You are on page 1of 22

Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 

National Teachers College 

MODULE 2 
Essential Skills for Teachers 
 

YOUR GOALS 
This  module  allows  you  to  develop  content  knowledge  specific  skills  and 
literature  to  engage  future  teachers  in  integrating  skills  into  teaching  core 
academic  subjects  that  are  needed  in  the  present  times.  At  the  end  of  this  learning 
module, you are expected to demonstrate the following competencies: 
1. Identify  skills  and  literacies  that  will  prepare  and  enable students for increasingly 
complex life and environment in a technology and media-driven environment; 
2. Develop  life  and  career  skills  to  navigate  the  globally  complex  life  and  work 
environment; and 
3. Manifest the 21​st​ Century Learning. 

YOUR PROJECT
When  you  have  finished  going  through  the  experiences  and  reading 
resources  contained  in  this  module,  you  will  prepare  a  comic 
illustration(drawings)  that  shows  how  a  21​st  Century  Learner  can  survive  the 
globally  complex  life  and  work  environment  in  a  technology  and  media-driven 
society. Please take note of the working conditions and expectations that follow. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  
Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 
National Teachers College 

WRITING CONDITIONS: ​Take note of the following in crafting comic illustration. 


 
1. Express your creativity by creating 9 frames of comic illustration.  
2. The  comic  illustration  may  be  computer-generated  or  a  pasted  printed 
photos  on  a  short  bond  paper  using  normal  margins.  Please  ensure 
neatness of your work. 
3. For  purposes  of  readability  of  the  title  or  skill  chosen,  electronic  outputs 
should  be  encoded  using  Century  Gothic  and  font  size  is  12.  Handwritten 
outputs should be rendered in print, not in script 
4. Electronic  outputs  may  be  sent  to  the  official  email  address  for  the  class. 
Meanwhile,  handwritten  outputs  may  be  resent  to  the  school  via  courier 
or be dropped off at the specific collection area on campus. 
5. All  outputs  in  this  module  shall  be considered the first of three assessments 
for the semester.  
 

YOUR EXPERIENCE 
Be  guided  by  the  following  schedule  that  you  can  follow  in  order  to 
manage your learning experience well: 
 
WEEK  TASK  OUTPUT 
1  1  Analyse  and  interpret  carefully  what  is  the  focus  of  the  21​st 
2    Century Skills . 
3  2  Self-analysis  by  constructing  a  matrix  of  your  strengths, 
4  weaknesses  and  opportunities  in  each  of  the  Life  and  Career 
Skills 
 
5  Create  a  short story about an individual showing how his learning 

skills and literacy skills provided him an advantage in a field. 
6    Comic Strips (Midterm) 
 
There  are  four  required  reading  resources  for  this  module.  You  are  allowed  to 
look  for  other  related  resources  if  you  have  the  means  to  do  so.  Note  that  our  school 
library has online resources that you can access.  
 
 


INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  
Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 
National Teachers College 

 
TASK  1:  Read  the  summary  of  an  article  about  the  21​st  Learning  and  Literacy  Skills that 
will  enable  the  learners to live in an increasingly complex life and work environment in 
a  technology  and  media-driven  environment.  Be  guided  by the following as you finish 
this task 
 
1. Analyse  and  interpret carefully what is the focus of the 21​st Century Skills that you 
have read and experienced. 
2. Based  on  what  you  have  read  in  the  summary  and  recalling  your  own 
experiences  as  a  student,  which  among  the  learning  skills  and  literacy  skills  are 
you  good  at  and  having  a  difficulty  with in the present times. In 400 – 600 words, 
explain how can you cope with this difficulty. 
3. For  the  purpose  of  readability,  electronic  outputs  should  be  encoded  using 
Century  Gothic  and  font  size  is  12.  Handwritten  outputs  should  be  rendered  in 
print, not in script. 
 
READING MATERIAL NO. 1 
What Are 21st Century Skills? 
by Bri Stauffer 
https://www.aeseducation.com/blog/what-are-21st-century-skills 
 
21st Century skills are 12 abilities that today’s students need to succeed in their 
careers during the Information Age. 
 
The twelve 21st Century skills are​:  
✔ Critical thinking 
✔ Creativity 
✔ Collaboration 
✔ Communication 
✔ Information literacy 
✔ Media literacy 
✔ Technology literacy 
✔ Flexibility 
✔ Leadership 
✔ Initiative 


INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  
Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 
National Teachers College 

✔ Productivity 
✔ Social skills 
These skills are intended to help students keep up with the lightning-pace of 
today’s modern markets. Each skill is unique in how it helps students, but they all 
have one quality in common. 
 
They’re essential in the age of the Internet. 
To start, let's dive into the three categories that 21st Century skills fall into. 
 
The Three 21st Century Skill Categories 
Each 21st Century skill is broken into one of three categories: 
1. Learning skills 
2. Literacy skills 
3. Life skills 
These skills will help a student, hence, an individual to appreciate learning in 
many different forms. This will also lead to motivating themselves that skills are 
not just revolving about being logically smart, but also can give a view with 
regards to having motor skills.   


INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  
Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 
National Teachers College 

 
Learning  skills  (the  four  C’s)  teaches  students  about  the  mental  processes 
required to adapt and improve upon a modern work environment. 
 
Literacy  skills  (IMT)​   focuses on how students can discern facts, publishing outlets, 
and  the  technology  behind  them.  There’s  a  strong  focus  on  determining 
trustworthy  sources  and  factual  information  to  separate  it  from  the 
misinformation that floods the Internet. 
 
Life  skills  (FLIPS​)  take  a  look  at  intangible  elements  of  a  student’s  everyday  life. 
These intangibles focus on both personal and professional qualities. 
 
Altogether,  these  categories  cover  all  12  21st  Century  skills  that  contribute  to  a 
student’s future career. 
 
This  is  not  an  exhaustive  checklist  of  career  readiness  skills  —  but  they're  the 
career readiness skills that overlap with 21st Century skills! 
 
Let’s take a closer look at each category. 
 
Category 1. Learning Skills (The Four C’s) 
21st Century Skills Learning Category Graphic 
 
The  four  C’s  are  by  far  the  most  popular  21st  Century 
skills. These skills are also called learning skills. 
 
More  educators  know  about  these  skills  because 
they’re  universal  needs  for  any  career.  They  also  vary 
in  terms  of  importance,  depending  on  an  individual’s 
career aspirations. 
 
● Critical thinking​: Finding solutions to problems 
● Creativity​: Thinking outside the box 
● Collaboration​: Working with others 
● Communication​: Talking to others 


INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  
Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 
National Teachers College 

Arguably,  ​critical  thinking  is  the  most  important  quality  for  someone  to  have  in 
health sciences. 
 
In  business  settings,  critical  thinking  is  essential  to  improvement.  It’s  the 
mechanism that weeds out problems and replaces them with fruitful endeavors. 
 
It’s  what  helps  students  figure  stuff  out  for  themselves  when  they  don’t  have  a 
teacher at their disposal. 
 
Creativity  is  equally  important  as  a  means  of  adaptation.  This  skill  empowers 
students to see concepts in a different light, which leads to innovation. 
 
In  any  field,  innovation  is  key  to  the  adaptability  and  overall  success  of  a 
company. 
 
Learning  creativity  as  a  skill  requires  someone  to  understand  that  “the  way 
things  have  always  been  done”  may  have  been  best  10  years  ago  —  but 
someday, that has to change. 
 
Collaboration  means  getting  students  to  work  together,  achieve  compromises, 
and get the best possible results from solving a problem. 
 
Collaboration  may  be  the  most  difficult  concept  in  the  four  C’s.  But  once  it’s 
mastered, it can bring companies back from the brink of bankruptcy. 
 
The  key  element  of  collaboration  is willingness. All participants have to be willing 
to  sacrifice  parts  of  their  own  ideas  and  adopt  others  to  get  results  for  the 
company. 
 
That  means  understanding  the  idea  of  a  “greater  good,”  which  in  this  case 
tends to be company-wide success. 
 
Finally​,  communication  is  the  glue  that  brings  all  of  these  educational  qualities 
together. 
 


INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  
Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 
National Teachers College 

Communication  is  a  requirement  for  any  company  to  maintain  profitability.  It’s 
crucial  for  students  to  learn  how  to  effectively  convey  ideas  among  different 
personality types. 
 
That  has  the  potential  to  eliminate  confusion  in  a  workplace,  which  makes  your 
students valuable parts of their teams, departments, and companies. 
 
Effective communication is also one of the most underrated soft skills in the 
United States. For many, it’s viewed as a “given,” and some companies may 
even take good communication for granted. 
 
But when employees communicate poorly, whole projects fall apart. No one 
can clearly see the objectives they want to achieve. No one can take 
responsibility because nobody’s claimed it. 
 
Without understanding proper communication, students in the 21st Century will 
lack a pivotal skill to progress their careers. 
 
But the four C’s are only the beginning. 21st Century skills also require students to 
understand the information that’s around them. 
 
Category 2. Literacy Skills (IMT) 
21st Century Skills Literacy Category Graphic 
 
Literacy skills are the next category of 21st Century skills. 
 
They’re  sometimes  called  IMT  skills,  and  they’re  each 
concerned  with  a  different  element  in  digital 
comprehension. 
 
● Information  literac​y:  Understanding  facts,  figures, 
statistics, and data 
● Media  literacy​:  Understanding  the  methods  and 
outlets in which information is published 


INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  
Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 
National Teachers College 

● Technology  literacy​:  Understanding  the  machines  that  make  the 


Information Age possible 
 
Information  literacy  is  the  foundational  skill.  It  helps  students  understand  facts, 
especially data points, that they’ll encounter online. 
 
More importantly, it teaches them how to separate fact from fiction. 
 
In  an  age of chronic misinformation, finding truth online has become a job all on 
its own. It’s crucial that students can identify honesty on their own. 
 
Otherwise, they can fall prey to myths, misconceptions, and outright lies.  
 
Media  literacy  is  the  practice  of  identifying  publishing  methods,  outlets,  and 
sources  while  distinguishing  between  the  ones  that  are  credible  and  the  ones 
that aren’t. 
 
Just  like  the  previous  skill,  media  literacy  is  helpful  for  finding  truth  in  a  world 
that’s saturated with information. 
 
This  is  how  students find trustworthy sources of information in their lives. Without it, 
anything that looks credible becomes credible. 
 
But  with  it,  they  can  learn  which  media  outlets  or  formats  to  ignore.  They  also 
learn which ones to embrace, which is equally important. 
 
Last,  ​technology  literacy  goes  another  step  further  to  teach  students  about  the 
machines involved in the Information Age. 
 
As  computers,  cloud  programming,  and  mobile  devices  become  more 
important  to  the  world,  the  world  needs  more  people  to  understand  those 
concepts. 
 
Technology  literacy  gives  students  the  basic  information  they  need  to 
understand what gadgets perform what tasks and why. 


INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  
Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 
National Teachers College 

 
This  understanding  removes  the  intimidating  feeling  that  technology  tends  to 
have.  After  all,  if  you  don’t  understand  how  technology  works,  it  might  as  well 
be magic. 
 
But technology literacy unmasks the high-powered tools that run today’s world. 
 
As  a  result,  students  can  adapt  to  the  world  more  effectively.  They  can  play an 
important role in its evolution. 
 
They might even guide its future. 
 
But  to  truly  round  out  a  student’s  21st  Century  skills,  they  need  to  learn  from  a 
third category. 
 
Category 3. Life Skills (FLIPS) 
21st Century Skills Life Category Graphic 
 
Life  skills  is  the  final  category.  Also  called  FLIPS,  these  skills  all  pertain  to 
someone’s  personal  life,  but  they  also  bleed  into 
professional settings. 
 
● Flexibility​: Deviating from plans as needed 
● Leadership​:  Motivating  a  team  to  accomplish  a 
goal 
● Initiative​:  Starting  projects,  strategies,  and  plans  on 
one’s own 
● Productivity​:  Maintaining  efficiency  in  an  age  of 
distractions 
● Social  skills​: Meeting and networking with others for 
mutual benefit 
● Flexibility  is  the  expression  of  someone’s  ability  to 
adapt to changing circumstances. 
 


INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  
Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 
National Teachers College 

This  is  one  of  the  most  challenging  qualities  to  learn  for  students  because  it’s 
based on two uncomfortable ideas: 
 
Your way isn’t always the best way 
You have to know and admit when you’re wrong 
That’s  a  struggle  for  a  lot  of  students,  especially  in  an  age  when  you  can  know 
any bit of information at the drop of a hat. 
 
Flexibility  requires  them  to  show  humility  and  accept  that  they’ll  always  have  a 
lot to learn — even when they’re experienced. 
 
Still,  flexibility  is  crucial  to  a  student’s  long-term  success  in  a  career.  Knowing 
when  to  change,  how  to  change,  and  how  to  react  to  change  is  a  skill  that’ll 
pay dividends for someone’s entire life. 
 
It also plays a big role in the next skill in this category. 
 
Leadership  is  someone’s  penchant for setting goals, walking a team through the 
steps required, and achieving those goals collaboratively. 
 
Whether  someone’s  a  seasoned  entrepreneur  or  a  fresh  hire  just  starting  their 
careers, leadership applies to career. 
 
Entry-level  workers  need  leadership  skills  for  several  reasons.  The  most  important 
is  that  it  helps  them  understand  the  decisions  that  managers  and  business 
leaders make. 
 
Then,  those  entry-level  employees  can  apply  their  leadership  skills  when  they’re 
promoted  to  middle  management (or the equivalent). This is where 21st Century 
skill learners can apply the previous skills they’ve learned.   
 
It’s  also  where  they  get  the  real-world  experience  they  need  to  lead  entire 
companies. 
 

10 
INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  
Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 
National Teachers College 

As  they  lead  individual  departments,  they  can  learn  the  ins  and  outs  of  their 
specific  careers.  That  gives  ambitious  students  the  expertise  they  need  to  grow 
professionally and lead whole corporations. 
 
Leadership alone isn’t enough to get ahead though.  
 
True success also requires ​initiative​, requiring students to be self-starters. 
 
Initiative  only  comes  naturally  to  a  handful  of  people.  As  a result, students need 
to learn it to fully succeed. 
 
This  is  one  of  the  hardest  skills  to  learn  and  practice.  Initiative  often  means 
working on projects outside of regular working hours. 
 
The  rewards  for  students  with  extreme  initiative  vary  from  person  to  person. 
Sometimes they’re good grades. Other times they’re new business ventures. 
 
Sometimes,  it’s  spending  an  extra  30  minutes  at  their  jobs  wrapping  something 
up before the weekend. 
 
Regardless,  initiative  is  an  attribute  that  earns  rewards.  It’s  especially  indicative 
of someone’s character in terms of work ethic and professional progress. 
 
That  goes  double  when  initiative  is  practiced  with  qualities  like  flexibility  and 
leadership. 
 
Along  with  initiative,  21st  Century  skills  require  students  to  learn  about 
productivity​.  That’s  a  student’s  ability  to  complete  work  in  an  appropriate 
amount of time. 
 
In business terms, it’s called “efficiency.” 
 
The  common  goal  of  any  professional  —  from  entry-level employee to CEO — is 
to get more done in less time. 
 

11 
INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  
Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 
National Teachers College 

By  understanding  productivity  strategies  at  every  level,  students  discover  the 
ways  in  which  they  work  best  while gaining an appreciation for how others work 
as well. 
 
That  equips  them  with  the  practical  means  to  carry  out  the  ideas  they 
determine through flexibility, leadership, and initiative. 
 
Still, there’s one last skill that ties all other 21st Century skills together. 
 
Social  skills  are  crucial  to  the  ongoing  success  of  a  professional.  Business  is 
frequently  done  through  the  connections  one  person  makes  with others around 
them. 
 
This  concept  of  networking  is  more  active  in  some  industries  than  others,  but 
proper social skills are excellent tools for forging long-lasting relationships. 
 
While  these  may  have  been  implied in past generations, the rise of social media 
and instant communications have changed the nature of human interaction. 
 
As  a  result,  today’s  students  possess  a  wide  range  of social skills. Some are more 
socially  adept  than  others.  Some are far behind their peers. And some lucky few 
may be far ahead, as socializing comes naturally to them. 
 
But  most  students  need  a crash course in social skills at least. Etiquette, manners, 
politeness, and small talk still play major roles in today’s world. 
 
That  means  some  students  need  to learn them in an educational setting instead 
of a social setting. 
 
For them, it’s another skill to add to their lives. 
 
Now  that  we’ve established what 21st Century skills are, let’s answer the next big 
question. 
 
Do employers actually want people with 21st Century skills? 

12 
INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  
Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 
National Teachers College 

 
What’s the Demand for 21st Century Skills? 
While  21st  Century  skills  have  always  been  important,  they’ve  become essential 
in a worldwide market that moves faster by the day. 
 
These skills all double back to one key focus. 
 
Someone’s ability to enact and / or adapt to change.  
 
This  is  because  any  industry  is  capable  of  changing  at  a  moment’s  notice. 
Industries are now regularly disrupted with new ideas and methodologies. 
 
Those  industries  that  haven’t  been  disrupted  aren’t  immune  though.  They  just 
haven’t been disrupted yet. 
 
With that in mind, the world has entered an era where nothing is guaranteed. 
 
As  a  result,  students  need  to  learn  to  guide  the  change  that’ll  inundate  their 
lives. At the very least, they need to learn how to react to it. 
 
Otherwise, they’ll be left behind. 
 
This  is  especially  true  as  customer  demand  accelerates  in  all  industries  along 
with expectations for newer features, higher-level capabilities, and lower prices. 
 
In today’s marketplace, falling behind means becoming obsolete. 
 
That’s  a familiar concept to all of today’s students as tomorrow’s advancements 
make today’s miracles quaint or unimpressive. 
 
Today, the only consistency from year to year is change. 
 
With  21st  Century  skills,  your  students  will  have  the  adaptive  qualities  they  need 
to keep up with a business environment that’s constantly evolving. 

 
13 
INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  
Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 
National Teachers College 

T​ he Critical Attributes of 21st Century Education 


A Module: Facilitating the Development of 21​st​ Century Skills for Southeast Asian 
Teachers 
https://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/9-characteristics-of-21st-centur
y-learning/ 
 
The  world  of  teachers  and  students  is  expected  to  continue  to  change 
dramatically  throughout  the  21st  century  and  beyond.  There  is  a  paradigm  shift in the 
way  teaching  and  learning  is  delivered.  As  a  21st  century  teacher,  you  need  to 
develop  essential  knowledge,  skills,  attitudes,  and  values  to  be  able  to  cope  with 
these changes and to help your students address them as well. 
Teaching strategies may have also come up in your discussion about changes in 
21st century education. These are but some of the changes and characteristics of 21st 
century education that you and your students face today and in the future. Educators 
have identified characteristics or attributes critical to 21st education. As a modern-day 
teacher, you need to be aware what these are and you must strive to understand 
them so that you may be able to integrate them in your teaching. 
 
Critical Attributes of the 21​st​ Century 
 

14 
INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  
Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 
National Teachers College 

Source: 21st Century Schools (2011) 


Can you distinguish the eight attributes from each other? 
 
1. Integrated and Interdisciplinary 
 
Nowadays,  knowledge  is  no  longer  distinctly  divided  into  clear-cut  learning  chunks  or 
separate  subjects.  Education  in  the  21st  century  is  characterized  by  linkages  among 
various  subject  areas  in  an  integrated  manner.  The  new  approach  promotes  the 
utilization of learning from various disciplines. 
 
This  critical  attribute  implies  that  teachers  need  to  review  the  school  curriculum  and 
identify  strategies  or  ways  on  how  different  subjects  can  be  effectively  linked  to 
enhance the learning experiences of students. 
 
For  example,  music  and  algebra  can  be  linked  together  in  the  discussion  of  fractions. 
The  time  signature  of  music  uses  fractions;  as  such,  you,  as  a  good  teacher,  can 
certainly apply this to both your music or math classes. 
 
2. Technologies and Multimedia 
 
Education  in  the  21st  century  makes  full  use  of  available  Information  and 
Communication  Technology,  or  ICT  (e.g.,  computers  and  the  internet)  as  well  as 
multimedia  (e.g.,  using  audio-  and  video-based  instruction)  to  improve  teaching  and 
learning  activities.  The  ability  to  find,  evaluate,  utilize,  and  create  information  using 
technologies  and  multimedia,  or  digital  technology  in  general,  is  referred  to  as  digital 
literacy.  As  a  teacher,  some  of  your  day-to-day  activities  –  writing  reports,  creating 
multimedia  presentations,  and  communicating  or  exchanging  information  with  your 
colleagues  and  students  online  –  require  different  levels  of  digital  literacy.  As such, it is 
important  for  you  to  develop  your  digital  literacy  skills  so  that  you  can  in  turn  pass 
these on to your learners. 
 
This  critical  attribute  implies  that  your  school  will  need  to  acquire  and  use  computers 
and  various  multimedia  equipment  to  enhance  learning  to  the  best  extent  possible. 
Training is also needed for teacher-users as part of a bigger “technology plan.” 
 

15 
INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  
Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 
National Teachers College 

3. Global Classrooms 
 
Education  in  the  21st  century  aims  to  produce  global  citizens  by  exposing  students  to 
the  concerns  of  the  region  and  other  countries.  They  are  encouraged  to  react  and 
respond to issues as part of their roles as global citizens. 
 
This  critical  attribute  implies  that  teachers  need  to  include  current  global 
issues/concerns,  such as peace and respect for cultural diversity, climate change, and 
global warming, in classroom discussions. 
 
4. Creating/Adapting to Constant Personal and Social Change, and Lifelong Learning 
 
Education  in  the  21st  century  subscribes  to  the  belief  that  learning  does  not  only 
happen  inside  the  school  and  during  one’s  schooling  years.  Learning  can  take  place 
anywhere, anytime, regardless of one’s age. 
 
This  means  that  teachers  should  facilitate  students’  acquisition  of  KSAVs  that  go 
beyond  academics.  Learning  should  take  place  not  only  for  the  purpose  of  passing 
exams,  but  also  for  transferring  knowledge  to  real  life  situations.  The  curriculum  should 
be  planned  in  such  a  way  that  the  students  will  continue  to  learn  even  outside  the 
school’s portals. 
 
5. Student-Centered 
 
Education  in  the  21st  century  is  focused  on  students as learners. It is tailor-fit to address 
the  individual  learning  needs  of  each  student.  Differentiated  instruction  is  common  in 
21st  century  classrooms,  where  diverse  student  factors  are  taken  into  account  when 
planning  and  delivering  instruction.  You,  as  a  teacher,  can  structure  learning 
environments  that  address  the  variety  of  learning  styles,  interests,  needs,  and  abilities 
found in your classroom. 
 
This  critical  attribute  implies that teachers should act as facilitators of learning — not as 
“sages  on  the  stage”  but  as  “guides  on  the  side.”  Learners  should  be  given 
opportunities  to  discover  new  knowledge,  learn  with  one  another,  and  create  their 
own learnings. 

16 
INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  
Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 
National Teachers College 

 
6. 21st Century Skills 
 
Education  in  the  21st  century  promotes the skills needed to be productive members of 
today’s  society.  It  is  not  enough  for  students  to  learn  the basic skills of reading, writing, 
and numeracy, but should develop in themselves skills that would help them cope with 
life  and  work  in  21st  century  communities.  These  skills  include,  among  others,  critical 
and  creative  thinking  skills,  problem  solving  and  decision  making, and ICT literacy and 
skills.  As  a  teacher,  you  are  expected  to  possess  these  21st  century  skills  before  you 
can help your students develop these skills. 
 
7. Project-Based and Research-Driven 
 
Among  the  critical  attributes  of  21st  century  education  is  the  emphasis  on  data, 
information,  and  evidence-based  decision  making.  It  relies  heavily  on  student-driven 
activities  to  encourage  active  learning.  This  implies  that  teachers  of  the  21st  century 
need  to  be  knowledgeable  about  research  to  guide  their  students’  learning  through 
self-directed  activities,  such  as  learning  projects  within  and  outside  their  classrooms. 
Investigatory  projects  showcased  in  many  science  fairs  across  Southeast  Asia  and  in 
the world are examples of research-based activities of students. 
 
8. Relevant, Rigorous and Real-world 
 
Education  in  the  21st  century  is  meaningful  because  it  is  rooted  in  real  life  day-to-day 
activities  of  learners. It can be applied to the realities of the present and includes what 
students  need  to  develop to enable them to become productive members of the 21st 
century. 
 
This  critical  attribute  implies  that  topics  are  taught  using  current  and  relevant 
information  and  linked  to  real-life  situations  and  context.  As  a  21st  century  teacher, 
you  need  to  be  updated  on  the  current  trends,  developments,  and  issues  in  your 
school,  community,  and  in  the  world,  so  that your teaching will be relevant to the lives 
of  your  students.  Newspapers,  TV  and  radio  news,  and  the  internet  are  good  sources 
of relevant and up-to-date information that you can access. 
 

17 
INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  
Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 
National Teachers College 

 
TASK  2:  Read  the  summary  of  an  article  about  the  Life  and  Career  Skills.  Analyze  and 
assess yourself with the experience. Be guided by the following in performing this task. 
 
1. You  will  form  self-analysis  by  constructing  a  matrix  of  your  strengths, 
weaknesses and opportunities in each of the Life and Career Skills. 
 
2. Explain  in  each  column  on  how  that  skill  became  your  strength  or  weakness 
by citing personal experiences. 
 
3. Imagine  each  possible  opportunity  you  will  gain  if  you  were  able  to develop 
and master each skill needed. 
 
4. For  Purpose  of  readability,  electronic  outputs  should  be  encoded  using 
Century  Gothic and font size is 12. Handwritten outputs should be rendered in 
print, not in script.  
 
Life and Career Skills  Strengths  Weakness  Opportunities 
1.  Flexibility  and  ● I  am  able  to  ● I  sometimes  ● I  will  thrive  to 
Adaptability  work  under  came  late  for  come  to 
pressure  and  school  due  to  school  earlier 
willing  to  take  heavy  traffic  or on time. 
initiative  in  sometimes. 
any  working 
environment. 
●   
2.       
 
3.       
 
       
       
 
 
 
18 
INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  
Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 
National Teachers College 

READING MATERIAL NO. 2 


Life and Career Skills 
http://digitalliteracy.us/life-career-skills/ 
 
Life  and  career  today  seems  to  spread  each  of  us  thinner  and  thinner. We each must 
be  able  to  have  characteristics  beyond  thinking  skills  and  content  knowledge.  The 
ability  to  navigate  the  complex  life and work environments in the globally competitive 
as  well  as  collaborative  information  age  requires  students  to  pay  rigorous  attention  to 
developing adequate life and career skills. 
 
COLLABORATION 
 
What children do together today, they can do alone tomorrow. ~Lev Vygotsky 1962 

 
19 
INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  
Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 
National Teachers College 

 
Collaboration is a critical global life and career skill. Students that learn to work 
together out perform students that work in traditional independent/isolated 
environments. But intentional and purposeful collaboration doesn’t come naturally, it 
must be facilitated with accountable and strategic instruction. Creating caring and 
respectful cooperative classrooms gives teachers leverage with powerful results. 
 
Collaborative Pairs is a strategy to help students develop meaningful conversations 
about their learning. It also allows students opportunity for guided social interaction 
which lends itself to their developmental traits and cognitive growth patterns. 
 
Cooperative Learning structures can be further studied with Dr. Spencer Kagan’s 
Cooperative Learning strategies and discussion at www.kaganonline.com. 
 
According to The Partnership for 21st Century Skills students must be prepared for these 
key skills: 
 
FLEXIBILITY AND ADAPTABILITY 
 
Adapting to Change 
✔ Adapt to varied roles, jobs responsibilities, schedules and context 
✔ Work effectively in a climate of ambiguity and changing priorities 
 
Be Flexible 
✔ Incorporate feedback effectively 
✔ Deal positively with praise, setbacks and criticism 
✔ Understand, negotiate and balance diverse views and beliefs to reach 
workable solutions, particularly in multi-cultural environments 
 
INITIATIVE AND SELF-DIRECTION 
 
Manage Goals and Time 
✔ Set goals with tangible and intangible success criteria 
✔ Balance tactical (short-term) and strategic (long-term) goals 
✔ Utilize time and manage workload efficiently 

20 
INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  
Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 
National Teachers College 

 
Work Independently 
✔ Monitor, define, prioritize and complete tasks without direct oversight 
 
Be Self-directed Learners 
✔ Go beyond basic mastery of skills and/or curriculum to explore and expand 
one’s own learning and opportunities to gain expertise 
✔ Demonstrate initiative to advance skill levels towards a professional level 
✔ Demonstrate commitment to learning as a lifelong process 
✔ Reflect critically on past experiences in order to inform future progress 
 
SOCIAL AND CROSS-CULTURAL SKILLS 
 
Interact Effectively with Others 
✔ Know when it is appropriate to listen and when to speak 
✔ Conduct themselves in a respectable, professional manner 
 
Work Effectively in Diverse Teams 
✔ Respect cultural differences and work effectively with people from a range of 
social and cultural backgrounds 
✔ Respond open-mindedly to different ideas and values 
✔ Leverage social and cultural differences to create new ideas and increase both 
innovation and quality of work 
 
PRODUCTIVITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY 
 
Manage Projects 
✔ Set and meet goals, even in the face of obstacles and competing pressure 
✔ Prioritize, plan and manage work to achieve the intended result 
 
Produce Results 
 
Demonstrate additional attributes associated with producing high quality products 
including the abilities to: 
 

21 
INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  
Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 
National Teachers College 

✔ Work positively and ethically 


✔ Manage time and projects effectively 
✔ Multi-task 
✔ Participate actively, as well as be reliable and punctual 
✔ Present oneself professionally and with proper etiquette 
✔ Collaborate and cooperate effectively with teams 
✔ Respect and appreciate team diversity 
✔ Be accountable for results 
 
LEADERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY 
Guide and Lead Others 
✔ Use interpersonal and problem-solving skills to influence and guide others 
toward a goal 
✔ Leverage strengths of others to accomplish a common goal 
✔ Inspire others to reach their very best via example and selflessness 
✔ Demonstrate integrity and ethical behavior in using influence and power 
Be Responsible to Others 
✔ Act responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind 
 
Other important KEY LIFE & CAREER SKILLS​ include being able to identify key interests 
as students expand their horizons and explore possible career opportunities. 
Volunteering and internships are great ways to explore these key skills. Hands-on 
experiential learning opportunities help students understand the realities of the real 
world. 
 
TASK  3:  Study  and  examine  carefully  the  context  of  21​st Century Skills. Perform the task 
with the following guidelines. 
1. In  your  own  words  and  understanding  of  the  concept,  create  a  short  story 
about  an  individual  showing  how  his  learning  skills  and  literacy  skills provided 
him an advantage in a field. 
2. The setting must be inside a classroom or a school. 
3. Compose the story with 600 – 1000 words. 
4. For  purpose  of  readability,  electronic  outputs  should  be  encoded  using 
Century  Gothic and font size is 12. Handwritten outputs should be rendered in 
print, not in script.

22 
INPED 1 – ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TEACHERS 
School of Teacher Education, First Semester, SY 2020-2021  

You might also like