Preparing Every Child for the 21st Century

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Preparing Every Child for the 21st Century
Ken Kay, President Partnership for 21st Century
Skills APEC EdNet Xian Symposium Xian
China January 17, 2008
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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?

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• 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?

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Why 21st Century Skills?
The 21st Century is about
New Contexts
New Job Skills
Global Citizenship
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Why 21st Century Skills?
The 21st Century is about
New Contexts
New Job Skills
Global Citizenship
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Why are 21st Century Skills so Important?
There are new 21st Century Contexts
Information Growth
More Jobs Careers
Service Economy
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New Context
Skills Required
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Why 21st Century Skills?

• Are we asking the right questions?

Are our students critical thinkers and problem
solvers?
Are our students globally aware?
Are our students self-directed?
Are our students good collaborators?
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Why 21st Century Skills?

• Are we asking the right questions?

Are our students information and technology
literate?
Are our students flexible and adaptable?
Are our students innovative?
Are our students effective communicators?
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Why 21st Century Skills?
The 21st Century is about
New Contexts
New Job Skills
Global Citizenship
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Why 21st Century Skills?
The requirements of the workforce are changing
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Why 21st Century Skills?

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

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Why 21st Century Skills?

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

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Why 21st Century Skills?

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

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Why 21st Century Skills?

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

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Why 21st Century Skills?

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

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Why 21st Century Skills?
The 21st Century is about
New Contexts
New Job Skills
Global Citizenship
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• 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?

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P21 Members
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21st Century Skills Framework
20th Century Education Model
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21st Century Skills Framework
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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

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21st Century Skills Framework

• Learning Innovation Skills
• Critical Thinking Problem Solving
• Creativity Innovation
• Communication Collaboration

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21st Century Skills Framework

• Information, Media Technology Skills
• Information Literacy
• Media Literacy
• ICT (Information, Communications
• Technology) Literacy

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21st Century Skills Framework

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

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21st Century Skills Framework
Whats new about 21st Century Skills?
New Understanding of Coverage
New Areas of Emphasis
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21st Century Skills Framework
How do I find out more?

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Route 21
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Route 21
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Route 21
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Route 21
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• 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?

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What can the APEC economies do?
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.
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What can the APEC economies do?
2. Upgrade Professional Development
Create a teacher professional development
strategy for 21st century skills.
http//wvde.state.wv.us/teach21/
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What can the APEC economies do?
3. Upgrade Teacher Preparation Develop a
comprehensive reform strategy for Colleges of
Education and Higher Education
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What can the APEC economies do?
4. Upgrade Assessments
Use a full range of assessments, including
high-stakes and classroom assessments, to measure
21st century skills.
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What can the APEC economies do?
5. Invest in Research and Development

• 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)

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• 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?

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Recommendation for APEC Education Summit
1. Focus on general recommendations for 21st
Century skills.
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Recommendation for APEC Education Summit
2. Define Global Awareness broadly
Global Awareness must be broader than just second
language learning.
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Recommendation for APEC Education Summit
3. Link STEM skills to 21st Century Skills
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.
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Recommendation for APEC Education Summit
4. Leverage the core competencies of vocational
education professionals Bringing life and
career awareness skills to EVERY student.
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Recommendation for APEC Education Summit
5. Adopt a rigorous global standard of ICT
literacy International standard must go beyond
tech competency.
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Recommendation for APEC Education Summit
6. Focus on potential areas of global 21st
century skills cooperation

• 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

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Conclusion
Are our students ready for the 21st Century?
Are our students critical thinkers and problem
solvers?
Are our students globally aware?
Are our students self-directed?
Are our students good collaborators?
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Conclusion
Are our students ready for the 21st Century?
Are our students information and technology
literate?
Are our students flexible and adaptable?
Are our students innovative?
Are our students effective communicators?
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Conclusion
These skills should become the design specs
for 21st Century education in every APEC economy.
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Contact Us
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills 177
North Church Avenue, Suite 305 Tucson, AZ
85701 [phone] www.21stcenturyskills.org