21st Century Skills for Students - 21CSS

21st Century Skills for Students  21CSS

We are well into the 21st century and every educational organisation involved in technology has acknowledged a different(additional) set of skills is required by today's students. They are a set of skills required by a 21st century employee and therefore they need to be learnt by the students who will become those employees.

When integrating technology into education we should be aware of the syllabus outcome we are treating and the 21st Century Skill  for Students (21CSS) we are addressing. We should know this BEFORE we choose a technological device/tool/application/website that we might use to help the student learn the outcome and 21CSS.

Technology in education should aid learning. Students should not learn about technology. The technology should help the student understand the content the teacher is teaching. Technology is a tool to aid learning, not something to learn. As Louise Thomas from www.innovationunit.org  said, “Technology that allows children to learn for themselves and enables discovery and a lot more inquiry.”

I've compiled this list to try and simplify and summarise the skills you all know and already teach, to make teachers actively aware of what they are probably already doing. And to make the skills are easier to work with. Real classroom teachers don't care for academic jargon and marketing spin, they want real world, easy to use language and ideas.

It's not surprise they are very similar when compared from one organisation to the next. Mine most closely marry up with ISTE. So on this page I've given my six with a short explanation of each. 

I've also included references to several organisations and how they fit together when grouped. See below for the references.

1.Collaboration and communication Communication and collaboration -ISTE Collaboration - 21CLD - Microsoft  Skilled communication - 21CLD - Microsoft  Ways of working (communication and collaboration)- ATC21s Collaboration - skills21 Communication - skills21 Collaboration across Networks and Leading by Influence - 21stcenturyskills.com (Tony Wagner) Effective Oral and Written Communication - 21stcenturyskills.com (Tony Wagner) Communication -  Brian Miller Collaboration -  Brian Miller	2. Creativity and innovation Creativity and innovation -ISTE Ways of thinking. (Creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making and learning) - ATC21s Creativity and innovation - skills21 Initiative and Entrepreneurialism - 21stcenturyskills.com (Tony Wagner) Curiosity and Imagination - 21stcenturyskills.com (Tony Wagner) Creativity -  Brian Miller	3.Researching and processing information Research and information fluency - ISTE Knowledge construction - 21CLD - Microsoft  Tools for working. (Information and communications technology (ICT) and information literacy) - ATC21s Information literacy -  skills21 Accessing and Analysing Information - 21stcenturyskills.com (Tony Wagner) Critical Thinking-  Brian Miller
4.Problem solving and critical thinking Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making - ISTE Real-world problem solving and innovation - 21CLD - Microsoft  Problem solving - skills21 Critical thinking and problem solving - 21stcenturyskills.com (Tony Wagner)	5.Digital awareness Digital citizenship - ISTE Self-regulation - 21CLD - Microsoft  Skills for living in the world. (Citizenship, life and career, and personal and social responsibility) - ATC21s Responsible citizenship - skills21 Connectivity -  Brian Miller	6.Technological adaptability Technology Operations and concepts - ISTE Use of ICT for learning- 21CLD - Microsoft  Agility and Adaptability - 21stcenturyskills.com (Tony Wagner) Culture -  Brian Miller

Links for each of the organisation from where I have grouped their 21st century skill (or equivalent)

ITSE - The International Society of Technology in Education https://www.iste.org/standards

21CLD - Microsoft - 21st Century Learning Design by Microsoft http://www.pil-network.com/pd/21CLD/Overview

ATC21s - Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills (University of Melbourne) http://atc21s.org/index.php/about/what-are-21st-century-skills/

Skills21 - Centre for 21st Century Skills at Education Connection  http://www.skills21.org/

21stcenturyskills.com(Tony Wagner) - Based on The Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner. Read more http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/What_is_21st_Century_Education.htm

Brian Miller - http://flipped4science.blogspot.com.au