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Contents 1 21st Century Skills (Sandbox Draft) 1.1 Contributing Writings and Organizations 1.1.1 Partnership for 21st Century Skills 1.1.1.1 Mission Statement 1.1.1.2 Goals 1.1.1.3 21st Century Skills 1.1.1.4 21st Century Skills Framework 1.1.1.5 Content Areas 1.1.1.6 Implementing 21st Century Skills in our Educational Systems 1.1.1.7 Recommendations for Connecting 21st Century Learning & High School Reform 1.1.1.8 Further Steps for Action 1.1.1.9 21st Century Learning puts emphasis on learning skills 1.1.1.10 Partnership's State Leadership Initiative 1.1.2 Metiri/NCREL enGauge 1.1.3 Gaming is the future of learning? 1.1.4 ISTE NETS 1.1.5 AASL Learning Standards 1.1.6 Web 2.0 1.1.7 Microsoft Education Competencies 1.2 External Links

[edit] 21st Century Skills (Sandbox Draft)

21st Century Skills are the requisite skills and knowledge that today's students need in order to become successful and productive citizens in the 21st century.

21st Century Skills demanded by employers today include:

• Digital Age Literacy
• Inventive Thinking
• Effective Communication
• High Productivity

21st Century Skills promote spirited thinking, effective citizenship, and the love of lifelong learning.

[edit] Contributing Writings and Organizations

[edit] Partnership for 21st Century Skills

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is an emerging advocacy organization that is taking the lead in infusing 21st Century Skills into today's education.

Leaders in education and the business sector believe that essential knowledge for the 21st century is missing in today's educational standards.

[edit] Mission Statement

To bring 21st Century Skills to every child in America by serving as a catalyst for change in teaching, learning, and assessment and as an advocate among education policy makers through a unique partnership among education, business, government leaders, and communities. They have developed a vision that can be used to strengthen American education. (www.21stcenturyskills.org)

[edit] Goals

The Partnership's goals include:

• Synthesizing research, insight and best practices about 21st century knowledge and skills into a powerful vision and sharing this information broadly.
• Defining a framework and creating a common language for understanding and promoting 21st century skills.
• Providing tools, examples, and a strategy for action.
• Building a consensus in the public and private sectors about the nature and need for 21st century skills.

[edit] 21st Century Skills

The skills targeted by The Partnership for 21st Century Skills are:

• Information and communication skills (information and media literacy skills; communication skills.)

• Thinking and problem-solving (critical thinking and systems thinking; reflection; problem identification, formulation and solution; creativity and intellectual curiosity.)

• Interpersonal and self-direction skills (interpersonal and collaborative skills; self-direction; accountability and adaptability; social responsibility.)

The five reasons 21st Century Skills are important:

• Global Economy
• U.S. is falling behind
• Nature of work is changing
• Requirements of 21st century work force are changing
• Need to prepare students to be effective 21st century citizens

[edit] 21st Century Skills Framework

The 21st Century Skills Framework is a unified, collective vision for 21st century learning that can be used to strengthen American education.

The 21st Century Skills Framework consists of six key elements:

1. Life Skills (such as leadership, ethics, accountability, adaptability, personal productivity, people skills, communication skills, self-direction, social and personal responsibility).
2. 21st Century Content (global awareness, financial literacy, civic literacy, health & wellness awareness).
3. Core Subjects (English, reading, math, science, foreign languages, civics, government, economics, arts, history & geography - as stated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001).
4. Learning and Thinking Skills (Critical thinking, problem solving skills, communication skills, creativity, collaboration skills, contextual learning skills, & information and media literacy skills).
5. ICT Literacy (Information and Communications Technology literacy is the ablity to use technology to develop 21st century content knowledge and skills, in support of 21st century teaching and learning).
6. 21st Century Assessment (Measure all five results-core subjects, 21st century content, learning and thinking skills, ICT literacy and life skills).

[edit] Content Areas

Skills development in four content areas will be critical to student's future success in their communities and workplaces. These content areas are:

1. Global awareness--Students will learn diversity and respect by communicating with people from other races, cultures, religions and lifestyles.
2. Financial, economic and business literacy--Students will learn personal and business economics and how economies work.
3. Civic literacy--Aims to increase the involvement of students in government and the effects of their participation locally and globally.
4. Health and wellness awareness--Students will learn to access health information and prevent physical and mental problems.

♦====Literacy Maps====

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, a group of major business and education organizations formed in 2002, has created "maps" giving examples of how ICT Literacy can be incorporated in the core subjects to make those areas more applicable to the demands of the 21st century.

The ICT Literacy Maps for the core subjects cover:

• Science
• Social Studies, including Civics, Government, Economics, History, and Geography
• Math
• English, including Reading or Language Arts

The Maps are divided into specific grade levels--4th, 8th, and 12th grades with goals established for the following areas:

   Information and Media Literacy 
   Communication Skills
   Critical Thinking and Systems Thinking
   Problem Identification, Formulation, and Solution
   Creativity and Intellectual Curiosity
   Interpersonal and Collaborative Skills
   Self-Direction
   Accountability and Adaptability
   Social Responsibility

Real world problem solving is an important part of each of these literacy maps. Students must learn the skills needed to make them viable participants in the job market if they are to succeed in a growing global market with increasing emphasis on technology. In addition, problem solving develops the skills students need to succeed in a growing global market. With the rate that the world changes, it is important to develop the skills to move forward through problem solving.

[edit] Implementing 21st Century Skills in our Educational Systems

21st Century Skills are those skills students will need to be marketable to employers as they graduate from high school or college. Employers look for students who can demonstrate high productivity skills, thinking and learning skills, effective communication skills, and digital age literacy skills that are a part of the 21st Century Skills. The first step is for educators to understand the importance of these skills and to learn how to incorporate them into the curriculum in ways that will help students learn core knowledge in a way that is relevant to the 21st Century.

Students need to learn academic content through real world experiences both in and out of school. Teachers must find a balance for students, they need to find new and exciting ways to engage students with the three R's, yet include the knowledge base for a successful life outside of the school walls. Students still need to learn the basics of education--reading, writing, and math skills. In addition, teachers must equip them with technological skills, scientific understandings, global awareness, communication skills, etc. Students also need portable skills - critical thinking skills and the ability to make connections between ideas and how to keep on learning beyond the taught lesson. Another challenge is how to incorporate 21st century skills for students who are not proficient in English.

What teachers can do to implement these skills:

1. Develop a consensus among parents, community, school and students
2. Take a self-assessment
3. Upgrade professional development
4. Embed 21st century skills in core subjects
5. Upgrade assessments
6. Focus on reforming high schools
7. Collaborate with community-based groups
8. Collaborate with business communities
9. Place necessary technology and adequate materials for 21st century skills in all classrooms

# Work with universities to train student teachers to teach 21st century skills

These steps will not be easily accomplished. Time, commitment, money and incentives must be implemented.

Professional teacher development is an important element to the implementation of 21st century skills in education. Seven key areas have been identified:

• *Leadership Training so that administrators can be effective role models and decision makers.
• *In-service Training to help identify new pedagogical tools, & approaches for integration of 21st century skills into the curriculum.
• *Information & Communication Technologies Literacy, ICT so that teachers will have the tools & pedagogical support that will enable them to help students become proficient in ICT.
• *Ease of Access so that educators have the tools they need to utilize quality professional development.
• *Pre-Service Training which ensures education institutes equip future teachers for 21st century instruction.
• *Accreditation to add accreditation criteria for teachers in education programs.
• *21st Century Teaching Academies where teachers can develop and renew 21st century skill and pedagogy.

Together, educators and corporations must create a 21st century context for learning. This can be done by making the curriculum focus be relevant to students' lives, by making classroom to world connections and by creating opportunities for students to interact with teachers, other students and other knowledgeable adults within their communities. Teachers, students, and parents alike must be kept accountable when implementing 21st century skills.

To be effective, educators must continually be engaged in professional development opportunities to stay current with ever changing technological advances. Professional development opportunities must be provided and sustained by school districts. Teachers must present current information to students to prepare them as knowledgeable employees who are able to effectively communicate and socialize with their peers and coworkers.

Professional development to ensure the integration of 21st Century Skills must be systemic, not only across the grades but across subject areas. Integration will require the use of "digital integrationist"...specialists in the area on integrating 21st Century Skills into core content subjects. Effective implementation of 21st Century Skills cannot be in isolation, similar to how we have attempted to teach technology skills. These "digital integrationists" will allow teachers access to specialists that can facilitate integration. As teachers become aware of 21st Century Skills the integrationists will work with teachers on effective ways to address the skills needed for students to be successful.

Assessing the implementation and integration of 21st Century Skills is vital to the teacher success. In order to ensure that the professional development is having an impact directly in the classroom, additional professional development must be provided to administrators to allow them to recognize when effective integration is taking place. These administrators must also work closely with the "digital integrationists" to fully understand effective integration of these skills in order to be able to facilitate conversations with teachers during evaluation.

What can teachers do to implement 21st century skills? Embrace a powerful vision of public education that includes 21st century skills. Align leadership, management and resources with educational goals. Assess where schools are now. Develop priorities for 21st century skills. Establish professional development plans for educators. Create a support system within each school for the incorporation of 21st century skills Make sure students have equitable access to 21st century education. Begin developing assessments to measure student progress in 21st century skills. Collaborate with outside partners. Plan collectively and strategically for the future. Apply for as many grants as possible.

According to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's 2003 report, Connected to the Future, digital access today is more a factor of income than ethnicity. With children's home access to the Internet increasing, with life and school tasks becoming more and more Internet-dependent, and with quality content requiring higher and higher bandwidth, low-income students are at a potential disadvantage. This disparity is increasing the pressure on schools to provide robust Internet access for all children.

[edit] Recommendations for Connecting 21st Century Learning & High School Reform

(Results that Matter - 21st Century Skills and High School Reform)

1. Design high schools to prepare all students with 21st Century knowledge and skills.

• Mastering core subjects by using learning and thinking skills, which will

make high school education truly rigorous.

• Mastering 21st century content that is relevant in the world today.
• Acquiring ICT literacy in the context of learning core subjects.
• Mastering the life skills that are increasingly essential for success in the world today.
• Demonstrating knowledge and skills on meaningful 21st century

assessments that reflect real-world challenges.

2. Fully and strategically integrate 21st Century knowledge, skills and assessments into high schools.

3. Require high school students to demonstrate achievement of 21st Century knowledge and skills.

• Critical-Thinking, Problem-Solving and Communications Assessment.
• Key Stage 3 Assessment.
• ICT Literacy Assessment.

4. Improve professional development in 21st Century skills.

5. Partner with the business community and community-based organizations.

American students are not proficient in learning and thinking skills. The report states: "When American students are asked to apply conceptual knowledge to critical thinking and problem solving, they are less competent than students in many other countries." It also points out that ICT literacy should be an integral part of learning core subjects. In other words, students should not learn technology as a stand-alone subject, but should use technology to help them "learn, think critically, solve problems, use information, communicate, innovate and collaborate." Teachers, who tend to teach as they were taught, need to learn how to integrate these skills into their curricula. Quality ongoing professional development is essential.

Higher standards are necessary, too. The Carnegie unit, based on seat time, does not measure proficiency. Assessments must measure what we want our students to learn: core content and 21st Century skills.

[edit] Further Steps for Action

Many entities must be involved in order for this change to take place successfully. The federal government must provide leadership for state governments to implement changes. The first step would be to include 21st Century Skills in the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind. This would give state governments the guidance necessary to help their schools implement the skills. The federal government also needs to support pilot programs to implement skills. These programs would be especially important in at-risk schools and programs in order to close the achievement gap.

One of the most important ways the state can implement the change is to build 21st Century Skills into the state graduation mandates. Funding is another way that the states can help schools implement the skills. Local school districts and community businesses and organizations must also be a part of the equation in order for the acquisition of these skills to take place.

[edit] 21st Century Learning puts emphasis on learning skills

Students in the 21st century need more than basic facts. They need to use their knowledge and apply the skills they have learned. This can be done in numerous ways: critical thinking, scaffolding, information analysis, communicating, collaborating, understanding new ideas, inquiry based education, problem solving, and decision making.

[edit] Partnership's State Leadership Initiative

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has been working since its formation in 2002 to help states and communities change their teaching. Five states have become partners on implementing 21st Century Skills. Those states are Massachusetts, North Carolina, West Virginia, Wisconsin and South Dakota.

The nation's first Center for 21st Century Skills was launched in 2005 in North Carolina. West Virginia has also partnered with the group in an effort to link educational improvement and economic development in the state. In June 2007, South Dakota became the fifth state to launch the 21st Century Skills Initiative.

According to Karen Bruett, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills has emerged as the leading advocacy organization for infusing 21st century skills into education. The organization brings together the business community, education leaders and policymakers to define a powerful vision for 21st century K-12 education and to provide tools and resources to help facilitate and drive change.

[edit] Metiri/NCREL enGauge

enGauge...21st Century Skills engage students in authentic, real-world situations to fully prepare them for the challenges of work and life in the 21st century. Research shows these real world experiences have a significant impact on increased learning.

enGauge....is a guide that can be used to help form school policies and practices to help educate and prepare students for the Digital Age.

The skills emphasized below are intended to provide the public, business, industry, and educators with a common understanding of what 21st Century Skills are, why they are important, and how they will contribute to the success of students as individuals striving to live, learn, and work in the Digital Age. There are 4 main skills defined:

1. Digital-Age Literacies (basic, scientific, economic, technological, visual, information, and multicultural literacies and global awareness.)
2. Inventive Thinking (adaptability/managing complexity, self-direction, curiosity, creativity, risk-taking, and higher-order thinking and sound reasoning)
3. Effective Communication (teaming and collaboration, interpersonal skills, personal responsibility, social and civic responsibility, interactive communication)
4. High Productivity (prioritizing, planning and managing for results, effective use of real-world tools, ability to produce relevant, high-quality products)

There are five steps to bringing 21st Century Skills to schools.

They are:

1. Learn-- Research the history and rationale of 21st Century Skills.
2. Advocate-- Create and consult with a school leadership team. Identify what skills are important to your school and community.
3. Focus-- Identify stakeholders and learn what is already being done in your school to foster these skills. Make the commitment to invest time, resources and money to achieve the goals you have set.
4. Impact--Create a support system to be sure that schools have what they need to be successful.
5. Activate--Try new things, make necessary systemic changes, and get ready!

[edit] Gaming is the future of learning?

Dr. Marc Prensky thinks so... some reasons....

He states "“Our greatest untapped resource is our unused computer cycles.”

Electronic games are engaging. From Nintendo to iPods everyone has one or is getting ready to buy one. Dr. Prensksy suggests that schools tap into that pathway. Students now demand engagement because of their use of games. They demand the rewards offered them through the use of games.

Educational use of technology, that students already engage in, will tap into their world and increase student learning. The engaging component of gaming can be a valuable learning tool to motivate students' learning, thereby equipping them with the skills they need to be competetive in the 21st Century.

Games have clear goals. The ability to plan, fail and re-plan to achieve a goal is a life lesson all should and will learn at some point. The goals are motivational, causing individuals to practice skills they might not normally practice. The goals help the students adapt and generate alternative means to meet their goals; if one way does not work, they will try another way to help meet their goal (in the game).

Games are adaptive. They adapt to the players' levels. Students are intrinsically motivated to improve on their own performance so they can advance to the next level. The experience desired by the individual is typically adjustable. However, if gaming/learning truly takes off, the ability to tone a game to each user would be a home-run so to speak.

Gamers are active and interactive; students are not passively reading or listening, they are truly engaged in the process and they are practicing social skills.

Games involve the use of both visual and auditory senses. Bright colors and images are appealing to the players, along with cool sound effects and music.

Gaming participants are constantly making choices and decisions and receive immediate feedback as they play; problems are considered from many different angles. The ability to make decisions and live and grow with them is an excellent life skill. The decision-making component of electronic games also gives students some control over their learning.

Games also provide competition and collaboration for additional appeal to students and practicing the 21st Century skill of working collaboratively. Students can compete and collaborate with students on the other side of the room, or on the other side of the globe breaking through cultural, distance and language barriors.

Prensky says '"engagement is more important than content;" While content will change, engagement helps students continue to learn. Games are effective because they provide Engagement and Motivation. Creators of games know how to motivate their participants. Educators need to utilize that same motivational skill. Prensky adds that educators need to engage their students using 21st century ways, not necessarily through expensive graphics or multimedia but through what kids call 'game play.' Teachers need to use the same combinations that games offer: desirable goals, interesting choices, immediate & useful feedback, opportunities to "level up" or see oneself improve; these are the things that engage kids in their favorite complex games.

Prensky also states that kids are powered by their interests. He says that many people call kids today ADD(Attention Deficit Disorder), but he instead refers to kids as EOE which stands for "engage me or enrage me". He also states that many kids today are enraged because they are not engaged. He believes that kids play games because it is the most engaging activity available to them.

Marc Prensky coined the phrases "digital natives" (our students) and "digital immigrants" (us, as educators). These labels summarize the students' and teachers' perspectives of the 21st century skills. JZ014 18:16, 10 April 2007 (UTC). The term "native" is appropriate because today's students, those born after 1985, were born into an age with technology like computers, cell phones, DVD players, and most importantly, the Internet. They have no fear of technology and it is second nature to them. "Immigrants," on the other hand, have had to learn these technologies and adapt to them. This has been easier for some than others. This puts some teachers at a disadvantage as they know less than their students in the area of technology. Because of this, educators feel uncomfortable incorporating these tools into their teaching. Prensky states that kids today process material more quickly and differently. They have different expectations of technology. They take connectivity for granted.

Prensky states that one of the most important tools for students in the 21st century is not the computer, but the cell phone. Currently, most schools ban cell phone use for reasons like cheating and inappropriate picture taking. Prensky says the real reason schools ban cell phones is that, "given the opportunity to use them, students would "vote with their attention", just as adults "vote with their feet" by leaving the room."

In Europe, China, Japan, and the Phillippines, mobile phones are already in use by the public as learning tools. Cell phones have numerous capabilities: voice, short messaging service (SMS), graphics, camera functions, voice recognition, and geopositioning, all of which can be utilized to by teachers for a myriad of learning experiences.

Our systems and teachers weren’t designed to train today’s “Digital Natives.” Mark Prensky says that educators need to unlearn instructional design so it doesn’t take the fun out of learning. Educators must remember that they are teaching in the 21st century. They must take their cue from 21st century technologies and how their students interact with them. Prensky states that many of our young people have a much better idea of what the future is bringing, and, therefore, if students are given a voice in the educational process, the technology will move from "after-school" activities to "in-school" activities. Teachers must put engagement at the forefront when considering curriculum and instruction. Teachers do not necessarily need to know how to use every bit of new technology, but they must be able to recognize when to incorporate the tools and knowledge that students (digital natives) utilize and bring what they use in everyday life into the classroom.

Prensky also encourages teachers to let their students select the groups they want to work with rather than "herding" ("students' involuntary assignment to specific classes or groups") them. This allows for more adaptivity as the student learns, as well as the opportunity to utilize the virtual world through technology. By collaborating and working with other students world-wide, students have unlimited access to new learning opportunities and endless group-mate options.

• Children and teenagers now use computers and the Internet more than any other age group. For example, the average child spends nine hours a week playing games. Boys spend 13 hours a week playing these games. These numbers/percentages are only going to increase as technology continues to be the 'norm' in many children's daily lives.

    *98% of children between the ages of 5 and 17 (or 48 million) now use computers.
    *75% of 14-17 year olds now use the Internet
    *65% of 10-13 year olds now use the Internet 

The process for bringing 21st Century Skill into our schools is as follows.

• 1. Learn-(Research the 21st century skills, reflect, discuss, debate, and argue, why are these skills important?)
• 2. Advocate-(Set a goal worth striving for)
• 3. Focus-(Find the fit for your schools, make the commitment)
• 4. Activate-(Try things, make necessary system changes,& get everyone ready)
• 5. Impact-(Implement with integrity)

[edit] ISTE NETS

The January 4, 2007, draft of the revised International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for Students is subtitled: “What students should know and be able to do to learn effectively and live productively in an increasingly digital world…”

The six revised standards categories are as follows. The major change between the 1st version of the NETS is the shift in focus from tools to skills. --Tc063 04:14, 25 October 2007 (UTC)

     1.  Creativity and Innovation 

Students will use creative thinking and prior knowledge to create new ideas, products, and processes. They will also use models to explore issues and study trends to forecast change.

     2.  Communication and Collaboration 

Students will use a variety of media to communicate, collaborate, and interact with a variety of audiences. They will also develop global awareness and collaborate as a team to problem solve and complete projects.

     3.  Research and Information Retrieval 

Students will use a variety of digital media to locate, evaluate, and use information. They will also select appropriate digital sources based on the task and process data and report results.

     4.  Critical Thinking Problem-Solving and Decision-Making 

Students will apply critical thinking skills and digital media to solve problems and make decisions. They will also plan and manage projects and use different perspectives to explore many solutions.

     5.  Digital Citizenship 

Students will take a personal responsibility and display legal and ethical behavior related to technology. They will also exhibit responsibility and a postitive attitude toward technology. Students will keep personal information confidential.(age, sex, location, contact info., etc.)

     6.  Technology Operations and Concepts 

Students will have a solid understanding of concepts, systems, and operations in technology. They will also troubleshoot systems and apply current knowledge to new technology systems.

[edit] AASL Learning Standards

The American Association of School Librarians has started to create new learning standards for school library media programs. They have done this in order to recognize the ever changing functions of library programs for now and in the future.

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has developed a draft of standards and have the working title:

21st Century Library Learning Standards

I. Learners use 21st century information skills, resources and tools to inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge. (ex. Use a variety of information literacies to gather meaning from information presented in any format.) Students should ask questions based on content and investigate to find relevant information.

II. Learners use 21st century information skills, resources and tools to draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge. (ex. Use technology and information tools to think critically and work productively and creatively.) Students should draw conclusions and make decisions to form new knowledge as well as create their own expressions of learning.

III. Learners use 21st century information skills, resources and tools to share their knowledge and understandings with others and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society. (ex. Participate and collaborate as members of a social network of learners.) Students should share their new understandings with others and reflect on their own work.

IV. Learners use 21st century information skills, resources and tools to pursue personal and aesthetic growth. (ex. Read for pleasure and personal growth.)

Each standard is explained in four different components. 1. A list of skills - utilizing an inquiry based process for learning. 2. Self-assessment strategies - allowing students to reflect and monitor their progress. 3. Dispositions - listing behavior characteristics that promote the use of 21st century information skills. 4. Responsibilities - guidelines to be followed, contributions to be made.

A combination of essential conditions are required to create learning environments conducive to powerful uses of technology, including:

• Vision with support and proactive leadership from the education system.
• Educators skilled in the use of technology for teaching and learning; it is vital that educators embrace technology and integrate it into their curriculum so their students are not only exposed to it, but also realize the value of it in their daily lives
• Content standards and curriculum resources
• Student-centered approaches to learning
• Assessment of the effectiveness of technology for learning; technology is always changing and advancing and schools need to continually update their technology to benefit students.
• Access to contemporary technologies, software, and telecommunications networks
• Technical assistance for maintaining and using technology resources--adequate support is vital so users are not frustrated by malfunctioning equipment and are comfortable using the resources.
• Community partners who provide expertise, support, and real-life interactions
• Ongoing financial support for sustained technology use
• Policies and standards supporting new learning environments
• Training and inservice for teachers on how to use and implement new technology into the curriculum.

Educators must have readily available online coursework to move them from "digital immigrants," as Marc Prensky coined, to "digital natives." Educators have fallen behind in regards to technology and they need to catch up! It is possible and can be done. Providing hardware and programs to teach and reach "digital immigrants" must be at the crux of intentions. Funding must be allotted to all districts to reach these crucial goals. Not only do all of the above mentioned items need to be in place, but continued tech support in each building also needs to be available. Teachers will be much more likely to learn new technology and use it when there is strong support available directly in his/her own building. Educators should utilize tools and programs that are currently available to their maximum extent, but are these programs and tools updated regularly to keep up with technological advances? Everything moves so quickly in the technical world that educators must constantly "work-out" to stay technologically fit for the future and for their precious investments, their students. MK096

When moving into the 21st century and experiencing the technological revolution, there are two choices. Educators can stagnate in the traditions of bygone education days or they can proceed ahead and continue learning along with their students as technology advances. It is imperative that educators stay abreast of current technological developments so they can better address their students' needs. It is obvious that the corporate world is concerned about future leaders and their role globally. Educators are faced with the enormous responsibility of producing learners that have vast global communications abilities. It is encouraging, due to this heavy responsibility, that business communities throughout the nation are realizing that educators cannot reach these goals alone and that everyone must work together to advance and become an integral part of the global community as a nation. It starts in the earliest grade levels with commitment to the students. To reach the nation's goals for the future, there must be teamwork, collaboration, and problem solving. MK096

To be effective leaders and employees in a global knowledge based economy, students need more than just the basic content skills and workplace training. For the United States to be in the forefront in the world economy, higher order 21st Century knowledge skills must be taught. Communication and technology skills are abilities our students will need to acquire. Creating a partnership with business, education, workforce developers, and national policy makers can guide schools through the necessary changes in order to provide the courses and materials available to help students master those 21st century skills.

Educators need to not only be active in the technology the students acquire, but they also need to be pro-active in assisting students with the acquisition of the knowledge. Educators need to make the acquisition of the technological information transition seamless.

[edit] Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is a term popularized by O’Reilly media beginning in 2004. Web 2.0 has not been exactly defined. However, it essentially refers to a renaissance of the internet in which the internet is more interactive and easily links members of the worldwide internet community. Web 1.0 is a term applied retroactively to a point and click web of search engines and information availability. It allows the network to be a platform. [Web 2.0]], by contrast, provides the tools for true web interaction and the ability by individuals to broadcast their ideas to the world. Examples of Web 2.0 tools are blogs, podcasts, wikis, and individual websites that make use of these technologies such as Flickr, in the realm of shared and linked digital images, YouTube, where anyone can broadcast a video about any topic, and Wikipedia, where anyone can contribute to a worldwide encyclopedia. Web 2.0 may well be the realization of the original intent of the internet, a democratic web where users and not web designers control content. Web 2.0 can allow individuals to upload as well as download.

Web 2.0 also includes simulation games that allow people from all over the world to converse in an alternative state. Many of these games (such as "Second Life") are allowing people to create an alternative version of themselves. These people find that in real world situations they might not feel as if they are truly being themselves, yet on the web they are able to become who they might want to be or who they want to become. Web 2.0 includes Map Quest, Yahoo!, and Google Maps.

[edit] Microsoft Education Competencies

Microsoft Competencies were developed to help educators understand and develop the attributes, behaviors, areas of knowledge, skills, and abilities that an individual must possess in order to help an organization achieve success. Depending on how these qualities are viewed, many connect to 21st Century Skills in the workplace and may be a useful tool for school districts and other educational organizations when finding the right candidate(s) to fill key jobs. A definition, four levels of proficiency, sample interview questions, activities and resources to develop these skills, and examples of overdoing it were developed with each Education Competency.

The Competencies are organized into six categories below:
Individual Excellences (Ability to achieve results by working effectively with others.)
• Building Effective Teams
• Customer Focus
• Integrity and Trust
• Interpersonal Skills
• Listening
• Managing Relationships
• Managing Vision and Purpose
• Motivating Others
• Negotiating
• Personal Learning and Development
• Valuing Diversity

Organizational Skills (Ability to communicate by various means within different settings.)
• Comfort Around Authority

 (competent in working with authority)

• Organizational Agility

 (understands organizational structure and is competent in working with all levels of that    
 structure)

• Presentation Skills

 (competent in all presentation settings and considers audience in planning for presentations)

• Written Communication

(competent in writen communication in all settings and styles)

Courage (Ability to speak directly, honestly and with respect in difficult situations.)
• Assessing Talent
• Conflict Management
Begin by realizing their situations that need attention, and step in as a mediator. It is important to realize when it is more important to realize you need a break instead of trying to deal with conflict. Have the students help solve a problem between two other individuals. • Managerial Courage

Results (An emphasis on goal-oriented action)
• Action Oriented
• Drive for Results

Strategic Skills (An array of skills used to accomplish focused, longer-term goals.)
• Creativity
- Generates new ideas regarding his/her own job. IMPORTANT: Encourage Creativity , but make sure they follow through with ideas and concepts. • Dealing with Ambiguity
• Decision Quality and Problem Solving
• Functional/Technical Skills
• Intellectual Acumen
• Learning on the Fly
• Strategic Agility and Innovation Management
• Technical Learning

Operating Skills (An array of skills used for daily management of tasks and relationships.)
• Developing Others
• Directing Others
• Managing and Measuring Work
• Managing Through Processes and Systems
• Organizing
• Plannning
• Priority Setting
• Time Management
• Timely Decision Making

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, in a document titled Results that Matter, suggests changes in high schools.The list the following Recommendations for Connecting 21st Century Learning & High School Reform 1. Design high schools to prepare all students with 21st century knowledge and skills. 2. Fully and strategically integrate 21st century knowledge, skills and assessments into high schools. 3. Require high school students to demonstrate achievement of 21st century knowledge and skills. 4. Improve professional development in 21st century skills. 5. Partner with the business community and community-based organizations.

[edit] External Links

• http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=254&Itemid=120
• http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/documents/RTM2006.pdf
• http://www.metiri.com/features.html
• http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslproftools/learningstandards/AASL_Learning-Standards-DRAFT2.pdf
• http://www.apple.com/education/profiles/oakland/
• http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/NETS_Refresh_Forum_Meetings/ISTENETS_Refreshed_S4Jan07.pdf
• Learning for the 21st Century; A Report and Mile Guide for 21st Century Skills; Partnership for 21st Century Skills

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• Gateway to 21st Century Skills--Access to thousands of 21st Century Skills Resources, including lesson plans
• [[1]] An interactive guide to getting started with 21st Century Learning Skills
• http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/documents/RTM2006.pdf Results that Matter - 21st Century Skills and High School Reform
• [2] Web 2.0...The Machine is Us/ing Us
• [3] A Day in the Life of Web 2.0--an example of how a school and community might look using these resources.
• [4] Education 2.0, Links for teachers.
• [5] A new wave of innovation for teaching and learning.
• [6] Web 2.0 Teaching Tools.
• [7] Educational Technology: Support for Inquiry-Based Learning
• [8] Applying Big6™ Skills, Information Literacy Standards and ISTE NETS to Internet Research.
• [9] Online Resources to Support

BIG6™ INFORMATION SKILLS.

• [10] WebQuest Taskonomy:

A Taxonomy of Tasks.