UNIQUE UNIVERSAL LEARNING IS TWENTY FIRST CENTURY LEARNING.

FOUNDATION for 21st Century Learning

 The skills of the 21st century are not about technology, even though every teenager is fully wired. It’s about teaching students to think in a new way. The term "21st-century skills" is generally used to refer to certain core competencies such as collaboration, digital literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving that advocates believe schools need to teach to help students thrive in today's world. In a broader sense, however, the idea of what learning in the 21st century should look like is open to interpretation—and controversy.

Four Key Knowledge Dimensions

declarative - knowing the facts and information

procedural - knowing how to do something

conceptual - knowing relationships between things or within a larger structure

situational -knowing a particular situation

Cognitive Growth Targets -- Processes of Thinking

• Retrieving - recalling or recognizing knowledge from memory
• Comprehending -initial understanding of knowledge
• Analyzing - examining knowledge by breaking it down into components to determine relationships, structure, and/or purpose
• Reasoning - the process of drawing conclusions or making judgments based upon evidence, facts, or criteria
• Creating - the process of making, inventing, or producing something new
• Metacognition- the process of being aware of and monitoring one's own thinking and learning
• Self-Actualization - the process of understanding one's self (self-esteem and                 self-efficacy)

21st Century Student Outcomes

The elements described in this section as “21st century student outcomes” (represented by the rainbow) are the skills, knowledge and expertise students should master to succeed in work and life in the 21st century.

1. Content Knowledge and 21st Century Themes

Mastery of fundamental subjects and 21st century themes is essential for students in the 21st century. Disciplines include:

English, reading or language arts

World languages

Arts

Mathematics

Economics

Science

Geography

History

Government and Civics

In addition to these subjects, we believe schools must move beyond a focus on basic competency to promoting understanding of academic content at much higher levels by weaving 21st century interdisciplinary themes into curriculum:

• Global awareness
• Financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy
• Civic literacy
• Health literacy
• Environmental literacy 

2. Learning and Innovation Skills: Learning and innovation skills increasingly are being recognized as the skills that separate students who are prepared for increasingly complex life and work environments in the 21st century, and those who are not. A focus on creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration is essential to prepare students for the future.

Creativity and Innovation

-Creativity and Innovation

• Demonstrating originality and inventiveness in work
• Developing, implementing and communicating new ideas to others
• Being open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives
• Acting on creative ideas to make a tangible and useful contribution to the domain in which the innovation occurs

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

• Exercising sound reasoning in understanding
• Making complex choices and decisions
• Understanding the interconnections among systems
• Identifying and asking significant questions that clarify various points of view and lead to better solutions
• Framing, analyzing and synthesizing information in order to solve problems and answer questions

3. Information, Media and Technology Skills: Today we live in a technology and media-suffused environment with: 1) access to an abundance of information, 2) rapid changes in technology tools, and 3) the ability to collaborate and make individual contributions on an unprecedented scale. To be effective in the 21st century, citizens and workers must be able to create, evaluate, and effectively utilize information, media, and technology.

• Information Literacy
• Media Literacy
• ICT Literacy

People in the 21st century live in a technology and media-suffused environment, marked by access to an abundance of information, rapid changes in technology tools, and the ability to collaborate and make individual contributions on an unprecedented scale. To be effective in the 21st century, citizens and workers must be able to exhibit a range of functional and critical thinking skills related to information, media and technology.Information literacy

?Accessing information efficiently and effectively, evaluating information critically and competently and using information accurately an d creatively for the issue or problem at hand

?Possessing a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and use of information Media Literacy

?Understanding how media messages are constructed, for what purposes and using which tools, characteristics and conventions.

?Examining how individuals interpret messages differently, how values and points of view are included or excluded and how media can influence beliefs and behaviors.

?Possessing a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and use of information ICT Literacy - Information, Communication and Technology

• Using digital technology, communication tools and/or networks appropriately to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information in order to function in a knowledge economy
• Using technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate and communicate information, and the possession of a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and use of information.

4.Communication and Collaboration

?Articulating thoughts and ideas clearly andeffectively through speaking and writing

?Demonstrating ability to work effectively with diverse teams

?Exercising flexibility and willingness to be helpful in making necessary compromises to accomplish a common goal

• Assuming shared responsibility for collaborative work.

5. Life and Career Skills: Today's students need to develop thinking skills, content knowledge, and social and emotional competencies to navigate complex life and work environments. P21's essential Life and Career Skills include::

• Flexibility & Adaptability
• Initiative & Self Direction
• Social & Cross-Cultural Skills
• Productivity & Accountability
• Leadership & Responsibility

21st Century Support Systems

The elements described below are the critical systems necessary to ensure student mastery of 21st century skills. 21st century standards, assessments, curriculum, instruction, professional development and learning environments must be aligned to produce a support system that produces 21st century outcomes for today’s students.

1. 21st Century Standards

• Focus on 21st century skills, content knowledge and expertise.
• Build understanding across and among academic subjects as well as 21st century interdisciplinary themes
• Emphasize deep understanding rather than shallow knowledge
• 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
• Allow for multiple measures of mastery

2. Assessment of 21st Century Skills

• Support a balance of assessments, including high-quality standardized testing along with effective classroom formative and summative assessments
• Emphasize useful feedback on student performance that is embedded into everyday learning
• Require a balance of technology-enhanced, formative and summative assessments that measure student mastery of 21st century skills
• Enable development of portfolios of student work that demonstrate mastery of 21st century skills to educators and prospective employers
• Enable a balanced portfolio of measures to assess the educational system's effectiveness at reaching high levels of student competency in 21st century skills

3. 21st Century Curriculum and Instruction

• Teaches 21st century skills discretely in the context of key subjects and 21st century interdisciplinary themes
• Focuses on providing opportunities for applying 21st century skills across content areas and for a competency-based approach to learning
• Enables innovative learning methods that integrate the use of supportive technologies, inquiry- and problem-based approaches and higher order thinking skills
• Encourages the integration of community resources beyond school walls

4. 21st Century Professional Development

• Highlights ways teachers can seize opportunities for integrating 21st century skills, tools and teaching strategies into their classroom practice — and help them identify what activities they can replace/de-emphasize
• Balances direct instruction with project-oriented teaching methods
• Illustrates how a deeper understanding of subject matter can actually enhance problem-solving, critical thinking, and other 21st century skills
• Enables 21st century professional learning communities for teachers that model the kinds of classroom learning that best promotes 21st century skills for students
• Cultivates teachers' ability to identify students' particular learning styles, intelligences, strengths and weaknesses
• Helps teachers develop their abilities to use various strategies (such as formative assessments) to reach diverse students and create environments that support differentiated teaching and learning
• Supports the continuous evaluation of students' 21st century skills development
• Encourages knowledge sharing among communities of practitioners, using face-to-face, virtual and blended communications
• Uses a scaleable and sustainable model of professional development

5. 21st Century Learning Environments

• Create learning practices, human support and physical environments that will support the teaching and learning of 21st century skill outcomes
• Support professional learning communities that enable educators to collaborate, share best practices and integrate 21st century skills into classroom practice
• Enable students to learn in relevant, real world 21st century contexts (e.g., through project-based or other applied work)
• Allow equitable access to quality learning tools, technologies and resources
• Provide 21st century architectural and interior designs for group, team and individual learning.
• Support expanded community and international involvement in learning, both face-to-face and online

Project-Based Learning (PBL)

This is an innovative approach to learning that teaches a multitude of strategies critical for success in the twenty-first century. Students drive their own learning through inquiry, as well as work collaboratively to research and create projects that reflect their knowledge. From gleaning new, viable technology skills, to becoming proficient communicators and advanced problem solvers, students benefit from this approach to instruction.

Multiple Intelligences: 21st Century Educational and Instructional Methodologies.

Multiple Intelligences

Theory or view of human intellect, originated in 1983 by Howard Gardner, that every individual has at least seven different autonomous intelligences, i.e., linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal -- more recently, an eighth intelligence (naturalist) has been recognized, and a ninth (existential) is being considered

Multiple Intelligences (MI) is the most viable and effective platform for 21st century educational and instructional methodologies based on the understanding of the value of diversity in today's classrooms and educational institutions, the unique qualities and characteristics of individual learners, the opportunities that arise from applying the ideas of multiple intelligences, the need for flexibility and adaptation in a global society, and the increasing demand for accountability at all levels of education. Several definitions of intelligence are presented and the author examines the theories of Sternberg and Goleman as supportive of the philosophy of multiple intelligences being the most effective for 21st century educational and curricular platform. The MI theory is broad enough to facilitate 21st century understanding of education and intelligence in so much as diversity and technology have fueled changes in the definitions and requirements of individuals with regard to pedagogy. In putting forth a strong argument of multiple intelligences (MI) being a strong platform for effective educational and instructional methodologies in 21st century classrooms and schools, the author also examines opposing views and attempts to counteract such with supporting literature, examples, and ideas.

The implementation of the multiple intelligences (MI) theory in 21st century teaching and learning environment, suggests that it offers a new tool for effective teaching and learning at all levels. The eight current MI include: verbal/linguistic, logical/mathematical, visual/spatial, bodily/kinesthetic, musical/rhythmic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist. Despite research on the effectiveness of the MI theory, traditional teaching and learning strategies of lecture still prevail in school, with the expectation that all students learn in the same way. This paper looks at the different types of intelligences, offering a definition of MI, historical developments of MI, and application of the MI into the classroom social environment. It also discusses two new candidate intelligences: spiritualist and existentialist. The paper concludes that traditional ways of understanding pedagogy, and static methods of teaching, are giving way to the new classroom examination and application of the MI. It notes that in the process of employing the MI, teachers should also consider the cognition, language, and culture of each student.

THE UNIQUE EDUCATOR

We have heard alot about the 21st Century Learner. We know that they are:

• collaborative
• adaptive
• information, media and technology savvy
• communicators
• immediate and instant
• require instant gratification
• creators and adaptor

But what about the 21st Century Teacher, what are the characteristics we would expect to see in a 21st Century Educator. We know they are student centric, holistic, they are teaching about how to learn as much as teaching about the subject area. We know too, that they must be 21st Century learners as well. But teachers are more than this

The Adaptor

The 21st Century teacher is an adaptor. Harnessed as we are to an assessment focused education model the 21st Century Educator must be able to adapt the curriculum and the requirements to teach to the curriculum in imaginative ways.

They must also be able to adapt software and hardware designed for a business model into tools utilisable by a variety of age groups and abilities.

They must also be able to adapt to a dynamic teaching experience. When it all goes wrong in the middle of a class, when the technologies fail, the show must go on.

As an educator, we must understand and apply different learning styles. we must be able to adapt our teaching style to be inclusive of different modes of learning.

The Visionary

Imagination, a key component of adaptability, is a crucial component of the educator of today and tommorow. They must see the potential in the emerging tools and web technologies, grasp these and manipulate them to serve their needs. If we look at the technologies we currently see emerging, how many are developed for education?

The visionary teacher can look at others ideas and envisage how they would use these in their class.

The visionary also looks across the disciplines and through the curricula. They can make links that reinforce and value learning in other areas, and leverage other fields to reinforce their own teaching and the learning of their students.

The Collaborator

Ning, Blogger, Wikispaces, Bebo, MSN, MySpace, Second life - as an educator we must be able to leverage these collaborative tools to enhance and captivate our learners. We too, must be collaborators; sharing, contributing, adapting and inventing.

The Risk taker

How can you as an educator know all these things? How can you teach them how to use them… There are so many, so much to learn. You must take risks and some times surrender yourself to the students knowledge. Have a vision of what you want and what the technology can achieve, identify the goals and facilitate the learning. Use the strengths of the digital natives to understand and navigate new products, have the students teach each other. The learning pyramid shows that the highest retention of knowledge comes from teaching others. Trust your students.

The Learner

We expect our students to be life long learners. How many schools have the phrase “life long learners” in there mission statements and objectives. We too must continue to absorb experiences and knowledge. We must endeavour to stay current. I wonder how many people are still using their lesson and unit plans from 5 years ago.

In my subject area, Information technology and certainly in many of the sciences, especially the life sciences; knowledge, understanding and technology are fluid and dynamic, they are evolving and changing. To be a teacher here you must change and learn as the horizons and landscape changes.

The 21st Century teacher or educator must learn and adapt.

The Communicator

“Anywhere, anytime” learning is a catchphrase we hear often. Usually its paired with “life learner”. To have anywhere anytime learning, the teacher to must be anywhere and anytime. It does not have to be the same teacher, but the 21st Century teacher is a communicator. They are fluent in tools and technologies that enable communication and collaboration. They go beyond learning just how to do it, they also know how to facilitate it, stimulate and control it, moderate and manage it.

The Model

We must model the behaviours that we expect from our students. Today and tommorow more so, there is an expectation that teachers will teach values.

We, are often the most consistent part of our student life. Teachers will see the students more often, for longer and more reliably than their parents. This is not a criticism of the parents rather a reflection.

The 21st Century educator also models reflective practice, whether its the quiet, personal inspection of their teaching and learning, or through reflective practice via blogs, twitter and other medium, these educators look both inwards and outwards.

These teachers also model a number of other characteristics. These are not necessarily associated with ICT or the curriculum, but are of equal importance. They model:

tolerance

acceptance

a wider view than just their curricula areas

global awareness

reflection

The Leader.

Whether they are a champion of the process of ICT integration or the quiet technology coach, the ICT Trainer and a teacher leading by example; A maverick or early adopter, the 21st Century Educator is a leader.

CONCLUSION

Twenty-first-century learning means that students master content while producing, synthesizing, and evaluating information from a wide variety of subjects and sources with an understanding of and respect for diverse cultures. Students demonstrate the three Rs, but also the three Cs: creativity, communication, and collaboration.

They demonstrate digital literacy as well as civic responsibility. Virtual tools and open-source software create border less learning territories for students of all ages, anytime and anywhere.Powerful learning of this nature demands well-prepared teachers who draw on advances in cognitive science and are strategically organized in teams, in and out of cyberspace. Many will emerge as teacherpreneurs who work closely with students in their local communities while also serving as learning concierges, virtual network guides, gaming experts, community organizers, and policy researchers.

Twenty-first-century learning embodies an approach to teaching that marries content to skill. Without skills, students are left to memorize facts, recall details for worksheets, and relegate their educational experience to passivity. Without content, students may engage in problem-solving or team-working experiences that fall into triviality, into relevance without rigor. Instead, the 21st-century learning paradigm offers an opportunity to synergize the margins of the content vs. skills debate and bring it into a framework that dispels these dichotomies. Twenty-first-century learning means hearkening to cornerstones of the past to help us navigate our future. Embracing a 21st-century learning model requires consideration of those elements that could comprise such a shift: creating learners who take intellectual risks, fostering learning dispositions, and nurturing school communities where everyone is a learner.