1. 21st Century Skills For Students and Educators Foundations of Teaching and Learning
University of Richmond
Summer 2011
Christine Mingus

2. Learning objectives:
At the conclusion of this group discussion, students will:
develop a deeper understanding of what 21st century skills are and why they are necessary for educators and students
recognize the necessity of embedding 21st century skills into curriculum development and implementation
predict ways in which they will incorporate 21st century skills into their own classrooms
describe the effectiveness of 21st century skills in preparing students for society's current work environment

3. Educational Directives From President Obama re: 21st Century Skills
Obama: 9/2008: “Without a workforce trained in math, science, and technology, and the other skills of the 21st century, our companies will innovate less, our economy will grow less, and our nation will be less competitive. If we want to out-compete the world tomorrow, we must out-educate the world today.”
Obama: 3/2009: “I’m calling on our nation’s governors and state education chiefs to develop standards and assessments that don’t simply measure whether students can fill in a bubble on a test, but whether they possess 21st century skills like problem-solving and critical thinking and entrepreneurship and creativity.”
(source: Museums, Libraries, and 21st Century Skills, p. 4)

4. Setting the Bar for 21st Century Educators
“ To keep America competitive, and to make the American dream of equal educational opportunity a reality, we need to recruit, reward, train, learn from, and honor a new generation of talented teachers. But the bar must be raised for successful teacher preparation programs because we ask much more of teachers today than even a decade ago.
Today teachers are asked to achieve significant academic growth for all students at the same time that they instruct students with ever-more diverse needs. Teaching has never been more difficult, it has never been more important, and the desperate need for more student success has never been so urgent. Are we adequately preparing future teachers to win this critical battle?”
– U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, 2009
(source: 21st Century Knowledge and Skills in Educator Preparation, p. 5)

5. New Needs Reflect a Rapidly Changing World
Our planet will soon reach a population of seven billion. By global population is projected to reach nine billion.
A bigger world population = increased strain on natural resources and more labor competition
Life and work environments are expected to get more complex
There will be continual increases in the abundance of information available in a technology and media-centric world
The virtual world will become far more global
We will need to develop the ability to interact with more people from different ethnicities and cultures (global competence)
A working professional should be prepared for a lifetime of multiple careers
Literacy will remain important, but other literacies will continue to evolve, like:
INFORMATION LITERACY – INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) LITERACY – MEDIA LITERACY

6. 21st Century Skills in Education
Why dramatic changes are needed:
There are now two student achievement gaps (between lowest- and highest-performing/poorest and most affluent students AND between US and international students)
Changes in the economy, jobs, and businesses have reshaped workplaces and the nature of work
These changes are driving new and different skill demands (non- routine, creative tasks)
(Source: 21st Century Knowledge and Skills in Educator Preparation -2010)
Educational institutions – both formal and informal places of learning– are now actively reevaluating their role in helping citizens build critical 21st century skill sets.

7. The Educator of the Future!

9. Student Outcomes GLOBAL AWARENESS
The “rainbow” on the P21 chart: the knowledge, skills, and expertise students should master to succeed in work and life in the 21st century
In addition to traditional core subjects,
students must also learn these
21st interdisciplinary themes:
GLOBAL AWARENESS
FINANCIAL, ECONOMIC, BUSINESS, AND ENTREPRENEURIAL LITERACY
CIVIC LITERACY
HEALTH LITERACY
ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY

10. Student Outcomes LEARNING AND INNOVATION SKILLS
Creativity and Innovation
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Communication and Collaboration
INFORMATION, MEDIA, AND TECHNOLOGY SKILLS
Information Literacy
Media Literacy
ICT (Information, Communications, and Technology) Literacy

11. Student Outcomes LIFE AND CAREER SKILLS Flexibility and Adaptability
Initiative and Self-Direction
Social and Cross-Cultural Skills
Productivity and Accountability
Leadership and Responsibility

12. Support Systems 21st Century Standards
The tools that are necessary to help educators and students achieve the 21st century skills they need
21st Century Standards
Assessment of 21st Century Skills
21st Century Curriculum and Instruction
21st Century Professional Development
21st Century Learning Environments

13. Collaborative Critical Thinking is a 21st Century Skill
Collaborative Critical Thinking is a 21st Century Skill! Conclusion/Questions
Group 1:
What are some other skills that students might need to acquire for their adult lives in the 21st century?
How does environmental literacy/stewardship fit into developing 21st century skill sets?
Group 2:
How do you mesh teaching 21st century skills in an SOL-driven school culture?
How will you continue to develop your 21st century skills as an educator?
Group 3:
How can schools track progress and enable continuous improvements?
How can partnerships with community organizations, businesses, museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions help schools achieve their goal of inculcating 21st century skills among students?