Due to the current global economy, the learning of 21st-century
skills has become a significant focus in today’s educational setting. Fortunately,
there are resources designed to aid educators in the teaching of these
essential skills. One such resource is the website of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, or P21. Upon
reviewing the website, I found it to be an excellent source for teachers who
recognize the need to address 21st century skills in their classrooms.
According to the organization’s mission statement, the group’s
goal is to “serve as a catalyst to position 21st century readiness at the
center of US K12 education by building collaborative partnerships among
education, business, community and government leaders” (Partnership for 21st
Century Skills, 2011). It is for this reason that such high-profile companies
as Apple Computer, Inc., Microsoft Corporation, and AOL Time Warner Foundation
were instrumental in establishing P21. More specifically, P21 aims to “align
classroom environments with real world environments by fusing the 3Rs and 4Cs”
(P21, 2011). The 3Rs refer to the academic subjects and content areas that are
already addressed in schools, such as English; science; and the arts; while the
4Cs include critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity (P21,
2011). To bring all of these areas together would prepare students to be
effective citizens in the future.
One reason why I found the website to be a terrific discovery
is due to the numerous resources that are accessible on the site. For example, under
the State
Initiatives tab, one can find separate pages dedicated to the sixteen U.S.
states that have adopted plans to “ensure 21st century readiness for every
student” (P21, 2011). I was pleased to find that the state in which I live, New
Jersey, is one of the states that has committed itself to this endeavor. Upon
selecting ‘New Jersey,’ I was redirected to another website. This site, titled Route
21, includes an abundance of information referring to 21st century skills,
state standards, professional development, and more. However, I was surprised
to find that this particular site does not seem to be updated. Based on the
language used and dates given in the text, I do not believe the information has
been updated in quite some time. While the site was published in 2007, I could
not find a date for the most recent site update. In addition to state
initiatives, one can click on the Tools & Resources heading to find
separate pages for educators, policymakers, and parents, among others. By
clicking on the Educators link, I discovered a 21st
Century Skills English Map, which was designed with the National Council of
Teachers of English. While I am a member of the NCTE, I was surprised when I
stumbled upon this map because I had never seen it before. The map, which
focuses on the 4th, 8th, and 12th grades, seems to be a great source; not only
does it give definitions of each skill to be taught, but it also provides
sample students outcomes and examples of lessons to use in order to teach these
skills. I will absolutely be using this map during my curriculum planning in the
future.
While there is a plethora of information available on the
P21 website, I did not come across any information with which I disagree.
However, one area that I believe is lacking is the page for Parents
and Communities underneath the Tools & Resources heading. If these 21st
century skills are truly as valuable as we educators are led to believe, then
our students need to be practicing them in all areas of life, not just in the
school setting. I would have liked to have read information for parents about
what they can be doing to support these ideas and teach these crucial skills in
the home so that our students are given as many opportunities for success as
possible.
After reviewing the Partnership for 21st Century Skills
website and gleaning many sources of related information, I can confidently say
that I will be accessing this site again in the future, and I highly recommend
it to others who are interested in incorporating these skills into their own courses.
After reading the organization’s mission statement and inspiration behind this
initiative, it would be nearly impossible for one to ignore the positive concepts
and possible outcomes that would result from integrating these skills into the
curriculum. Contemporary teachers might have more on their plates in regard to
the additional skills they are now expected to teach, but to ignore the significance
of these skills in our future societies would be doing our students and our communities
a disservice. If we truly care about preparing our students to be the best
citizens that they can be, then we simply must utilize resources such as the
one described here to assist us in our goals.
References
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2011).
The partnership for 21st century skills [Website]. Retrieved from http://www.p21.org.
I, too, currently teach in New Jersey, and I have to say thank you for your observation that the Route 21 site is not up to date, as I did not notice that in my exploration. Now that I have looked into it further, I see that the site mentions aligning the 2008 assessments with 21st Century skills, and is clearly not up to date.
ReplyDeleteThis assessment piece is also interesting to me since my district’s director of curriculum has recently been discussing the coming elimination of the eleventh grade High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA). The test is supposed to be replaced by another form of assessment, the New Jersey PARCC. While we know little about this assessment, something that has been mentioned is that it may not be a standard style test, and could possibly be computer-based. I know that my district is not prepared for this, nor are we capable of testing all of our students on computers. If you look into the PARCC, it definitely appears to be geared more toward 21st Century skills, but I have to wonder how my district will fare with this change. Something else you may find valuable is this blog on the connection between 21st Century skills and the Common Core. These two will most certainly need to be intertwined in the coming years.
In addition, I also felt that the section for Parents and Communities was lacking. The links included were nearly identical to the resources provided to Educators. While these are helpful, I thought that that it would be beneficial to offer additional resources, such as a FAQ forum, for parents and community members. I think it is essential for parents and community members to know what is taking place in their schools. Business owners, employers, and scholarship committees may also want to know how students are being prepared for life after high school and what skills they possess as they enter the workforce. As individual schools in P21 Leadership States create plans to incorporate 21st Century skills, it will be beneficial for those districts to provide their own links on their individual websites.
Rena,
ReplyDeleteGreat review of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills website. I found this website to be a great resource as well. At first I did not think the site had a direct link to my subject matter, but in reflection it does. The reason I say this is that my district, as many do, focus on reading in the subject matter. Many of the skills found in the English section can be relatable to the skills that can be used to establish a reading foundation in my classrooms. Skills that are taught in my classroom include evaluating information, vocabulary, and grouping knowledge. Even if physical/health education is not a direct link, the information provided is an essential tool in not only my classroom, but in any classroom.
Even though this site is an excellent website, like you I found some issues. Not only did I notice there were pieces of information that had not been updated as you said, there were broken links. I think as a catalyst for change, they need to maintain the website and update with the most recent information. If they do not update the information provided does this mean that it is not longer relevant or have they backed off their push to incorporate 21st century skills in to the classroom? Overall I feel this website has great resources, but I would like to see resources for not only core classes but also other classes such as health/physical education and accounting. Even though they are not considered core classes the same information and skills are essential for all aspects of life.
Tami
Rena
ReplyDeleteYour review was excellent. So many good points that you pointed out about the website. Under tools and resources there was not a subject specific under business and computer science, but there were areas that pertained to the business world that I could use in my classroom. I love the way that it provided you with different websites for material because I had not heard about some of this sites before. Another thing like you mentioned, you can take some of the other examples and find ways that you can use it in a completely different subject.
I didn't run into some of the links not working, but I would like to see some of the information posted on the website itself. This would help with having broken links. It would continue to keep teachers, parents, and people in the community interested in the website and introducing it to new teachers that want to use 21st century skills.
Because of the importance I see in understanding skills for the workplace, I have decided to start my year off talking about 21st century skills with my 8th grade students. I believe that this will open their understanding about careers, college, and expectations in high school.