into categories below, which are reflective of 21st century skills.

COLLABORATION

COMMUNICATION

CREATIVITY

CRITICAL THINKING

FEEDBACK

INNOVATION

PRESENTATION

PROBLEM SOLVING

PRODUCTIVITY

REFLECTION

SOCIAL NETWORKING