Children are the future of the nation. 21st century skills continue to be debated among educators, businesses, communities, and government leaders. How 21st century savvy do students need to be before leaving school and entering the work force? The Partnership for 21st Century Skills website addresses this topic by providing a framework for the teaching of these skills to prepare students to enter society.
Overall, the website has a positive, useful mission. Different contributors collaborated to create and implement this plan to close the, “gap between the knowledge and skills most students learn in school and the knowledge and skills they need in typical 21st century communities and workplaces” (”The partnership for,” 2004).
I was surprised when I explored the framework of the website further at the life skills piece included. I believe life skills are already incorporated in many schools. People skills, social and personal responsibility, and accountability are some of the skills taught on a daily basis when a learning opportunity arises. When my students forget their homework, they are expected to take responsibility for that and be prepared to complete the homework during recess time. I would hope that all schools encourage these types of skills in their rules and expectations of children.
I do not outright diagree with anything I saw on the website. However, I do not think life skills needs to be considered in the framework as though teachers do not include this in their daily lessons as I explained above.
The Partnership for 21st Century means teachers are going to be held accountable for teaching these skills along side the standards. Not all states are involved in the organization as of yet. With No Child Left Behind involved, however, it may only be a matter of time until each state and each school is committed to teaching these 21st century skills. Professional development will be impacted for teachers as well. Workshops will focus on strategies to encourage and teach these skills (”Route 21,” 2007). Students will have higher expectations set for them before they leave high school. The way lessons are delivered along with the way students are assessed will change when incorporating 21st century skills.
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills will impact technology in a positive way, increasing the use of new technological tools. Supporting the organization is a step in the right direction when planning for the future. “Every child in America needs 21st century knowledge and skills to succeed as effective citizens, workers and leaders in the 21st century” (”The partnership for,” 2004).
Resources:
(2007). Route 21. Retrieved from
http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/route21/index.php
(2004). The partnership for 21st century skills. Retrieved from http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/
Learning life skills along with academics is essential for all students. Students need to establish good habits for taking responsibility at an early age. By making your students stay in from recess to complete the assignments they did not do, it is a great way to teach them that their actions will have consequences. I am in agreement with you when you say that education should "encourage these types of skills in their rules and expectations of children." As students mature to higher grade levels and get ready to graduate, the higher expectations they will have to accomplish before graduating will be easier for them if they are taught action and consequence early on.
ReplyDeleteYou mention that teachers will be held accountable for teaching 21st century skills along with the standards, do you think that society should also be held accountable by ensuring that funds are available so that teachers will be able to get professional development and equipment to be able to teach these skills? As an educator I am ready and willing to incorporate the skills and standards shown on the Partnership for 21st Century skills website, but what I find is that often times it is left solely up to the classroom teacher to figure it all out. I believe that society has a vested interest in the future workforce of tomorrow after all, these are the future lawyers and doctors.
Life skills are an essential piece of every child's education. These are incorporated into all aspects of schooling and are required so that our students can be successful members of society. With the incorporation of so much technology in today's workforce, these skills are changing. Much more collaboration is needed now than was before, because we need a whole that is greater than all the parts, as stated by Dr. Thornburg (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008).
ReplyDeleteKeeping this in mind, the life skills required by our students are different from what we may have learned. Today's students will have to be able to communicate with peers at work and also people in other states and countries that they may never actually meet in person. Their jobs may require them to collaborate via wikis and teleconferencing. These types of skills can be addressed through the incorporation of technologies such as wikis and blogs in school. This technology allows the students to collaborate at a distance the way they will in today's workforce.
Resources
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). 2008. Skills for the 21st Century [Motion picture]. Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society. Baltimore: Author.
Marcella,
ReplyDeleteI definitely think society should be held accountable for aiding schools with funding. We are preparing our students to become active members of this society and need that support. Funding is one of the main reasons many schools do not have the latest technology available and is often a frustration for educators. If the people in the community wish for the teachers to educate their children to the best of our ability, they need to help make available the best tools to do it.