Walden University Blog

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Higher Education has long embraced what is being touted now as 21st Century skills. These skills involve such things as technology literacy, critical thinking, problem solving, communication and collaboration, Social Change and movement, and life and career skills. Currently fourteen states have come together to ensure that these skills and abilities are being taught, nurtured and encouraged in our K-12 environment. The success of this movement depends on some key factors that need to be embraced in every facet. The involvement of parents, administrators, faculty and students needs to happen on every level to ensure success. If just one of these groups is not involved or at least informed then the result may not be what is envisioned. I firmly believe that the key to this entire movement is the effective and efficient use of technology in every aspect. Technology holds the key to communications, connection, collaboration and reaching out to the rest of the world.  We have to embrace the technology and take it to our learners. What I am saying is, that we need to quit banning the use of smart phones and other personal technology in the classroom and encourage our students by finding ways to creatively utilize the technology. These skills will help us prepare them for the work world and enable us to reach out to other cultures and countries as well.