21st Century Skills & Button Sewing

Discussions about South Africa's education these days have a key focus on 21st century skills as an important deliverable to give schools and students the edge for the future of work. This is great however, often the implementation of something new replaces an old practice. It's brilliant for schools to be innovative and test new strategies at the same time remembering the successes of our past. The heart of these "21st century skills" is SKILL driven, the skill to move from where we are to where we want to be. These skills are in our DNA; it's also about harnessing the skill to recognise these skills within us. For more insight, lets turn to my Aunty Merle...

"Sew your damn button!"

"What are they teaching these kids nowadays?" asked my 78 year old Aunty Merle about a 20+ year old student walking by our coffee table at our monthly coffee date. "Sew your damn button!" she snapped. Yes, the student walking by was missing his shirt button slightly exposing his tummy and upsetting my aunty. "Don't they teach sewing anymore?"Aunty asked. I replied No, not knowing which schools offered sewing anymore, "A shame that is, a real shame. They taught us to take care of ourselves, they did," sighed aunty.

I love visiting my aunty, she helps refresh my perspective on the world, and after last week's visit my perspective on education was definitely refreshed. I do agree with aunty, the basic skill of needlework, threading buttons onto garments is an important skill for students and adults. No need for an entire home economics class, as stipulated in the 1960's for an hour a week, but perhaps a creative student project can incorporate the art of sewing as an aside. For example a student project, of creating a sock puppet. A sock puppet needs eyes to see, why not dedicate some time to investigating how to sew a button onto a sock, so that Olie the sock puppet can see. Then facilitators can position the next scaffold on the project by asking the students to present evidence of "where else can we apply this sewing a button skill?"

Sewing buttons doesn't really fall on the so-called list of 21st century skills, however an important skill to anyone owning a collared shirt, according to aunty. So what then? Where are these 21st century concepts derived from? In 2002 the Partnership for 21st Century Skills NGO was set up to help foster the national conversation to discuss how western education could transform its methods from the traditional industrial based model to service based, collaborative, people centred approach. It is said that this education transformation conversation started in the 1980's. However Dr. Montessori would politely state that she and her team have been facilitating these "21st century skills" since 1907 (except for that digital literacy stuff), that's over a 100 years ago.

So keeping up with the times, South Africa is doing its part to transition from its own version of industrial based, knowledge content driven style of education to a more flexible, nimble approach, so that our upcoming future society can be equipped with the skills needed to face this current rapidly changing, digital world we find ourselves in. We South Africans are on a journey, with a vibrant history and we are no stranger to educational reform. During the start of my career in education I remember the implementation of OBE (Outcomes-Based Education) in the early 2000's as our underlying philosophy in the development of South Africas curriculum 2005. It was a great effort as this philosophy set the foundation for schools to experiment with learning and incorporate other progressive learning methodologies from the international market. Learning methodologies such as Inquiry based learning, Project-based learning, Problem-based learning. These methodologies are fast becoming the norm as learning engagement tools. It has been a steady, on-going transition from traditional "chalk and talk" content dominant teaching methods to a more student centred environment where investigative learning is encouraged.

I don't fix the button cause Aunty snapped at me, I sew the button cause I have the confidence to take action in solving problems concerning me and my community

So like this shirt button issue, South Africa can leave their "shirt" the way is is and have its "tummy" exposed for all to see, or South Africa can find a needle, thread, perhaps call in an expert or perhaps watch a how-to youtube video and fix the gapping hole. I don't fix the button cause Aunty snapped at me, I sew the button cause I have the confidence to take action in solving problems concerning me and my community. The current identified and popular buzz around 21st century skills is key for the evolution within the learning industry. The learning becomes tangible, the learning becomes student owned and confidence builds on confidence to apply learnings and accomplish collaborative human centred solutions becomes achievable. We recognise the strengths of autonomous self-directed teams. Students develop their own motivating strategies, which builds on the confidence of their own competencies: I can sew my button onto my shirt, I can help others to sew on their own buttons, I can tie my own shoe lace and help others tie their own, I can help recycle plastic, I can create market based products with the earth in mind, I can peacefully collaborate with my neighbours, I have a solution finding ability, and so on.

It is so exciting to be in South Africa, so many opportunities for solutions in our streets. Seeing a problem as a project is a great way to tackle issues or concerns. One project process is not necessarily better than the other, yet each serves the project, the issues or problems well. In the end of the day its the process that saves the day and its a means to an end. So I encourage you to find a project methodology that works for you, choose a problem, find a project and get stuck in.

But for some of you, you may have no idea where to start. My suggestion is, find a needle, thread it and impress my Aunty Merle by helping someone sew their damn button.

Image sources:

Header image: https://diyprojects.com/how-to-sew-a-button/

Puppet image: https://mandurah.wa.gov.au/whats-on/calendar/libraries/sock-puppets-lakelands

P21 Skills image -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21st_century_skills

Inquiry based learning -https://www.mheducation.ca/literacycanada/2016/04/05/how-to-implement-the-inquiry-based-learning-model-in-your-classroom/