1701 1801 1901 2001

18th 19th 20th 21st

Century Century Century Century
@fenton print online
 st
Education for the 21 Century
Session Goals
• Review the components of 20th century learning
• Develop an understanding of the 21st century learning skills
• Recognize assessment as a key component of instruction in the 21st
century
• Develop an understanding of available resources
 Let’s Think….
How has our world changed?
 Use this chart as a brainstorming tool to reflect upon the changes
that have taken place during your lifetime.

Activities Your School Your Life Today

Years
Communication

Careers

Methods of
Purchase
Education
ENTERTAINMENT
COMMUNICATION
JOBS
METHODS OF PAYMENT
EDUCATION
 Learners are the
same as they have
always been.
The same methods
that worked for me
when I was a
student will work for
my students now.
Today’s Learners Are Different

They think and process

information fundamentally
differently from their
predecessors.

Marc Prensky, Digital Natives,

Digital Immigrants 2001
 INTRODUCTION
to a broad set of knowledge,
skills, work habits, and character
traits
to be critically important to
success in today’s world,
particularly in collegiate
programs and contemporary
careers and workplaces
can be applied in all academic
subject areas, and in all educational,
career, and civic settings
throughout a student’s life.
THREE CATEGORIES OF
st
THE 21 CENTURY
SKILLS
1. Learning Skills

2. Literacy Skills

3. Life Skills
THREE CATEGORIES OF
st
THE 21 CENTURY
SKILLS
Learning Skills
teaches students
about the mental
processes required to
adapt and improve
upon a modern work
environment.
THREE CATEGORIES OF
st
THE 21 CENTURY
SKILLS
Literacy Skills
focuses on how students
can discern facts,
publishing outlets, and the
technology behind them.
THREE CATEGORIES OF
st
THE 21 CENTURY
SKILLS
Life Skills
looks at intangible elements of a
student’s everyday life. These
intangibles focus on both personal
and professional qualities.
Category A. LEARNING SKILLS (THE FOUR
C’s)

The four C’s are by far the most

popular 21st Century skills

They are universal needs for

any career

They also vary in terms of importance,

depending on an individual’s career
aspirations.
1. CRITICAL THINKING: (Finding solutions to
problems)

the act of analyzing facts to understand a problem or

topic thoroughly.
It often occurs in order of a few steps from
identifying a problem or issue to developing a
solution.
essential in every industry at every career level, from
entry-level associates to top executives. They help
businesses run smoothly by solving problems,
developing solutions and creating new ideas.
1. CRITICAL THINKING: (Finding solutions to
problems)
Many areas of improvement like process inefficiencies,
management or finances can be improved by using critical
thought

employers value and seek out candidates who have

demonstrated strong critical thinking skills

For example, if you’re working in human resources and must

resolve a conflict between two employees, you will use critical
thinking to understand the nature of the conflict and what action
should be taken to resolve it.
Steps of Critical Thinking
1. Identify the problem or question.
Be as precise as possible: the narrower the issue, the easier it is to find
solutions or answers.
2. Gather data, opinions, and arguments.
Try to find several sources that present different ideas and points of
view.
3. Analyze and evaluate the data.
Are the sources reliable? Are their conclusions data-backed or just
argumentative? Is there enough information or data to support given
hypotheses?
4. Identify assumptions.
Are you sure the sources you found are unbiased? Are you sure you
weren’t biased in your search for answers?
Steps of Critical Thinking
5. Establish significance.
What piece of information is most important? Is the
sample size sufficient? Are all opinions and arguments even
relevant to the problem you’re trying to solve?
6. Make a decision/reach a conclusion.
Identify various conclusions that are possible and
decide which (if any) of them are sufficiently supported.
Weigh strengths and limitations of all possible options.
7. Present or communicate.
Once you’ve reached a conclusion, present it to all
stakeholders.
Some examples of Critical thinking
skills

1. Observation
Observational skills are the starting point for critical
thinking. Employees who are observant can quickly sense and
identify a new problem. Those skilled in observation are also
capable of understanding why something might be a problem,
and may even be able to predict when a problem might occur
before it happens based on their experience.
Some examples of Critical thinking
skills

2. Analysis
Once a problem has been identified, analysis skills
become essential. The ability to analyze the situation
includes knowing what facts, data or information about
the problem are important. You will also find analysis is
an essential skill to eventually solving the problem.
Some examples of Critical thinking
skills
3. Inference
Inference is a skill that involves drawing conclusions
about the information you collect and may require you to
possess technical or industry-specific knowledge or
experience. When you infer information about a situation,
that means you are developing answers based on limited
information. For example, a car mechanic may need to
utilize inference skills to determine what is causing a car’s
engine to stall at seemingly random times.
Some examples of Critical thinking
skills

4. Communication
Communication skills are important when it
comes time to explain and discuss issues and their
possible solutions with colleagues and other
stakeholders. Communication is an important skill to
have and improve on for many purposes at work
including critical thinking.
Some examples of Critical thinking
skills

5. Problem solving
After you’ve identified a problem, analyzed it and
discussed possible solutions, the final step is to execute
the solution. Problem solving often requires critical
thinking to implement the best solution and understand
whether or not the solution is working as it relates to the
goal.
How to improve your critical thinking skills:

Expand your industry-specific or technical skills to help you

more easily identify problems
Take additional courses in your industry that require critical
thinking and analysis
Actively volunteer to solve problems for your current
employer
Seek advice from professionals in your field or desired
industry
Play solo and cooperative games that require critical
thinking skills, such as analysis and inference