preparing every child for the 21 st century ken kay, president partnership for 21 st century skills...

Preparing Every Child for the 21st Century

Ken Kay, President

Partnership for 21st Century Skills

APEC EdNet – Xi’an Symposium

Xi’an China

January 17, 2008

• Why are 21st Century Skills so important?

• What is the Framework for 21st Century Skills?

• What should APEC economies do?

• What are some recommendations for the APEC Education Summit?

Overview

• Why are 21st Century Skills so important?

• What is the Framework for 21st Century Skills?

• What should APEC economies do?

• What are some recommendations for the APEC Education Summit?

Why 21st Century Skills?

New Contexts

New Job Skills

Global Citizenship

Why 21st Century Skills?

New Job Skills

Global Citizenship

New Contexts

Why are 21st Century Skills so Important?

There are new 21st Century

Contexts

Global Competition

Global Cooperation

Information Growth

More Jobs & Careers

Service Economy

Global Competition: ●Global Awareness

●Self-Direction

Global Cooperation:

●Global Awareness

●Collaboration

●Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy

Information Growth:●Information Literacy

●Critical Thinking

●Problem Solving

More Jobs & Careers:●Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

●Innovation & Improvement

●Flexibility & Adaptability

Growing

Service Economy:

●Communication Skills

●Life and Career Awareness Skills

New Context Skills Required

Are we asking the right questions?

Why 21st Century Skills?

Are our students critical thinkers and problem solvers?

Are our students globally aware?

Are our students self-directed?

Are our students good collaborators?

Are we asking the right questions?

Why 21st Century Skills?

Are our students information and technology literate?

Are our students flexible and adaptable?

Are our students innovative?

Are our students effective communicators?

Why 21st Century Skills?

New Contexts

Global Citizenship

New Job Skills

Why 21st Century Skills?

The requirements of the workforce

are changing

Why 21st Century Skills?

• What skills are most important for job success when hiring a high school graduate?

Work Ethic 80%

Collaboration 75%

Good Communication 70%

Social Responsibility 63%

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving 58%

Why 21st Century Skills?

• Of the high school students that you recently hired, what were their deficiencies?

Written Communication 81%

Leadership 73%

Work Ethic 70%

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving 70%

Self-Direction 58%

Why 21st Century Skills?

• What applied skills and basic knowledge are most important for those you will hire with a four-year college diploma?

Oral Communication 95.4%

Collaboration 94.4%

Professional/Work Ethic 93.8%

Written Communication 93.1%

Critical Thinking/Problem Solving 93.1%

• Of the four-year graduates you recently hired, how do they rate?

Why 21st Century Skills?

63.4

56.4

64.6

67.3

65.4

9.0

27.8

18.6

8.1

9.8

16.8Professional/Work Ethic

27.6Critical Thinking/Problem Solving

15.8Written Communication

24.6Collaboration

24.8Oral Communication

Deficient ExcellentAdequate

Why 21st Century Skills?

• What skills and content areas will be growing in importance in the next five years?

Critical Thinking 78%

I.T. 77%

Health & Wellness 76%

Collaboration 74%

Innovation 74%

Personal Financial Responsibility 72%

Why 21st Century Skills?

New Contexts

New Job Skills

Global Citizenship

• Why are 21st Century Skills so important?

• What is the Framework for 21st Century Skills?

• What should APEC economies do?

• What are some recommendations for the APEC Education Summit?

P21 Members

20th Century Education Model

21st Century Skills Framework

21st Century Skills Framework

21st Century Skills Framework

Core Subjects- Economics- English- Government - Arts- History- Geography- Reading or Language- Arts- Mathematics- Science- World Languages- Civics

21st Century Themes- Global Awareness- Financial, Economic, Business & Entrepreneurship Literacy- Civic Literacy- Health Literacy

Learning & Innovation Skills

• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

• Creativity & Innovation

• Communication & Collaboration

21st Century Skills Framework

21st Century Skills Framework

Information, Media & Technology Skills

• Information Literacy

• Media Literacy

• ICT (Information, Communications &

Technology) Literacy

21st Century Skills Framework

Life & Career Skills

• Flexibility & Adaptability

• Initiative & Self-Direction

• Social & Cross-Cultural Skills

• Productivity & Accountability

• Leadership & Responsibility

21st Century Skills Framework

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills for

EVERYONE

Innovation and Creativity Skills

Life and Career Skills for EVERYONE

Information, Media and Technology Skills

What’s new about 21st Century Skills?New Understanding of Coverage New Areas of Emphasis

21st Century Skills Framework

How do I find out more?

Route 21

Route 21

Route 21

Route 21

• Why are 21st Century Skills so important?

• What is the Framework for 21st Century Skills?

• What should APEC economies do?

• What are some recommendations for the APEC Education Summit?

1. Develop a “Partnership” Focused on 21st Century Outcomes

Develop a consensus among the key stakeholders on the 21st Century Skills needed by your students. Be sure the

business community is included.

What can the APEC economies do?

Create a teacher professional development strategy for

21st century skills.

2. Upgrade Professional Development

What can the APEC economies do?

http://wvde.state.wv.us/teach21/

3. Upgrade Teacher Preparation

Develop a comprehensive reform strategy for Colleges of Education and

Higher Education

What can the APEC economies do?

4. Upgrade Assessments

What can the APEC economies do?

20th Century

21st Century Use a full range of assessments, including

high-stakes and classroom assessments, to measure

21st century skills.

• Models for blending content and skills• 21st Century skill assessments• Professional development of 21st Century skills

(e.g. U.K. Stage III ICT Literacy Assessment)

5. Invest in Research and Development

What can the APEC economies do?

• Why are 21st Century Skills so important?

• What is the Framework for 21st Century Skills?

• What should APEC economies do?

• What are some recommendations for the APEC Education Summit?

1. Focus on general recommendations for 21st Century skills.

Recommendation for APEC Education Summit

2. Define Global Awareness broadly

Recommendation for APEC Education Summit

Global Awareness must be broader than just second language learning.

3. Link STEM skills to 21st Century Skills

Recommendation for APEC Education Summit

Use STEM skills to strengthen critical thinking

and problem solving skills in all students.

Ensure STEM students have life, career awareness, communication, and collaboration skills.

4. Leverage the core competencies of vocational education professionals

Bringing life and career awareness skills to EVERY student.

Recommendation for APEC Education Summit

5. Adopt a rigorous global standard of ICT literacy

International standard must go beyond tech competency.

Recommendation for APEC Education Summit

6. Focus on potential areas of global 21st century skills cooperation:

Recommendation for APEC Education Summit

• Develop global benchmarking that emphasizes 21st century skills

• Develop common resources for professional development and assessment

• Share best practices

• Develop a common rubric for global awareness

Are our students critical thinkers and problem solvers?

Are our students globally aware?

Are our students self-directed?

Are our students good collaborators?

Are our students ready for the 21st Century?

Conclusion

Are our students information and technology literate?

Are our students flexible and adaptable?

Are our students innovative?

Are our students effective communicators?

Are our students ready for the 21st Century?

Conclusion

These skills should become the “design specs” for 21st Century education in every

APEC economy.

Conclusion

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills177 North Church Avenue, Suite 305

Tucson, AZ 85701(520) 623-2466

www.21stcenturyskills.org

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