In an age in which the purposes and effects of school are incessantly measured, weighed, evaluated, and reevaluated by various individuals and organizations, the skills that students acquire in schools are also constantly observed and assessed through educational and societal lenses. One rather obvious reason why these key educational issues are continuously explored in the United States is that society is questing for more real-world, educational experiences that can stay abreast with the advancing world technologies while simultaneously producing more conscientious, productive, effective, global citizens. This idea is, of course, not a new one as John Dewey stated several decades ago in “Education and Social Change” that “we are all familiar with the pleas that are urged to bring education in the schools into closer relation with the forces that are producing social change and with the needs that arise from these changes” (Schultz, 2001, p. 334). Despite one’s inclination or opposition to the idea of aligning schools more closely with the forces and needs of society, the rise of 21st century learning skills is beneficial for a spectrum of educational philosophies and importantly recognizes the student as an individual and as a member of society.
According to a national survey of 800 registered voters in the United States from September 10-12, 2007, which was conducted for the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, “an overwhelming 80 percent of voters say that the kind of skills students need to learn to be prepared for the jobs of the 21st century is different from what they needed 20 years ago” while “a virtually unanimous 99 percent of voters say that teaching students a wide range of 21st century skills” is “important to our country’s future economic success” (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2007). Moreover, “an overwhelming 88 percent of voters say they believe that schools can and should incorporate 21st century skills into their curriculum” (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2007). Although these statistics are seemingly compelling, especially in light of the fact that the voters surveyed represented a variety of socioeconomic classes, age groups, and political affiliations, the understandable question that surfaces, at least for those that are not yet familiar with the ideas of 21st century education, is: What exactly are the “21st century learning skills”?
As outlined in The Intellectual and Policy Foundations of the 21st Century Skills Framework by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, which is “the leading advocacy organization focused on infusing 21st century skills into education,” the 21st century skill sets are: 1) learning and innovation skills, which include critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, communication, and collaboration; 2) information, media, and technology skills, which enable students to access, evaluate, and make sense of data in a variety of modes; and 3) life and career skills, which involve flexibility and adaptability, initiative and self-direction, social and cross-cultural skills, productivity and accountability, and leadership and social responsibility (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2007). Perhaps interestingly, these skills are not positioned in a uniquely different content curriculum from the one that already exists in public schools. Rather, they are integrated into and to be taught from the very same content areas that were identified by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Hence, the core subjects of English, reading or language arts, world languages, arts, mathematics, economics, science, geography, history, government and civics along with the themes of global awareness, financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy, civic literacy, and health literacy are the framework within which the 21st century skills are taught, learned, and utilized.
Although heavy emphasis is placed on the themes of global awareness, financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy, civic literacy, and health literacy, it is clear that the 21st century skills have not been developed and emphasized simply to declare that the function of a school should be to prepare students for the workforce. Instead, these skill sets can serve many functions, which include focusing on the personal growth of students as well as students’ interaction and engagement with society. In my opinion, the 21st century learning skills are easily adaptable to a variety of educational philosophies because they work to develop students’ creative, critical, and independent thinking capacities, connect content areas with real world experiences, provide students with meaningful opportunities to observe and value the connections that exist between their learning and world experiences, and enable students to strengthen and enhance their awareness of society.
Regardless of one’s position on the function of school and whether or not education should be aligned to America’s future economic success and global competitiveness, the emergence of 21st century learning skills suggests, in a deliberate manner, that 20th century learning skills no longer meet the needs of students and American society. This is not to say that traditional, basic skills such as reading comprehension are no longer valued, but the Partnership for 21st Century Skills has stated that a broader range of skills, beyond the basic skills of reading, writing, math, and science must be incorporated into core academic content so that all students can have “the skills needed to be effective citizens, workers, and leaders in the 21st century” (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2007).
In reflecting on the 21st century skills, I am convinced that schools in the United States should be focusing on these competencies because they are comprehensive and enable students to see the inextricable connection that exists between education and society. In truth, what can serve as preparation for society other than education? In my opinion, there seems to be no realistic alternative and adopting an education system which fosters the acquisition and application of 21st century learning skills is ideal because the skills are firmly rooted in core content areas, stress the personal growth of students, and remind students that they are citizens of the world who are constantly building an awareness of society. Although the Partnership for 21st Century Skills states that American schools “must align classroom environments with real world environments by infusing 21st century skills” in order to provide students with the means to “successfully face rigorous higher education coursework, career challenges and a globally competitive workforce,” the skills sets, at the very least, help ensure that all children are prepared for life in the 21st century (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2007).
In my single year of experience as an English teacher at a large New York City public school, I have noticed that students constantly question how the skills they learn in school can be applied to real-world situations. I have also noticed that many students often feel lost in the applicability of the basic skills of reading, writing, math, and science and wish that their academic experiences could offer more direct preparation for the world experiences that await them. With the 21st century learning skills, the majority of students would likely be more engaged with the education process because they would have more opportunities to apply their skills to real-world experiences. For example, small learning communities such as the Business Enterprise exist in my high school, but at the moment this community is simply like any other small learning community in the school and does not focus on business literacy and teaching students how to make appropriate economic choices. With the embedded theme of financial, economic, business, and entrepreneurial literacy, I feel that students would be more motivated to learn and to develop their own thinking while preparing for their futures. Many students would be inspired to learn because they could have opportunities to focus on their personal growth while building an awareness of the business world. While some of the obstacles to 21st century learning include the availability and effective use of technology and also the reality that “educators and staff members must themselves master 21st century skills to be effective in their roles,” as noted in “21st Century Learning: ‘We’re Not Even Close’” (Nagel, 2007), the skills sets, perhaps more than anything else, should be in place to develop global citizens that can work collaboratively and think critically to improve society.
References
Nagel, D. (November 5, 2007). "21st century learning: 'We're not even close.’" T.H.E. Journal.
Retrieved July 28, 2008, from
http://www.thejournal.com/articles/21543_1
Schultz, F. (2000). SOURCES: Notable selections in education. New York: McGraw-Hill Dushkin.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2007). Beyond the three Rs: Voter attitudes toward 21st
century skills. Retrieved July 28, 2008, from
http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/documents/P21_pollreport_singlepg.pdf
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2007). The intellectual and policy foundations of the
21st century framework. Retrieved July 28, 2008, from
http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/route21/images/stories/epapers/skills_foundations_final.pdf
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