1. Literacy in the 21st Century
29 th September 2011
Dr. Alison Cross, Executive Director,
Jamaican Foundation for Lifelong Learning

2. Our Vision
An educated, knowledge-based, adult population empowered through lifelong learning opportunities to take responsibility for their lives and contribute positively to the social moral and economic development of the country.

3. Our Mission
To provide in partnership with other organizations, adult education programmes which will establish a culture of lifelong learning that will empower individuals and contribute to national development.

4. Vision 2030 – National Goals
Jamaicans are empowered to achieve their fullest potential.
The Jamaican Society is safe, cohesive and just.
Jamaica’s economy is prosperous.
Jamaica has a healthy, natural environment.

5. Vision 2030 – Guiding Principles
Transformational Leadership
Accountability and Transparency
Partnership
Social Cohesion
Equity
Sustainability
Urban/Rural Development

6. Workplace Literacy Facts:
Technological developments are occurring faster than we dreamed, dramatically altering the way we work.
Developed nations are relying more and more on their capacity to innovate to drive economic growth.
The ability to do this depends upon the skills and knowledge of their people.

7. Workplace Literacy Facts:
The 21st C is a Knowledge Economy.
In the 21st Century, our natural resource is our people – and their potential is both untapped and vast.
Literacy and Skills will unlock that potential.
The benefits – higher productivity, the creation of wealth and social justice.

8. Workplace Literacy Facts:
How is Jamaica placed to respond to this challenge?
Jamaica must become a world leader in literacy and skills development.
Literacy is the most important lever within our control to create wealth and to reduce social deprivation.
How do we deliver better on what we have rather than trying to invent many more new structures

9. Where are we coming from with “literacy” in Jamaica?
The media characterize “illiteracy” as a crippling limitation, a barrier to individual and social advancement and as a problem to be fixed.
There is substantial research to suggest that “literacy” is very complex.
Low literacy proficiency is prevalent with many Jamaicans suffering from sufficient difficulty in reading or computation to be challenged by the ordinary tasks of everyday life and work.

10. Theoretical perspectives on literacy to assess current policy and impact on programmes
School-based literacy – the view is that skills and competencies assessed in the classroom are directly transferable to other contexts.
Consequently, school-based literacy assumes that once literacy skills are mastered in the classroom, learners can apply the skills in any reading task whether that is in the workplace, the home, or any other settings of public and private life.

11. A Working Definition of Literacy – a Competency/Functional Based Model
Literacy is more than just being able to code and decode text—it is the ability to comprehend, interpret, analyze, respond, and interact within the variety of complex situations in which youth and adults encounter various kinds of information.
Each context—school, work, military, civic and family—requires a different kind of literacy competency .

12. Jamaica’s current environment
In many of our schools less than 50% of the Grade 11 population sit CSEC exit exams and the pass rate for Math and English is below 40% (Holness, Back to School Message 2011)
Our Grade 9 Achievement Exam National Avg Language 52%, Math 43%
Our Grade 6 Achievement Test National Avg Language 57%, Math 53%
(MOE Ed. Stats )

13. Jamaica’s current environment
The 21st C economy is knowledge based.
Workers must have the ability to adapt, learn and master new skills quickly and efficiently.
Literacy is a set of skills that reflect the needs of the time. As those needs shift, then our definition of literacy shift.

14. 21st C Skills Framework WE MUST FUSE THE THREE “R”s WITH THE FOUR “C”s.
Critical thinking and problem solving
Communication
Collaboration
Creativity and innovation
The four “C”s are a student’s ticket up the economic ladder in the 21st century
(Partnership for 20th C Skills, 2010)

15. Changes in Literacy Demands :
The magnitude of our competition is changing. We need to improve our ability to competitively participate within the global community.
Workplace demands are changing.
Student experience outside of the school day is ever changing.
We need many more of our students to become effective 21st Century Citizens with lifelong teaching and learning skills.

16. Changes in Literacy Demands :
Requirements For Work Force Are Changing
Accountant:
My Grandfather “did the books”
Must handle complex computer programmes
Research:
I used the Library to conduct “research” for my Undergrad studies
All learners from Primary to Tertiary use the internet.
Doctors
Used to “tell’ you what was wrong with you
Engage with you in a discussion based on the information you have already obtained from the internet
Banking
Used to interact face-2-face for every interaction
Use machines for most banking transactions

17. 20th Century Education Model

18. 21st Century Learning Model (21st Century Partnership Learning Framework)
The Framework for 21st Century Learning describes the skills, knowledge and expertise students must master to succeed in work and life.

19. Changes in Literacy Demands : 21st Century Skills/Literacy Framework
Learning & Innovation Skills
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
Creativity & Innovation
Communication & Collaboration

20. Changes in Literacy Demands : 21st Century Skills/Literacy Framework
Information, Media & Technology Skills
Information Literacy
Media Literacy
ICT (Information, Communications & Technology) Literacy

21. Changes in Literacy Demands : 21st Century Skills/Literacy Framework
Life & Career Skills
Flexibility & Adaptability
Initiative & Self-Direction
Social & Cross-Cultural Skills
Productivity & Accountability
Leadership & Responsibility

22. Changes in Literacy Demands : 21st Century Skills/Literacy Framework
ICT LITERACY
Learners should be able to:
Apply technology effectively
Use technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate and communicate information.
Use digital technologies, communication/ networking tools and social networks appropriately to access, manage, integrate, evaluate and create information in order to successfully function is a knowledge society.

23. Information Literacy 5 years ago: information has doubled
Accessing information efficiently and effectively, evaluating information critically and competently and using information accurately and creatively for the issue or problem at hand:
5 years ago: information has doubled
2 years ago: technical information has doubled
1 hour ago: electronic information has doubled
(Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2007)

24. Media or Critical Literacy
Understanding how media messages are constructed, for what purposes and using which tools, characteristics and conventions.
Examining how individuals interpret messages differently, how values and points of view are included or excluded and how media can influence beliefs and behaviors.
Possessing a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and use of information

25. Literacy in the 20th C Every Student Must be: Able to read and write
Time on Task
Standardization of teaching, learning & assessment
Transmission of knowledge
Over-emphasis on control
Building learning from the part to the whole
Lack of attention to diversity, individual differences, socialization, and collaboration
Narrow view of effectiveness and efficiency

26. Literacy in the 21st C Every Student Must be: A critical thinker
A problem solver
An Innovator
An effective communicator
An effective collaborator
A self-directed learner
Information and media literate
Globally aware
Civically engaged
Financially and economically
literate

27. A Shift from Skills only to Connecting Learners to our World
Literacy…in the 21st C
A Major Shift away from Teacher- Centered to Child-Centered
Constructivist Theory
A Major Shift from Individualism to Collaboration
Social Learning Theory
A Shift from Skills only to Connecting Learners to our World
Global Awareness Technology and Media Literacy
Civic Literacy Financial and Economic Literacy
Environmental Literacy Information Literacy
Critical Literacy

28. Purposes of Literacy
“Reading the word….
…. and the world”

29. But those who cannot learn, unlearn and re-learn
Purposes of Literacy
The “illiterate” of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read and write
But those who cannot learn, unlearn and re-learn
Alvin Toffler

30. Productivity Enhancement through Literacies
Workplace Literacy:
Lifelong Learning Environments
Focus on Continuous and Comprehensive on-the- job and relevant learning
Learning for All
Collaborative Learning
Dynamic and Flexible Learning Environments

31. We must begin a new journey to embed a culture of learning…..
What will this look like in the workplace???

32. JFLL Market / Impact Opportunity
Impact indicators
Unattached youth
127,000 (STATIN – 2008) Youth need basic and secondary education and life skills
Employability/ Employment
Ready for skills training
GDP / productivity
Crime & Violence
Literacy challenged adults
Workers with higher literacy levels impact productivity positively
Parents with higher literacies make better educational , health and business decisions
Improved employment
Income tax revenue
Poverty reduction
Empowered citizens
Child Education Performance
Improved health care
Workplace
70% of labour force (700,000+) have no formal training / certification (STATIN)
20% of labour force (200,000) are estimated to be “functionally illiterate”
GDP / Productivity
Workplace safety (OSHA)
Investment

33. Literacy in the 21st Century
What Does This Mean for ….
YOU?

34. References www.21stcenturyskills.org
MOE Educational Statistics