21st Century Skills and the 21st-century teacher

     The following is the mission statement for The Partnership for 21st Century Skills:

     “The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is a national organization that advocates for the

integration of skills such as critical thinking, problem solving and communication into the teaching of core academic subjects such as English, reading or language arts, world languages, arts, mathematics, economics, science, geography, history, government and civics.”

     I like this. I applaud this. I also recognize this.

Public Domain

Teachers and students in
modern classrooms face
many challenges that need
 modern tools ... and funding.

     I feel like Michael J. Fox in a “Back to the Future” moment, because this statement reads like a laundry list for dedicated educators for decades (with just a few side trips taken for a few, um, odder educational theories). What knowledgeable educator would argue against “critical  thinking, problem solving and communication”? Or would say that students do not need the  core academic subjects such as English, reading or language arts, world languages, arts, mathematics, economics, science, geography, history, government and civics”? None ... or at least none that have any reason – any reason at all – to be in the classroom other than to pick up a paycheck.

     The only time I ever hear any protests over any of these topics, or the integration of those higher-order thinking skills into those courses, is when I hear a teacher say, “With what time am I supposed to do all this?”

     Ah, time. There’s the rub.

     I might add to that, “Where am I supposed to get funding for that?”

     That’s why organizations such as The Partnership for 21st Century Skills are to be hailed, because another part of its mission is to “provide tools and resources that help facilitate and drive this necessary change.” In other words, they give out “money and stuff.” That is crucial in an era when legislators are slashing funding and school boards are gutting budgets (and teachers), yet state and federal laws still mandate toward teaching for standardized tests. In such a restricted atmosphere. it becomes increasingly difficult to “emphasize deep understanding rather than shallow knowledge.” Teachers (and students) can use every tool – technological and other – that they can get their hands on to counter the forces working against them.

     Perhaps the most meaningful phrase to come out of the “P21 Framework Definitions”  is one listed in the standards section: “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.” I wholeheartedly advocate teaching children using real-world examples, and having them do activities that they will face in the real world. Teachers need to have an answer when a child asks, “When (or why) will I ever need to know this?” If you – as a teacher – do not have an answer to that pointed question, you need to find one – or else you need to change the activity to one that still teaches the mandated skill and has real-world implications. 

      Actively following the rationale behind 21st Century goals will help teachers reach their students, teach their students, and give them that “deeper understanding” need to succeed in the real world.

      

      I am including this link for further investigation into this organization:

http://www.21stcenturyskills.org.