21+Century+Skills

21st Century Skills ==‍In order to thrive in a digital economy, students will need digital age proficiencies. It is important for the educational system to make parallel changes in== ==‍order to fulfill its mission in society, namely the preparation of students for the world beyond the classroom. Therefore, the educational system must understand== ==‍and embrace the following 21st century skills within the context of rigorous academic standards.==

=‍ 1. Digital Age Literacy—Today’s Basics =

=‍Basic, Scientific, and Technological Literacies=

=‍As society changes, the skills that citizens need to negotiate the complexities of life also change. In the early 1900s, a person who had acquired simple reading, writing, and calculating skills was considered literate. It has only been in recent years that the public education system has expected all students to learn to read critically, write persuasively, think and reason logically, and solve complex problems in mathematics and science. =

=‍Visual and Information Literacy=

=‍The graphic user interface of the World Wide Web and the convergence of voice, video, and data into a common digital format have increased the use of visual imagery dramatically. Advances such as digital cameras, graphics packages, streaming video, and common imagery standards,allow for the use visual imagery to communicate ideas. Students need good visualization skills to be able to decipher, interpret, detect patterns, and communicate using imagery. Information Literacy includes accessing information efficiently and effectively, evaluating information critically and competently, and using information accurately and creatively. =

=‍Cultural Literacy and Global Awareness= = = =‍The world is rapidly becoming wired and the resulting globalization of commerce and trade has increased the need for cultural literacy. In such a= =‍global economy, with the U.S. concerned about interactions, partnerships and competition from around the world, there is a greater necessity for= =‍ knowing, understanding and appreciating other cultures, including cultural formations established as norms in a technological society, such as virtual realities. = = = = = =‍ 2. Inventive Thinking—Intellectual Capital = = = =‍Adaptability/Managing Complexity and Self-Direction= = = =‍The interconnectedness of today’s world brings with it unprecedented complexity. Globalization and the Web are inherently complex, accelerating the pace of change in today’s world. Interaction in such an environment requires individuals to be able to identify and react to changing conditions independently— self-directed learners who are able to analyze new conditions as they arise, identify the new skills that will be required to deal with these conditions and independently chart a course that responds to these changes. They must be able to take into account contingencies, anticipating changes, and understanding interdependencies within systems. = = =

=‍Curiosity, Creativity and Risk-taking= = =

=‍Today’s knowledge workers are expected to adjust and adapt to changing environments. Inherent in such lifelong learning is a curiosity about the world and how it works. Researchers now understand how the very structure of the brain can be changed through intellectual pursuits—“there is a corresponding relationship between the amount of experience in a complex environment and the amount of structural change in the brain—in other words, learning organizes and reorganizes the brain. Curiosity fuels lifelong learning as it contributes to the quality of life, and to the intellectual capital of the country. Equally as important is risk taking—without which there would be few quantum leaps in discoveries, inventions, and learning. = = = = = =‍Higher Order Thinking and Sound Reasoning=

=‍For decades reports have been calling for higher order thinking and sound reasoning in P-12 curricula. The SCANS report, for example, defines thinking skills as “thinking creatively, making decisions, solving problems, seeing things in the mind’s eye, knowing how to learn and reasoning. ” Furthermore, sound reasoning enables students to plan, design, execute, and evaluate solutions—processes that are often carried out more efficiently and effectively using technological tools.=

=‍ 3. Interactive Communication—Social and Personal Skills =

=‍Teaming and Collaboration=

=‍The rapid pace of today’s society and communications networks have caused—and enabled— a shift in the level of decision-making down to th e worker closer to the client or product. At the same time the complexity of today’s world requires a high degree of specialization by decision makers—hence the need for teaming of specialists to accomplish complex tasks in ways that are efficient, effective and timely. Information technology plays a key role in the ease with which individuals and groups collaborate. Email, faxes, voice mail, audio and video conferencing, chat rooms, shared documents, and virtual workspaces can provide more timely, interactive collaborations. =

=‍Personal and Social Responsibility= = = =‍Emerging technologies of today often present ethical and values dilemmas. As the technical complexity increases, our society needs to advance ethics and values to guide the application of science and technology in society—to manage the use of these powerful tools at the personal, community, and governmental levels. It will be important for students to grasp this responsibility and contribute as informed citizens at all levels. = = = =‍Interactive Communication=

=‍In today’s wired, networked society it is imperative that students understand how to communicate using technology. This includes asynchronous and synchronous communication such as person-to-person email interactions, listserves, group interactions in virtual learning spaces, chat rooms, MOOs, MUDs, interactive videoconferencing, phone/audio interactions, and interactions through simulations and models. Such interactions require knowledge of etiquette often unique to that particular environment. Information technologies do not change what is required for high quality interactive communications, but it does add new dimensions that need to be mastered so they become transparent; otherwise they may interfere with rather than enhance communication. A few new dimensions introduced through global communication include scheduling over time zones, cultural diversity, and language issues.=

=‍ 4. Quality, State-of-the-Art Results =

=‍Hank Levin asserts that, “When it is argued that the prime reason for high standards and high stakes testing is to create a productive workforce for the economy, we should be cautious.” Based on his studies in the 1990s, Levin concluded that how well students do on current tests in no way correlates to how productive they will be in the workforce. High productivity, on the other hand, though currently not a high stakes focus of schools, often determines whether a person succeeds or fails in the workforce. =

=‍Prioritizing, Planning, and Managing for Results=

=‍ High levels of complexity require careful planning, managing, and anticipating contingencies. This means more than simply concentrating on reaching the main goals of the project or keeping an eye on the project outcomes. I t also requires the flexibility and creativity to anticipate unexpected outcomes as well. =

=‍Effective Use of Real-World Tools=

=‍Bill Gates’ 12th rule for business at the speed of thought, is to “use digital tools to help customers solve problems for themselves.”—an idea dependent on ubiquitous, networked communication. Choosing appropriate tools for the task and applying them to real-world situations in ways that add significant value results in increased collaboration, promotion of creativity, construction of models, preparation of publications and other creative works. Doug Henton describes three types of knowledge important to today’s economy: Know-what, Know-how, and Know who. He suggests that while everyone now has access to the Know-what, “what really matters most in the new economy is know-how and know-who.” =

=‍High Quality Results with Real-World Application=

=‍Researchers are finding learning benefits for students who build authentic products with tools —whether they be documents, graphs, LEGO constructions, or sand castles, computer programs, musical compositions. Such experiences provide students with deep insights into whatever domain of knowledge and whatever tools they use.=

=Lesson Plans=

Authentic Learning and Creativity: Grades 6-8
=Using Real-Time Data=

Overview
Students use a guide to locate quantitative and qualitative real-time data on the Internet, develop essential questions, plan collaboration, identify an audience, and decide how to communicate the results of their investigation.

Objectives

 * Locate online and describe various forms of real-time data.
 * Craft essential questions related to real-time data.
 * Plan how to collaborate with other students and communicate their results.

National Educational Technology Standards for Students © 2007
Source: [|International Society for Technology in Education]
 * 1) Communication and Collaboration
 * 2) contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.
 * 3) Research and Information Fluency
 * 4) plan strategies to guide inquiry.
 * 5) locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
 * 6) evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
 * 7) process data and report results.
 * 8) Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
 * 9) identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.
 * 10) plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.
 * 11) collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions.

Advance Preparation
Develop a pacing plan for a task involving real-time data that will allow students enough time to locate and explore the data, collect the data over time, and analyze and report results to audiences inside and outside the classroom. If the use of essential questions is new to your students, consider preparing additional examples for discussion.

Site Preview
Preview the following Web sites, which are suggested to illustrate the meaning of real-time data and as possible starting points for inquiry-based investigations.
 * Solar and Heliospheric Observatory: [|SOHO Real Time MPEG Movies]
 * [|Latest Earthquakes in the World - Past 7 days]
 * [|MODIS Rapid Response System: Image Gallery]
 * [|San Diego Real Time Traffic]
 * [|Weather Conditions at the National Wind Technology Center]
 * [|National Geographic WildCam Africa]

.Student Worksheets [|Lesson Plan Real Time Data]

[|Lesson Plan Debating the Future]

[|Worksheet Power and Responsibility]