Discussions

[cybersummit]

How important is a 21st century education to the health of our nation?

[kdaley]

When I examine the requirements for 21st Century Readiness I embrace the principle that we must enlarge the student’s world in a safe meaningful way. Teaching children that their voice is heard and voices of others are equally important will foster empathy. Students will become thoughtful, intentional, and responsible citizens of their own and the larger community and have the ability to navigate a global landscape. Our students need multiple skills to succeed. These include the abilities to problem-solve using multiple resources, thinking outside the box, articulating their needs and solutions in different mediums, and working as a member of a team. Students must think critically as they sift through the ever increasing availability if information. Students and teachers need to collaborate with the outside community to make learning and assessments authentic. As educators, we need to provide students with opportunities to demonstrate what they have learned in different and creative venues. Teaching young children to think outside of themselves is a developmental process, which must be nurtured to expand their definition of the world beyond their own egocentricity. Mastering this skill means children become better 21st Century learners. As they learn to share, they are identifying and articulating a need, problem solving and becoming better able to collaborate with peers. Children learn that they are valued members of a community and that they can affect change.

[manning]

Globalization is changing the way we must view the world if we are going to be successful. This new perspective requires knowledge of the places and people with whom we are being connected as well as the skills and attitude needed to work with them effectively. It is a global perspective that makes someone ready for the 21st Century. A 21st Century Ready student knows competition is global and does not feel entitled to the lifestyle with which she has become accustomed. She knows there are kids in developing countries that are connected to the same opportunities she used to take for granted. She works hard to gain competencies in math, science and reading as well as an understanding of the complex world she is entering. A 21st Century Ready adult has begun the paradigm shift required to see the world as it is, not as it was, with new players competing and collaborating within an integrated global economy. He realizes that he must adapt to this reality by learning new skills that add value to his organization. He has also begun to develop the ability to work within an increasingly diverse and multicultural work environment. Building connections, such as a Classroom Connections Project, between students around the world is critical to expanding their worldview. Without a global perspective, one cannot understand the need to become 21st Century ready let alone build the competencies required for success in this new age.

[cb717]

21st Century Readiness means preparing my students to be active consumers and producers in a world that is constantly evolving. It means giving my students a venue to broadcast their voice and helping them connect with people all over the world by extending our classroom walls into the real world. 21st Century Readiness isn't about technology; however, we need to continue to look forward and adapt as new literacies ultimately help propel us into the future. Thus, it's not about replacing “traditional” literacy practices; it’s about keeping an open mind and finding ways to engage and challenge the unique, individual learners coming into our classrooms. 21st Century Readiness means that educators, students, and communities need to come together and truly show what life long learning is all about. It's about collaboration and communication. It's about problem solving and working together. 21st Century Readiness: It's about investing in our future, our children, for a better tomorrow.

[Ellenms]

A "21st Century Education" is vitally important to the health and welfare of our nation because unlike any previous generaiton, the world is linked by a massive structure of communication networks forming issues that are global in nature and not just national.  If America is to maintain its influence and power in the world, we must set a high standard for this current generation of students who will become our future leaders.  What can we do?  For one, we must raise an "educated citizenry" that is able to communicate well with each other.  This requires a common set of basic knowledge that includes historical components that have developed our nation's culture as well as relevant new information that will keep students abreast of the current issues.  Students need a strong  vocabulary base to increase their comprehension skills and abiltiy to communication with others.  They also need a strong vocabulary base in order to read quality literature and to write well.  We are in danger of raising kids who will remain "shallow communicators" within this sophisticated network system because of their shrinking pool of background knowledge as evidenced by a diminishing vocabulary base within our US citizenry and especially the young. A "21st Century Education" must therefore include the formation of a deep and wide vocabulary base, developed by exposure to rich content in all core subjects and challenging literature so that we can communicate effectively not only with each other but also with the world at large.  

[Troy]

Though I completely agree that there are unique challenges students will face in the 21st century and their education should prepare them for this, the most important aspects of a childs education are timeless.  In the 21st century, certain elements of what is referred to as classical education grow more and more important.  We must cultivate virtue in our young ones.  We also ought grow their ability to enjoy life by impressing in them an appreciation for good literature, good music, and good art.  Certainly, students should be trained and equipped for what they will face, but we must not ignore these more important aspects of education.

[Valjoy]

21st Century Readiness is very important especially now with today's economy being the way that it is. Students have to be able to compete with other students who come from all different backgrounds. Almost everyone should definitely be computer savvy now, as well as be able to use other technology so that they too can be marketable in America. It is a great idea for public and private schools to equip their classrooms with the latest technology so that students will have a better understanding of what to do when they have to become apart of the job market. I have been teaching special education for ten years and I hope that the students who have disabilities are not excluded from the 21st Century Readiness programs because it is an initiative that is imperative to all stake holders. At one time during my career I taught an enrichment program for parents to also become technologically advanced, and I feel schools should also supplement programs that will continue to help parents become ready for the 21st Century too. If people are not equipped to use technology than they will not be equipped to do any of the current jobs in the work force. The health of our nation will diminish further if technological advancements are not fostered.

[paulscurtis]

Is this really the question that we need to focus on?  Few people I come in contact contest the idea that these skills are important for us to remain competitive.  But they also consider knowing math, history, science as being critically important.  I fear we are focused on the "what" when we need to be focused on the "how". 

How do we best impart critical skills like collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking while continuing to give students a strong foundational set of knowledge that allows them to understand and continue to learn about the world around them?

I believe there are many school and individual teachers doing an outstanding job of addressing these skills, but we have no way to "prove" that what they do works.  No state has implemented a test for creativity or collaboration and until that happens, it will be very difficult to push schools, teachers ands students to move beyond the measures they are already held accountable to.  Once we, as a community of people passionate about teaching the whole child, find ways to assess these skills, we can find the strategies that work best and influence state assessment policy.  At that point, the free market system will respond and provide the resources and training to meet the need.

We must move beyond the question of "are these skills critical" and begin to ask "how do we assess these skills" so that we have the data to push broad scale adoption.

Paul Curtis

Assistant Director, School Design and Implementation

New Tech Network

[*.watd.365579]

The issue of taking this vision to scale is, I agree, the central one.

Advocates of 21st century skills who don't have a sense of urgency about this question usually offer up some veiled criticism in the form of statements like "We're already doing this." Or, my favorite: "There's nothing 21st century about critical thinking - it's been around forever."

To which I always offer, in reply: yes, higher order thinking has been well-integrated in to core academic subjects for a long time by excelling educators who are often teaching gifted and talented students and/or in AP or IB settings. It's important to highlight the fact that our systems of K-12 education have, since the 50's, privileged "college track" students with this kind of education. The 21st century element of this conversation is, and has always been, the need to SCALE this kind of blended teaching and learning to EVERY student, whether they are going into a trade, a community college, vocational school or a four-year institution. That is the 21st century part of the challenge. Critical thinking skills are not solely the purview of the college-bound. The stakes are way too high for all our young people to think otherwise.

Interestingly, it's the more progressive parts of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) community who understand this very well. They focus on applied, relevant, proficiency-based learning models that work extremely well. And ironically, they are often seen by more traditional educators as being less rigorous in their approach to academics because of it.

So I guess I would say that it the challenge of scale is not, actually, just about assessment and data. It's also about making sure we have the right mindset, the right political consensus and will to work toward 21st century readiness for every student.

When it comes to assessment, there are many models in play right now at the formative, summative and high stakes levels that are forward-thinking and worthy of optimism.. A few links below.

Pat Forgione's K12 Performance Assessment initiative has done some excellent work around assessment and accountability policy for 21st century readiness

http://www.k12center.org/index.html

If you're not familiar with EdSteps, CCSSO's innovative assessment project, you should be (disclosure - I'm on their advisory board)

http://www.edsteps.org/CCSSO/Home.aspx

College and Work Readiness Audit

This is the assessment that students love. As in, write fan letters about. I'm serious.

http://www.cae.org/content/pro_collegework.htm

And finally, there is P21's great work on 21st century readiness and assessment, in the form of the Implementation Guide on this topic (written for district leaders)

http://p21.org/documents/p21-stateimp_assessment.pdf

Hope you find these resources helpful. Valerie

[Chris_NGLC]

"21st Century Readiness is very important especially now with today's economy being the way that it is. Students have to be able to compete with other students who come from all different backgrounds. Almost everyone should definitely be computer savvy now, as well as be able to use other technology so that they too can be marketable in America. It is a great idea for public and private schools to equip their classrooms with the latest technology so that students will have a better understanding of what to do when they have to become apart of the job market."

Well said, Valjoy. Unfortunately, many students who enroll in some type of post-secondary education are in need of remediation, thus slowing down their ability to compete in class. One of our goals is to use technology to better prepare students for the demands of college-level coursework, eliminating the need for remedial classes, and setting them up for success in the job market.