Learning Identify the categories of 21 Centary skills Apply the 21 Century skills in preparing, planning and delivering a lesson Cite ways on how to enhance the 21" Century skills of learners Explain how 21 Century skills be imegrated in teaching-learning process Cite implications of 21” Century skills to educators and to pre-service teacher preparation 6 Draw velevant life fessons and significant values from the personal experience in attaining 21" Century skills 7. Analyse research abstract on 21” Century skills and its implications on the teaching-learning process 8. Crafia curriculum plan matrix imbued with 21 Century learning outcomes 21* Century skills refer to a broad set of Concept knowledge, skills, and work habits, and ‘character traits that are deemed necessary in coping with today’s world and future careers ‘and workplaces. Thus, it can be applied in all academic subject areas and educational settings throughout a student's life. The 21* Century skills may include the following: (1) critical thinking, problem-solving, reasoning, analysis, interpretation, synthesizing information; (2) research and practices, interrogative questioning; (3) creativity. artistry, curiosity. imagination, innovation, personal expression; (4) perseverance, self-direction, planning, self-discipline, adaptabi i (5) oral and written communication, public speaking an: listening; (6) leadership, teamwork, collaboration, cooperation, facility in using virtual workplaces: (7) information and communication technology (ICT) literacy, media and internet literacy, data interpretation and analysis. computer programming; (8) civic, ethical, and social justice literacy: (9) economic and financial literacy. entrepreneurialism; (10) global awareness, ‘multicultural literacy, humanitarianism; (11) scientific literacy and reasoning, the scientific method: (12) environmental and conservation literacy, ecosystem understanding; and (13) health and wellness literacy, including nutrition, diet, exercise, and public health and _ safety \httelthoughttulleaming, comiresqurces/what-are.22st-century-skils)‘According to the Partnership for 21* Century Skills, this concept encompasses a wide array of a body of knowledge and skills that have to be categorized. Moreover, this concept has been interconnected with applied ae skills, cross-curricular skills, interdisciplinary skills, a transferable skills, transversal skills, noncognitive skills and soft skills. The 21* Century skills concept is grounded on the belief that students must be educated in a more relevant, useful, in-demand and universally applicable manner. The idea simply the fact that students need to be taught different skills and reflect on the specific demands that will be placed upon them in a complex, competitive, knowledge-based, information-age and. technology-driven society. Therefore, 21% Century education addresses the whole child of the whole person (AACTE, 2010). Hence, the curriculum should be designed to be interdisciplinary, integrated and project-based. Tony Wagner (2010), in his book "The Global Achievement Gap", advocated the seven survival skills, namely: (1) critical thinking and problem-solving: (2) collaboration across networks and leading by influence; (3) agility and adaptability: (4) initiative and entrepreneurialism: (5) effective oral and written communication; (6) accessing and analyzing information, and (7) curiosity and imagination. The term “21* Century skills” refers to certain core competencies, such as collaboration, digital literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving that schools need to teach the students for them to thrive in today’s world, The Partnership for 21% Century Skills presents the following sets of skills that are categorized accordingly with different strands of expected outcomes.These are the primary skills orchestrated in the 21" Century. They are attributes that differentiate students who are prepared for a complex life and work environment from those who are not. Therefore, there is a need to stress on creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration in preparing leamers for the future. A. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. These may include effectively analyzing and evaluating evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs; and solving different kinds of non-familiar problems in both conventional and innovative ways. ‘Skill Sub-ski 1. Work together | Establish clear definitions and agreements on the roles of effectively in partners in the collaborative process team ‘Keep communication open within teams to carry out tasks Carefully identify obstacles and address problems cooperatively ‘https: //anww thebolancecareers.com Skill Sub-skills 72. Reason effectively | Use various types of reasoning (inductive, deductive, etc.) as appropriate to the situation Use systems thinking “Analyze how parts of a whole interact with each other to produce overall outcomes in complex systems Skill Sub-skills “3, Make judgements | Effectively analyze and evaluate evidence, arguments, and decisions _| claims and beliefs ‘Analyze and evaluate major alternative points of vi ‘Synthesize and make connections between information and arguments Interpret information and draw conclusions based on the best analysis Reflect critically on learning experiences and processes (Partnership for 24° Century Skil, 2008) Skill Sub-skills“4, Solve Problems “Solve different Kinds af non-familiar problems in both conventional and innovative ways Identify and ask significant questions that clarify various points of view and lead to better solutions (Partnerships for 21” Century Skills, 2008) 8. Communication. This pertains to articulating thoughts and ideas effectively using oral and written communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts. Skill Sub-skills 1. Communicate | Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, early written and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts LUsten effectively to decipher meaning, including knowledge, values, attitudes and intentions ‘Use communication for arange of purposes (e.g. to inform, insteuct, motivate and persuade) ‘Utilize multiple media and technologies, and judge their effectiveness a priori, as well as assess their impact ‘Communicate effectively in diverse environments {including rmubt-lingual) ‘Use technology as.a tool to research, organize, evaluate and communicate information ‘Use digital technologies (computers, PDAs, media players, 65, etc}, communication/networking tools and social networks appropriately to access ‘xercise flenility and willingness in making necessary ‘compromises to accomplish a common goal ‘Assume shared responsibility for collaborative work, and value the individual contributions made by each team member (Partnership for 22° Century ils, 2008) €. Collaboration. tt entails demonstrating ability to work effectively ‘and respectfully with diverse teams.‘Skill Sub-skills L. Work together effectively in team {Establish clear definitions and agreements on the roles of partners in the collaborative process ‘communication open within teams to carry out tasks Carefully identify obstacles and address prablems cooperatively D. Creativity and Innovation. It denotes use of wide range of idea creation techniques to create new worthwhile ideas. Sub-skills 1. Think Creatively Use a wide range of idea creation techniques, such as brainstorming Create new and worthwhile ideas (bath incremental and radical concey Elaborate, refine, analyze and evaluate their own ideas in order to improve and maximize creative efforts (Partnership for 21" Century Skills, 2003) ‘Skill Sub-skills ‘2. Work Creatively | Develop, implement and communicate new ideas to with Others others effectively ‘Be open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives; Incorporate group input and feedback into the work ‘Demonstrate originality and inventiveness in work and understand the real world limits to adopting new ideas View failure as an opportunity to learn; understand that creativity and innovation is a long-term, cyclical process of small successes and frequent mistakes (Partnership for 22" Century Skills, 2008) ‘Skill ‘Sub-skills 3. Implement ‘Act on creative ideas to make a tangible and useful innovations contribution to the field in which the innovation will,People in the 21* century live in a technology and media-saturated environment marked by the following: (1) access to an abundance of information; (2) rapid changes in technology tools; and (3) the ability to collaborate and make individual contributions to an unprecedented scale. Therefore, to be effective in the 21" Century, everyone must be able to exhibit a range of functional and critical thinking skills related to information, media and technology (AACTE, 2010). A. Information Literacy. it refers to accessing and evaluating information critically and competently and managing the flow of information from wide variety pf sources. Skill Sub-skills 1. Access and “Access Information efficiently (time) and effectively evaluate (sources) information Evaluate information critically and competently ‘(Partnership for 21° Century Skil, 2008) Skill Sub-skills 2 Use and manage | Use information accurately and creatively for the issue or information problem at hand ‘Manage the flaw of infarmation from a wide variety of sources ‘Apply @ fundamental understanding of the ethical/iegal issues surrounding the access and use of information (Partnership for 21° Century Skills, 2008) B. Media Literacy. It underscores understanding both how and why media messages are constructed; creating media products by understanding and utilizing the most appropriate media creation tools, characteristics and conventions.Skill ‘Sub-skills 1. Analyze Media| Understanding both how and why media messages are constructed, and for what purposes Examine how individuals interpret messages differently, how values and points of view are included or excluded, and how media can influence beliefs and behaviors ‘Apply a fundamental understanding of the ethical/illegal issues surrounding the access and use of media (Partnership for 21° Century Skills, 2005) ‘Skill ‘Sub-skills 2. Create media | Understand and utilize the most appropriate media products creation tools, characteristics and conventions. Understand and effectively utilize the most appropriate ‘expressions and interpretation in diverse, multi-cuttural environments (Partnership for 21° Century Skils, 2008) C. Technology Literacy. it pertains to the use of technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate and communicate information. Skill Sub-skills 1. Apply technology | Use technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate effectively. and communicate information Use digital technologies (computers, PDAs, media players, GPS, etc}, communication/networking tools and social networks appropriately to access, manage, integrate, ‘evaluate and create information to successfully function in knowledge economy ‘Apply a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal Issues surrounding the access and use of information technologies Life and Career Skills. Today's life and work environments both require more than thinking skills and content knowledge. Cultivating the ability to navigate the complex life requires students to develop the following life and career skills: (1) flexibility and adaptability; (2) initiative and self-direction; (3) social and cross cultural skills; (4)Skill Sub-skills “L. Adapt to change | Adapt to varied roles, job responsibilities, schedules and contexts Work effectively in a climate af ambiguity and changing priorities (Partnership for 21° Century Skills, 2008) Skill ‘Sub-skills 2. Be flexible Incorporate feedback effectively Deal positively with praise, setbacks and criticism Understand, negotiate and balance diverse views and beliefs to reach workable solutions, particularly in multi= cultural environments (Partnership for 22° Century Skills, 2008) ‘Skill ‘Sub-skills “L. Manage goals | Set goals with tangible and intangible success criteria and time Balance tactical (short term} and strategic (long-term) Is Utilize time and manage workload efficiently (ortnership for 22" Century Skil, 2008) ‘Skill ‘Sub-skills 2 Work Monitor, define, prioritize and complete tasks without independently _| direct oversight arinership fr 22” Century Sils, 2008) ‘Skill Sub-skills 3. Beself-directed | Go beyond basic mastery of skills and/or curriculum to learner explore and expand one’s own learning and opportunities togain expertise "Demonstrate initiative to advance skill levels towards @ professional level‘Demonstrate commitment ta learning as a lifelong process ‘Demonstrate integrity and ethical behavior in using influence and power (Partnership for 22 Century Skils, 2008) Skill Sub-skills ‘4. Beresponsible to | Act responsibly with the interests of the larger others ‘community in mind ‘Consider others’ ideas and view point Look for others’ welfare and safety in all circumstances Assist others in times of their downfalls and setbacks [Partnership for 21" Century Skile, 2003) Skill ‘Sub-skills ‘1. interact Know when itis appropriate to listen and when to speak ‘effectively with | Conduct one’s self in a respectable, professional manner ‘others (Partnership for 25° Century Shls, 2008) Skill Sub-skills 2. Work effectively in | Respect cultural differences and work effectively with diverse teams | people from a range of social and cultural backgrounds. Respond open-mindedly to different ideas and values Leverage social and cultural differences to create new ‘ideas and increase both innovation and quality of work Skil Sub-skills 1. Manage projects | Set and meet goals, even in the face of obstacles and ‘completing pressuresPrioritize, plan and manage work to achieve the intended result ‘(Partnership for 21° Century Skils, 2008) Sub-skills 2. Produce results ‘(Partnership for 21" Century ‘Skis, 2008) Demonstrate additional attributes associated with Producing high quality products, including the abilities to: Work positively and ethically = Manage time and projects effectively = Multi-task - Participate actively, as well as be reliable and punctual ~ Present oneself professionally and with proper etiquette = Collaborate and cooperate effectively with teams ~ Respect and appreciate team diversity Be accountable for results Skill Sub-skills 1. Guideandlead | Use interpersonal and problem-solving skills to influence others and guide others toward a goal Leverage strengths of others to accomplish a common goal Inspire others to reach their very best via example and selflessness ‘Demonstrate integrity and ethical behavior in using influence and power (Partnership for 21” Century Skils, 2008} Skill Sub-skills 2. Be responsible to | Act responsibly with the interest or the larger community in others mind ‘(Partnership for 21” Century Skils, 2008)The 21* Century support systems. The following elements are the critical systems necessary to ensure student mastery of 21* Century ski (1) 21° Century standards; (2) assessments; (3) curriculum and instruction; (4) professional development; and (5) learning environments. These must be aligned to produce a support system that produces 21* Century outcomes for today's students (Partnership for 21" Century Skills, 2008). 4. 21st Century Standards 2.1. Focus on the 21* Century skills, content knowledge and expertise 1.2. Build understanding across and among core subjects, as well as 21* Century interdisciplinary themes 1.3. Emphasize deep understanding rather than shallow knowledge 14. 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 1.5. Allow for multiple measures of mastery 2. Assessment of 21" Century Skills 21 Supports a balance of assessments, including high-quality standardized testing along with effective formative and summative classroom assessments 2.2. Emphasizes useful feedback on student performance that is embedded into everyday learning 2.3. Requires a balance of technology-enhance, formative and summative ents that measure student mastery of 21 Century Skills 2.4. Enables development of portfolios of student work that demonstrate mastery of 21* Century skills to educators and prospective employers 2.5. Enables a balanced portfolio of measures to assess the educational system's effectiveness in reading high levels of student competency in 21" Century skills (AACTE, 2010) 3. 21 Century Curriculum and Instruction 3.1. Teaches 21* Century skills discretely in the context of core subjects and 21* Century interdisciplinary themes 3.2. Focuses on providing opportunities for applying 21% Century skills across content areas and for a competency-based approach to learning 3.3. Enables innovative learning methods that integrate the use of supportive technologies, inquiry and problem-based approaches and jher-order thinking skills Encourages the integration of community resources beyond ‘school walls (AACTE, 2010)4. The 21* Century Professional Development 4.1. Highlights ways teachers can seize opportunities for integrating 21% Century skills, tools and teaching strategies into their classroom practice and help them identify what activities they can replace/de- emphasize 4.2. Balances direct instruction with project-oriented teaching methods 4.3. illustrates how a deeper understanding of subject matter can enhance problem-solving, critical thinking, and other 21° Century skills 4.4. Enables 21“ Century professional learning communities for teachers that model the kinds of classroom learning that best Promotes 21* Century skills for students 4.5. Cultivates teachers’ ability to identify students’ particular learning styles, intelligences, strengths and weaknesses 4.6. Helps teachers to develop their abilities to use various strategies (such as formative assessments) to reach diverse students and create environments that support differentiated teaching and learning 4.7. Supports the continuous evaluation of students’ 21* Century skills development 4.8. Encourages knowledge sharing among communities of practitioners using face-to-face, virtual and blended communications 4.9. Uses a scalable and sustainable model of professional development (AACTE,2010) 5. The 21 Century Learning Environments 5.1. Create leaming practices, human support and physical environments that will support the teaching and leaming of 21% Century skill outcomes 5.2. Support professional learning communities that enable educators to collaborate, share best practices and integrate 21 skills into classroom practice 5.3. Enable students to leam in relevant, real-world 21° Century contexts (e.g., through project-based or other applied work) Allow equitable access to quality leaming tools, technologies and resources. 5.5. Provide 21* Century architectural and interior designs for group, team and individual learning 5.6. Support expanded community and intemational involvement learning, bath face-to-face and online (AACTE, 2010)The advent of 21* Century skill enhancement among leamers bring the following implications to educators in: 1. Successfully complementing technologies te content and pedagogy and developing the ability to creatively use technologies to meet specific learning needs 2. Aligning instruction with standards, particularly those that embody 21" Century knowledge and skills 3. Balancing directed instruction strategically with project-oriented teaching methods 4. Applying child and adolescent development knowledge to educator preparation and education policy Using a range of assessment strategies to evaluate student performance and differentiate instruction (including but not limited to formative, portfolio-based, —curriculum-embedded and summative) Participating actively in learning communities, tapping the expertise within a school or school district through coaching, mentoring, knowledge-sharing, and team teaching 7. Acting as mentors and peer coaches with fellow educators 8. Using a range of strategies (such as formative assessments) to reach diverse students and to create environments that supports differentiated teaching and leaming 9. Pursuing continuous leaming opportunities and embracing career- long learning as professional ethics (AACTE, 2010) 10.Establishing a conducive learning environment where learners can freely express themselves and explore their potentials and capacities There is a need to understand the key elements of optimum curricula that will help pre-service teachers develop the dispositions, habits of mind and confidence to enable students to develop 21 Century skills in a range of core academic subject areas. Since schools get rid of a one-size-fits-all system, therefore, pre-service teachers are expected to play an active role in developing and organizing content and instruction for their students. AACTE (2010) asserts that a 21" Century approach to curriculum is about more than just adding an extra course or extra class time in the curriculum. Thus, pre-service teachers benefit from the ability to fully explore and understand how to develop and use curriculum for deep understanding and mastery of academic subject knowledge and 21% Century skills. As a starting point, 3 teacher education program can be aligned with student and teacher standards in ways that blend thinking and innovationskills, ICT literacy, and life and career skills in the context of all academic subjects and across interdisciplinary themes. An effective 21% Century skills approach to curriculum, is designed for understanding (McTighe and Wiggins, 2005 in AACTE, 2010), The program's curriculum will be most beneficial to pre-service teachers if it is designed to produce deep understanding and authentic application of 21° Century skills in all subject areas. Instructional Models, Instructional models are an important component of any teacher preparation program, AACTE (2010) pointed out that the integration of innovative and research-proven teaching strategies, modem learning technologies and real-world resources and contexts are all imperative in L “ ~ When pre-service teachers can prepare and present lessons that can develop students’ essential concepts and skills with the integration of technologies, the latter can reciprocally demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving in class. 2. Creating rich practice teaching experiences. Strong practice teaching experiences allow pre-service teachers to connect theary and practice. 3. Creating dynamic learning communities and peer mentoring networks, Pre-service teachers benefit greatly from service-leaming as part of their experiential learning courses. it provides time to reflect on relevant pedagogic strategies that enhance 21" Century skills in classroom practice. 4. Examining _the role _of content, pedagogy _and technologies | developing higher-order thinking skills. The ability to teach for content mastery is a challenging task for most pre- service teachers. Teaching for content mastery (1) supports a range of high-quality standardized testing along formative and summative assessments; (2) emphasizes useful feedback on student performance: (3) requires balanced technology-enhanced, formative and summative assessments; (4) enables development of student portfolios that demonstrate mastery of 21* Century knowledge and skills; and (5) enables a balanced score card to assess the educational system's effectiveness. Teacher preparation programs can play a vital role in developing education leaders who understand and can influence current trends in assessment through; (1) research and evaluation test for innovative approaches; (2) 21* Century knowledge and skills assessment strategies; and (3) mastery of a wide range of student assessment methods. Learning environments, The leaming environment within the teacher preparation program is a key component of any systemic reforminitiative. Determining the enabling structures, policies and strategies that can best support 21" Century skills acquisition among pre-service teachers is a step towards creating a kind of environment that will promote 21* Century learning. The following are initiatives in creating 21* Century teacher education learning environment: (1) Establish a 21° Century vision for learning environments in the program and the university; (2) Ensure that the physical infrastructure supports 21* Century knowledge and skill; (3) Practice flexibility in time for project-based work and competency-based assessment; (4) Ensure technical infrastructure that sufficiently supports learning; and (5) Strengthen networking engagement in the learning environment. Partnerships. Partnerships are extraordinarily important in the work of transforming 21“ Century teacher preparation programs. Along the line, teamwork within the program and the institution is imperative for sustainability and development. The partnership forged with community with community leaders, business industry, professional associations, goverment agencies, non-government organizations, other institutions, parents, other stakeholders and the community creates high impact outcome. The powerful partnerships are created through strong collaboration towards enabling innovation in the teaching and learning for the 21" Century. Continuous Improvement. Continuous improvement represents willingness to commit to revisiting the process over time. For AACTE (2010), any implementation effort should include continuous improvement steps, to wit: (1) Clearly identify measurable goals; (2) Track progress regularly against these goals; (3) Communicate progress to all stakeholders; and (4) Engage all participants in refining and improving success over time (AACTE, 2010)