MODULE 2: 21ST CENTURY SKILLS Framework for 21st Century

CATEGORIES

According to the Partnership for 21st Century

The 21st Century Skills Skills ,this concept encompasses a wide array of
a body of knowledge and skills that have to be
The 21st Century skills may include the
categorized. Moreover, this concept has been
following:
interconnected with applied skills, cross-
curricular skills, cross-disciplinary skills,
interdisciplinary skills, transferable skills,
(1) critical thinking, problem-solving, research
transversal skills, noncognitive skills and soft
reasoning, analysis, interpretation, synthesizing
skills.
information;
The 21st Century skills concept is grounded on
(2) research skills and practices, interrogative
the belief that students must be educated in a
questioning:
more relevant, useful, in-demand, and universally
(3) creativity, artistry, curiosity, imagination, applicable manner. The idea simply lies in the fact
innovation, personal expression; that students need to be taught different skills
and reflect on the specific demands that will be
(4) perseverance, self-direction, planning, self-
placed upon them in a complex, competitive,
discipline, adaptability, initiative;
knowledge-based, information-age and
(5) oral and written communication, public technology-driven society. Therefore, 21st
speaking and presenting, listening; Century education addresses the whole child or
the whole person (AACTE, 2010).
(6) leadership, teamwork, collaboration,
cooperation, facility in using virtual workspaces;

(7) information and communication technology Hence, the curriculum should be designed to be
(ICT) literacy, media and Internet literacy, data interdisciplinary, integrated and project-based.
interpretation and analysis, computer Tony Wagner (2010), in his book "The Global
programming; Achievement Gap", advocated the seven survival
skills, namely:
(8) civic, ethical, and social justice literacy;
• critical thinking and problem-
(9) economic and financial literacy,
solving;
entrepreneurialism;
• collaboration across networks and
(10) global awareness, multicultural literacy,
leading by influence;
humanitarianism;
• agility and adaptability:
(11) scientific literacy and reasoning, the
scientific method; • initiative and entrepreneurialism;

(12) environmental and conservation literacy, • effective oral and written

ecosystem understanding; communication;

(13) health wellness literacy, including nutrition, • accessing and analyzing

diet, exercise, and public health and safety information; and
 • curiosity and imagination.
• 21st Century skills - refers to
certain core competencies, such as
collaboration, digital literacy,
critical thinking, and problem-
solving that schools need to teach
the students for them to thrive in
today's world.
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills presents
the following sets of skills that are categorized
accordingly with different strands of expected
outcomes.
Learning and Innovation Skills
These are the primary skills orchestrated in the
21st Century. They are attributes that
differentiate students who are prepared for a
complex life and work environment from those
who are not. Therefore, there is a need to stress
on creativity, critical thinking, communication and
collaboration in preparing learners for the future.
A. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
These may include effectively analyzing and
evaluating evidence, arguments, claims and
beliefs; and solving different kinds of non-
familiar problems in both conventional and
innovative ways.
B. Communication
This pertains to articulating thoughts and idea
effectively using oral and written communication
skills in a variety forms and contexts.
C. Collaboration
It entails demonstrating ability to work
effectively and respectfully with diverse teams.
D. Creativity and Innovation
It denotes use of wide range of idea creation
techniques to create new and worthwhile ideas.
Information, Media and Technology Skills
People in the 21st century live in a technology and
media- saturated environment marked by the
following: (1) access to an abundance of
information; (2) rapid changes in technology tools;
and (3) the ability to collaborate and make
individual contributions on an unprecedented
scale. Therefore, to be effective in the 21st
Century, everyone must be able to exhibit a range
of functional and critical thinking skills related to
information, media and technology (AACTE,
2010).
A. Information Literacy
It refers to accessing and evaluation information
critically and competently and managing the flow
information from a wide variety of sources.
B. Media Literacy
It underscores understanding both how and why
media messages are constructed; creating media
products by understanding and utilizing the most
appropriate me creation tools, characteristics
and conventions.
C. Technology Literacy
It pertains to the use of technology as a tool to
research, organize, evaluate and communicate
information.
D. Life and Career Skills
Today's life and work environments both require
more than thinking skills and content knowledge.
Cultivating the ability to navigate the complex life
requires students to develop the following life
and career skills: (1) flexibility and adaptability;
(2) initiative and self-direction; (3) social and
cross-cultural skills; (4) productivity and
accountability; and (5) leadership and
responsibility (AACTA, 2010).
Integrating 21st Century Skills in Teaching-
Learning Process
The 21st Century support systems. The following
elements are the critical systems necessary to
ensure student mastery of 21st Century skills: (1)
21st Century standards; (2) assessments; (3
curriculum and instruction: (4) professional
development; and (5) learning environments.
These must be aligned to produce a support
system that produces 21st Century outcomes for
today's student (Partnership for 21" Century
Skills, 2008).
1. 21st Century Standards
1.1 Focus on 21st Century skills, content
knowledge and expertise
1.2 Build understanding across and among core
subjects, as well as 21st Century interdisciplinary
themes
1.3 Emphasize deep understanding rather than
shallow knowledge
1.4 Engage students with the real-world data,
tools and experts they will encounter in college,
on the job, and in life; students learn best when
actively engaged in solving meaningful problems
1.5 Allow for multiple measures of mastery
2. Assessment of 21st Century Skills
2.1 Supports a balance of assessments, including
high-quality standardized testing along with
effective formative and summative classroom
assessments
2.2 Emphasizes useful feedback on student
performance that is embedded into everyday
learning
2.3 Requires a balance of technology-enhanced,
formative and summative assessments that
measure student mastery of 21st Century skills
2.4 Enables development of portfolios of student
work that demonstrate mastery of 21st Century
skills to educators and prospective employers
2.5 Enables a balanced portfolio of measures to
assess the educational system's effectiveness in
reaching high levels of student competency in 21
Century skills (AACTE 2010)
3. 21st Century Curriculum and Instruction
3.1 Teaches 21st Century skills discretely in the
context of core subjects and 21st Century
interdisciplinary themes
3.2 Focuses on providing opportunities for
applying 21st Century skills across content areas
and for a competency- based approach to learning
3.3 Enables innovative learning methods that
integrate the use of supportive technologies,
inquiry- and problem-based approaches and
higher-order thinking skills
3.4 Encourages the integration of community
resources beyond school walls (AACTE, 2010)
4. The 21st Century Professional Development
4.1 Highlights ways teachers can seize
opportunities for integrating 21 Century skills,
tools and teaching strategies into their classroom
practice and help them identify what activities
they can replace/de-emphasize
4.2 Balances direct instruction with project-
oriented teaching methods
4.3 Illustrates how a deeper understanding of
subject matter can enhance problem-solving,
critical thinking, and other 21st Century skills
4.4 Enables 21st Century professional learning
communities for teachers that model the kinds of
classroom learning that best promotes 21st
Century skills for students
4.5 Cultivates teachers' ability to identify
students' particular learning styles, intelligences,
strengths and weaknesses
4.6 Helps teachers develop their abilities to use
various strategies (such as formative
assessments) to reach diverse students and
create environments that support differentiated
teaching and learning
4.7 Supports the continuous evaluation of
students' 21* Century skills development 4.8
Encourages knowledge sharing among communities
of practitioners using face-to-face, virtual and
blended communications
4.9 Uses a scalable and sustainable model of
professional development (AACTE, 2010)
5. The 21st Century Learning Environments
5.1 Create learning practices, human support and
physical environments that will support the
teaching and learning of 21st Century skill
outcomes
5.2 Support professional learning communities
that enable educators to collaborate, share best
practices and integrate 21st Century skills into
classroom practice
5.3 Enable students to learn in relevant, real-
world Century contexts (e.g... through project-
based or other applied work)
5.4 Allow equitable access to quality learning for
technologies and resources
5.5 Provide 21st Century architectural and
interior designs group, team and individual
learning 5.6 Support expanded community and
international involvement in learning, both face-
to-face and online (AACTE, 2010)
Implications to Educators
The advent of 21st Century skill enhancement
among learn bring the following implications to
educators in:
• successfully complementing technologies to
content pedagogy and developing the ability
to creatively technologies to meet specific
learning needs
• aligning instruction with standards,
particularly those embody 21st Century
knowledge and skills
• balancing direct instruction strategically
with project-oriented teaching methods
• applying child and adolescent development
knowledge educator preparation and
education policy
• using a range of assessment strategies to
evaluate student performance and
differentiate instruction (including but not
limited to formative, portfolio-based,
curriculum embedded and summative)
• participating actively in learning communities,
tapping the expertise within a school or
school district through coaching, mentoring,
knowledge-sharing, and teaching
• acting as mentors and peer coaches with
fellow educators
• using a range of strategies (such as
formatting assessments) to reach diverse
students and to create environments that
support differentiated teaching and learning
• pursuing continuous learning opportunities
and embracing career-long learning as
professional ethics (AACTE, 2010)
• establishing a conducive learning environment
where learners can freely express
themselves and explore the potentials and
capacities

Implications to Pre-service Teacher
Preparation
Pre-service teacher preparation must focus on
key curricular elements to develop the
dispositions, habits of mind, and confidence
necessary for students to acquire 21st Century
skills across academic subjects. As schools move
away from uniform education, pre-service
teachers have a vital role in shaping content and
instruction for their students.
A comprehensive 21st Century curriculum goes
beyond adding courses; it requires pre-service
teachers to understand how to integrate deep
subject knowledge and 21st Century skills
effectively. Aligning teacher education with
student and teacher standards can blend
innovation skills, ICT literacy, and life and career
skills across subjects and themes. Effective
curriculum design should prioritize understanding
and authentic application of 21st Century skills in
all subject areas.
Instructional models
Instructional models are an important component
of any teacher preparation program. AACTE
(2010) pointed out that the integration of
innovative and research-proven teaching
strategies, modern learning technologies and
real-world resources and contexts are all
imperative in:
1. Integrating "teach for understanding"
principles.
When pre-service teachers can prepare and
present lessons that can develop students'
essential concepts and skills with the integration
of technologies, the latter can reciprocally
demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving
in class.
2. Creating rich practice teaching experiences.
Strong practice teaching experiences allow pre-
service teachers to connect theory and practice.
3. Creating dynamic learning communities and
peer mentoring networks.
Pre-service teachers benefit greatly from
service-learning as part of their experiential
learning courses. It provides time to reflect on
relevant pedagogic strategies that enhance 21st
Century skills in classroom practice.
4. Examining the role of content, pedagogy and
technologies in developing HOTS
The ability to teach for content mastery is a
challenging task for most pre- service teachers.
Teaching for content mastery (1) supports a
range of high-quality standardized testing along
formative and summative assessments; (2)
emphasizes useful feedback on student
performance; (3) requires balanced technology-
enhanced, formative and summative
assessments; (4) enables development of student
portfolios that demonstrate mastery of 21st
Century knowledge and skills; and (5) enables a
balanced score card to assess the educational
system's effectiveness.
Learning Environments
The learning environment within the teacher
preparation program is a key component of any
systemic reform initiative.
The following are initiatives in creating 21st
Century teacher education learning environment:
• Establish a 21 Century vision for learning
environments in the program and the
university;
• Ensure that the physical infrastructure
supports 21st Century knowledge and skills;
• Practice flexibility in time for project-based
work and competency-based assessment;
• Ensure technical infrastructure that
sufficiently supports learning; and

• Strengthen networking engagement in the

learning environment.

Partnerships

Partnerships are extraordinarily important in the

work of transforming 21st Century teacher
preparation programs. Along the line, teamwork
within the program and the institutions
imperative for sustainability and development.
The partnership forged with community leaders,
business industry, professional associations
government agencies, non-government
organizations, other institutions, parents, other
stakeholders and the community creates high
impact outcome.

The powerful partnerships are created through

strong collaboration towards enabling innovation
in the teaching and learning for the 21st Century.

Continuous Improvement

Continuous improvement represents willingness to

commit to revisiting the process over time. For
AACTE (2010), any implementation effort should
include continuous improvement steps, to wit:

• Clearly identify measurable goals

• Track progress regularly against

these goals;

• Communicate progress to all

stakeholders; and

• Engage all participants in refining

and improving success over time
(AACTE, 2010)