Students will need to be prepared for the future. The world of technology keeps changing exponentially and its impact if being felt in education. For the next stage, university or college, if that's their desire, they will be required to work collaboratively using on-line tools. This section explains the skills that are felt to be important to students in this, the 21st century.
Student Learning & 21st Century Skills
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has identified certain skills that students will need in the future, as well as support systems that will enable us to help students acquire these skills. The following information comes directly from their website. Consider how technology integrated into learning can help achieve these outcomes.
21ST CENTURY STUDENT OUTCOMES: The elements described in this section as “21st century student outcomes” (represented by the rainbow) are the skills, knowledge and expertise students should master to succeed in work and life in the 21st century. All material below is copied from the Partnership for 21st Century Skills website. Please view their site for more information and ways in which to integrate these skills into your own subject.
Core Subjects and 21st Century Themes Mastery of core subjects and 21st century themes is essential for students in the 21st century. Core subjects include:
English, reading or language arts
World languages
Arts
Mathematics
Economics
Science
Geography
History
Government and Civics
In addition to these subjects, we believe schools must move beyond a focus on basic competency in core subjects to promoting understanding of academic content at much higher levels by weaving 21st century interdisciplinary themes into core subjects:
Global Awareness
Using 21st century skills to understand and address global issues
Learning from and working collaboratively with individuals representing diverse cultures, religions and lifestyles in a spirit of mutual respect and open dialogue in personal, work and community contexts
Understanding other nations and cultures, including the use of non-English languages
Financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy
Knowing how to make appropriate personal economic choices
Understanding the role of the economy in society
Using entrepreneurial skills to enhance workplace productivity and career options
Civic Literacy
Participating effectively in civic life through knowing how to stay informed and understanding governmental processes
Exercising the rights and obligations of citizenship at local, state, national and global levels
Understanding the local and global implications of civic decisions
Health Literacy
Obtaining, interpreting and understanding basic health information and services and using such information and services in ways that are health enhancing
Understanding preventive physical and mental health measures, including proper diet, nutrition, exercise, risk avoidance and stress reduction
Using available information to make appropriate health-related decisions
Establishing and monitoring personal and family health goals
Understanding national and international public health and safety issues
Environmental literacy
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the environment and the circumstances and conditions affecting it, particularly as relates to air, climate, land, food, energy, water and ecosystems
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of society’s impact on the natural world (e.g., population growth, population development, resource consumption rate, etc.)
Investigate and analyze environmental issues, and make accurate conclusions about effective solutions
Take individual and collective action towards addressing environmental challenges (e.g., participating in global actions, designing solutions that inspire action on environmental issues)
Learning and Innovation Skills Learning and innovation skills increasingly are being recognized as the skills that separate students who are prepared for increasingly complex life and work environments in the 21st century, and those who are not. A focus on creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration is essential to prepare students for the future.
Information, Media and Technology Skills People in the 21st century live in a technology and media-suffused environment, marked by various characteristics, including: 1) access to an abundance of information, 2) rapid changes in technology tools, and 3) the ability to collaborate and make individual contributions on an unprecedented scale. To be effective in the 21st century, citizens and workers must be able to exhibit a range of functional and critical thinking skills related to information, media and technology.
Life and Career Skills Today’s life and work environments require far more than thinking skills and content knowledge. The ability to navigate the complex life and work environments in the globally competitive information age requires students to pay rigorous attention to developing adequate life and career skills.
Shayne Train, Education, Educational Technology, Computer Literacy, Web Tools