Incorporating Twenty-First Century Skill Development within the Classroom

      Twenty-first century skills are crucial for the success of students living in a contemporary world.  Skills are often specific to the course in which they are taught; however, there is an increasing unanimity suggesting that students also need to perform skills that are intricate and cross-curricular.  In order to prepare students for success, schools must move beyond a focus on basic competency to promoting deeper learning and understanding of academic content by interweaving twenty-first century interdisciplinary into the curriculum.  Through a stable learning environment, professional development, curriculum and instruction, and standards and assessment, the student can granted the opportunity to develop life and career skills, learning and innovation skills, and information, media and technology skills. The acquisition of twenty-first century skills prepares a student to be a productive, creative and participatory individual of the twenty-first century; therefore, implying that it allows students to reach beyond their imagined potential and provide contributions to their lifelong learning.

video attribution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0RyaAsVNGU: Scott Crombie    

picture attribution: https://sites.google.com/site/
lisaboundliteracyprofile/home/what-is-literacy

         Teachers are responsible for weaving twenty-first century interdisciplinary into the curriculum.  Schools must move beyond basic concepts by addressing broader themes that are in relation to the twenty-first century.  For example, students can be taught to be literate in health within a physical education program or develop environmental literacy through the subject of science.  Let's take health literacy, for example.  I can recall having no choice but to take part in certain tasks such as the 12 minute run and the beep test.  Being an athlete in school, I enjoyed physical education courses; however, this portion of fitness testing never resonated well with me.  Having a passion for physical activity, these tasks were challenging, but nothing short of some extra effort.  However, I cannot imagine the defeat a student would feel if they were not a strong athlete.  These forms of fitness testing do not allow students to develop the life skills necessary in order to pursue physical activity for the sake of their health.  In fact, in my opinion, these activities are a stigma associated with physical education that turns students off from enrolling in the course to begin with, which destroys their opportunity to develop health literacy.


     Teachers should aim to grant their students the chance to develop higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) by the end of the term, rather than simply assigning tasks that are correlated with direct teaching which leads to minimal long-term retention. HOTS are transferrable among many facets of life.  Skills that can be categorized as higher-order are analysis, evaluation, creation, critical thinking, problem solving, etc.  HOTS correlate with higher levels in Bloom's revised taxonomy, and recently "creating" has been added as the highest level of thinking; therefore, demonstrating how this generation of new knowledge is offering new opportunities for creativity and invention.  Overall, the higher-order thinking skills can be an encapsulating title of the rainbow coloured skills (life and career skills, learning and innovation skills, and information, media and technology skills) depicted below.  In order to support the acquisition of such skills, a teacher is responsible for forming a solid support system that encourages the development of the child.  For example, a teacher's instruction needs to promote problem solving which can lead to creation.  If a direct instructional method is chosen by the teacher, that limits the students' thinking and does not allow for exploration.  However, if a student-centred approach is taken or indirect instruction is used in a more constructivist classroom, students may be able to harness their own knowledge and use it to advance their skills.

picture attribution: http://www.p21.org/our-work/p21-framework

     Technology is a heightening aspect of the twenty-first century, and with the growing society, it is becoming mandatory to acquire the skills necessary in order to be technologically fluent.  There are often generation gaps between the teacher and the student; therefore, it is highly important that teachers become familiar with the advancing and constantly changing technology in order to prepare their students.  The introduction of technology in the classrooms, especially at a young age, will allow students to develop skills relating to technology in an ongoing process.  For example, allowing students in kindergarten to have computer time, gives them the opportunity to be introduced to the keyboard and navigating a mouse on a screen.  It has come to my attention, as my mother is a teacher, that iPads have become a phenomenon in that many schools (with funds allowing) are granting students time to use iPads in order to research for projects, play thought-provoking games, etc.  I can recall the introduction of the "SMART" board (an interactive white board) within schools when I was in Grade 10.  Students get excited, they want to answer questions in order to be granted the chance to go and write on the "SMART" board.  The following video clip, describes the benefits of the "SMART" board and demonstrates its ease of use.  Technology enhances learning as it is exciting for students, thereby promoting learning, and it allows for students to develop the skills that will indefinitely be part of their future and career.  There will not be a day in the future where an individual is not influenced by technology.  Students are getting cell phones at younger and younger ages, because it is becoming a social norm to have a cellular device.  I can recall receiving my first cellphone when I was 14, after having begged for it and that was simply for emergencies.  My youngest sister received her first cell phone when she was 8, and was able to text and call whomever without any consequences.  Therefore, demonstrating how the evolution of the twenty-first century is demanding technological literacy.  Teaching through this blog, is another great example of how technology is commonly used; heightening an individual's technological literacy.  Technology is constantly advancing and requires individuals to do so in order to allow its progression.     

video attribution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U05WeXPGlk : SMARTclassrooms

    Overall, with the changing world, there is a changing necessity for students to develop the skills in order to succeed.  The teacher can use multiple tactics in order to prepare themselves and further prepare their students for the twenty-first century.  Through a constructivist classroom setting, that allows students to critically think, problem solve and create, students will be able to develop and adhere to the concepts of these skills throughout their lives.  Teachers should provide the appropriate resources and acquire the correct knowledge in order to give students optimal introduction to a various skills and to allow for further development. 

References

About 21st Century learning in Ontario. (2014). Retrieved October 3, 2015, from http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/21stcenturylearning/about_learning_in_ontario.html

Drake, S., Reid, J. & Kolohon, W. (2014). Toward a new story of curriculum, instruction and   assessment.  In Interweaving curriculum and classroom assessment: Engaging the 21st century learner (pp. 35-37). Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press.

Framework for 21st Century learning. (2014). Retrieved October 3, 2015, from http://www.p21.org/our-work/p21-framework