Twenty-first Century Skills

     One of the advantages of exploring a website like www.p21.org is that the browser (human) can find innumerable resources for helping students and teachers adapt to twenty-first century learning.  Among the first links I discovered while looking through the interdisciplinary theme of “global awareness” was a partnership at a nearby university that is promoting K-12 international education in North Carolina. A heat map on the site provides demographic information on the international presence (residents and companies) in each of the state’s counties.  Thus, in a matter of minutes I learned about global initiatives in the state, as well as facts that might be useful in a civics class.  I continued to find much that I agreed with as I explored the other themes, learning and innovation skills (creativity/innovation, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration), information technology and media skills, and life and career skills enumerated on the site.  The section on creativity had some of the most wide-ranging resources, while the critical thinking section included links to some impressive science lessons at Learn NC.  As a group, these 21^st-century student outcomes are standards that I (a pre-service teacher) will have to digest gradually and then adapt to my specific teaching situation and student population.  “The proof of the pudding is in the eating,” goes the saying. 

     It was precisely while I was thinking about how I could incorporate these guidelines into the classroom that some questions arose.  The interdisciplinary themes are important—the aforementioned global awareness, as well as financial/economic, civic, health, and environmental literacies—and yet there seemed to be an emphasis on teaching personal responsibility, with little attention to critically analyzing systems (healthcare, educational, environmental).  How would a teacher prioritize these important themes, or resolve potential “conflicts of interest” among these desired outcomes? (For example, a global initiative that is perceived as competition for a local economy, or a solution to an environmental problem that is considered burdensome to business.) By encouraging students to think creatively, teachers can support using a variety of learning styles (a positive); yet I wonder if the sheer volume (“glut”) of possibilities actually may stifle creativity.  In addition, must creativity necessarily be “maximized” and “implemented”?

     While I am a firm believer in critical thinking, I wonder to what extent I can encourage students to entertain alternative points of view—particularly on “sensitive” topics like politics and socioeconomic class—without myself becoming a lightning rod for criticism.  Communication and collaboration are more important than ever; here is just one example of what a goal-oriented online community recently accomplished.  However, I wonder if the links offered in the IT skills section of the site would truly encourage critical evaluation of the media that pervade our lives.  Shouldn't this article be part of the discussion as well?  Although I did not grow up in the digital era, I have benefitted incalculably from now having much greater access to information.  Nonetheless, I find it a challenge to filter and evaluate some of what I read; I wonder how challenging it will be to help students do the same.

     Although I agree with the necessity of the various life and career skills mentioned, I found that section depressingly utilitarian.  "Respect" and "responsibility" are important, but so are "empathy", "generosity", and "curiosity"--as ends in themselves.

Richard Feynman - Ode To A Flower from Fraser Davidson on Vimeo.