What are the 21st Century Skills?
The 21st Century Skills are the skills that today's educators, administrators, university researchers and professors, employers, and others, believe to be the most important for students to develop if they are to succeed in the 21st century world. The skills show a shift from a traditional, subject/content focused model of education, to one where big ideas, core competencies, and life skills (sometimes called "soft" skills) are valued. The idea of 21st Century Learning has been adopted by countless school districts, non-profits, and educational institutions across the Western world, however, there is no one agreed upon definition on what the specific skills are. Most definitions include the overarching themes of Learning and Innovation Skills, Digital Literacy Skills, and Career and Life Skills, with subcategories for each theme, and the model that I will be looking at in more depth below (from Partnership for 21st Century Learning) also includes the interdisciplinary themes of Global Awareness, Financial Literacy, Civic Literacy, Health Literacy, Environmental Literacy.
Why are 21st Century Skills important for today's students?
In his 2005 book A Whole New Mind, economist writer Dan Pink assert three reasons why economies are shifting and why students should be encouraged to develop the skills that are included in the 21st century framework to be more competitive in the future industries: Abundance, Automation, and Asia. He explains how the 21st Century is requiring a shift from a ‘left-brain’ dominated economy to a ‘right-brain’ economy, or, from linear to lateral thinking. Another way he describes this transition is moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age. He outlines how due to abundance, automation, and Asia, survival in the future economies requires workers to be able to do work that cannot be replicated by computers or cheap, overseas workers, as has been the focus since at least the Industrial Revolution. Some of these skills include the ability to create artistic and emotional beauty, to detect patterns and opportunities, to craft a satisfying narrative, and to combine seemingly unrelated ideas into a novel invention. The ability to empathize, understand subtleties of human interaction, and to find joy in ones self and to elicit it in others in pursuit of purpose and meaning are also valuable skills which workers will need to be successful in the 21st century.
While competitiveness in the future job market is one strong reason to support 21st century skills, I believe that equally important is students' development as individuals that are well-supported socially and emotionally, with a strong sense of self, respect for others and their environment, and are community-minded. In Sir Ken Robinson’s latest book Creative Schools, he calls for a revolution of antiquated teaching methods that favour standardization to an education model that encourages growth of creative thinking. He states that one of the biggest threats to a child’s success is the lack of personalization that they get in mainstream schools which results in boredom, disengagement, stress, bullying, anxiety, depression, and dropping out of school. When students are treated as individuals and their personal hopes, talents, fears, passions, and aspirations are acknowledged, they will have a better chance at succeeding not only in school but also in future goals. I believe that the skills outlined in the 21st century framework have the capacity to treat these symptoms that Robinson lists, and empower students to develop a strong self of self, respect for themselves, others, and their environment, and foster community-minded relationships.
While competitiveness in the future job market is one strong reason to support 21st century skills, I believe that equally important is students' development as individuals that are well-supported socially and emotionally, with a strong sense of self, respect for others and their environment, and are community-minded. In Sir Ken Robinson’s latest book Creative Schools, he calls for a revolution of antiquated teaching methods that favour standardization to an education model that encourages growth of creative thinking. He states that one of the biggest threats to a child’s success is the lack of personalization that they get in mainstream schools which results in boredom, disengagement, stress, bullying, anxiety, depression, and dropping out of school. When students are treated as individuals and their personal hopes, talents, fears, passions, and aspirations are acknowledged, they will have a better chance at succeeding not only in school but also in future goals. I believe that the skills outlined in the 21st century framework have the capacity to treat these symptoms that Robinson lists, and empower students to develop a strong self of self, respect for themselves, others, and their environment, and foster community-minded relationships.
21st Century Learning and the Arts
Similar to Pink, Robinson identifies core competencies that should be the goal of education: curiosity, creativity, criticism, communication, collaboration, compassion, composure, and citizenship (related to the 21C themes of Initiative and Self-Direction, Creativity and Innovation, Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving, Communication, Collaboration, Social and Cross-Cultural Skills, and Civic Literacy/Global Awareness.) He then discusses how curriculum should be adapted to promote these core competencies, and what educators can do to appropriately assess the development of these skills. Further, he suggests that the arts be given equal status in curriculum to the other subject areas (humanities, languages, language arts, math, physical education, and science,) and suggests the possibility of abandoning the specific subject model of education altogether for a more interdisciplinary approach that would allow for the simultaneous development of the core competencies throughout all content areas.
In an article written for 'Asia Pacific Education Review' in 2015, Tan states that creativity, although innate, must also be cultivated and nurtured in order to be accessible to learners later in life, and some researchers worry that due to the rigidness of school structures, creativity is on the decline. Tan suggests that innovating societies require innovative reforms to the way education is conducted so that creativity can be practiced and developed to prepare students for the future. Some examples that Tan gives for building creative skills are problem-solving assignments, being flexible with the modes of thinking, and being receptive to new ideas and approaches. Teachers need to be receptive to change and value lifelong learning over content instruction in order for classrooms to excel in creative education.
Tan then explains the creative process, which involves a novel act that is appropriate or valued to the situation and reflective of the intelligence of the creator (it cannot be by chance), and describes the major definitions of creativity. Some definitions focus on the personality of the individual, while others are focused on the thinking process behind the creative act. Many definitions state that creativity includes ordinary abilities as well as specialized skills, and draws on critical thinking as well as imagination and intuition. Tan also describes the connections to thought processes of creativity, including the cognitive characteristics of a creative person, as well as the set of stages that creative thought goes through when solving a problem.
Creative thinking acts within a system of all the types of thinking (analytical, critical, active) and is necessary for good overall thinking and real-world problem solving. Tan references Hargreaves argument that “we must enhance the capacity of contemporary learners to engage in creativity; otherwise, our capacity for inventiveness and entrepreneurship will remain unexploited and detrimental to individual and societal futures.” Teachers can facilitate creativity by being self-aware and encouraging learners to be proactively engaged in future-oriented modes of learning. Students must also be encouraged to develop self-motivation, confidence, curiosity, and flexibility. Although teachers are already starting to value active learning over traditional modes of teaching, they must also help students to make their thinking visible to themselves and to the teachers which will help them to be able to adapt their thinking to new situations. Further, today’s technology offers opportunities to develop and apply creative thinking skills for future challenges.
In speaking about the creativity crisis, Robinson argues that arts programs are not the only place where students should be receiving this kind of personalized and creative attention, however, they are one place where these skills are a natural fit. Below, I list several ways that the 21st Century Skills are being met by Arts programming, as well as a process that shows how natural each of these ideas fits within a standard art project and within Bloom's Taxonomy framework.
In an article written for 'Asia Pacific Education Review' in 2015, Tan states that creativity, although innate, must also be cultivated and nurtured in order to be accessible to learners later in life, and some researchers worry that due to the rigidness of school structures, creativity is on the decline. Tan suggests that innovating societies require innovative reforms to the way education is conducted so that creativity can be practiced and developed to prepare students for the future. Some examples that Tan gives for building creative skills are problem-solving assignments, being flexible with the modes of thinking, and being receptive to new ideas and approaches. Teachers need to be receptive to change and value lifelong learning over content instruction in order for classrooms to excel in creative education.
Tan then explains the creative process, which involves a novel act that is appropriate or valued to the situation and reflective of the intelligence of the creator (it cannot be by chance), and describes the major definitions of creativity. Some definitions focus on the personality of the individual, while others are focused on the thinking process behind the creative act. Many definitions state that creativity includes ordinary abilities as well as specialized skills, and draws on critical thinking as well as imagination and intuition. Tan also describes the connections to thought processes of creativity, including the cognitive characteristics of a creative person, as well as the set of stages that creative thought goes through when solving a problem.
Creative thinking acts within a system of all the types of thinking (analytical, critical, active) and is necessary for good overall thinking and real-world problem solving. Tan references Hargreaves argument that “we must enhance the capacity of contemporary learners to engage in creativity; otherwise, our capacity for inventiveness and entrepreneurship will remain unexploited and detrimental to individual and societal futures.” Teachers can facilitate creativity by being self-aware and encouraging learners to be proactively engaged in future-oriented modes of learning. Students must also be encouraged to develop self-motivation, confidence, curiosity, and flexibility. Although teachers are already starting to value active learning over traditional modes of teaching, they must also help students to make their thinking visible to themselves and to the teachers which will help them to be able to adapt their thinking to new situations. Further, today’s technology offers opportunities to develop and apply creative thinking skills for future challenges.
In speaking about the creativity crisis, Robinson argues that arts programs are not the only place where students should be receiving this kind of personalized and creative attention, however, they are one place where these skills are a natural fit. Below, I list several ways that the 21st Century Skills are being met by Arts programming, as well as a process that shows how natural each of these ideas fits within a standard art project and within Bloom's Taxonomy framework.
Interdisciplinary Themes
|
Global Awareness:
- study of artists - working with big ideas - interdisciplinary themes Civic Literacy: - investigation of political, local, global themes - public art - historical art Environmental Literacy: - place-based art education - investigation of ecological themes |
Financial, Economic, Business and Entrepreneurial Literacy:
- careers in art - marketing art - putting on a show Health Literacy: - proper use of materials - personal expression - personal down time and reflection |
Learning and Innovation Skills
|
Creativity and Innovation:
- materials - digital medias - combining ideas to create something new Collaboration: - classmates - community partners |
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving:
- reflection - critique - materials - art history Communication: - audiences - curating |
Information, Media, and Technology Skills
Life and Career Skills
|
Flexibility and Adaptability:
- working with constraints (budget, materials, etc.) - revisions and self-reflections - building on previous ideas and work Social and Cross-Cultural Skills: - art from other cultures - art from other times - art for social activism Leadership and Responsibility: - care for classroom materials and environment - care for other students and their work - leading presentations, group work |
Initiative and Self-Direction:
- idea generation - intrinsic motivation - studio work habits - self-regulation Productivity and Accountability: - self-regulating - working with deadlines - goal setting |
|
Information Literacy:
- research skills Media Literacy: - critiquing media - pop culture |
ICT (Information, Communications and Technology):
- website - presentation |
Blooms Taxonomy and the Art-making Process
|
Related to 21st Century Learning is Bloom's Taxonomy, which is a model that demonstrates levels of action and questioning that take place in an inquiry-based classroom.
I assert that the process of art-making follows this model and supports students' acquisition of the broad skills that are used across disciplines and tasks. I will use the Humans of West Vancouver assignment that I taught during my practicum to show how the arts follows this program, although any well-planned arts assignment could be substituted into the model, which is why I believe that the Arts are so crucial for students to take. |
Students will REMEMBER hard skills, techniques, and vocabulary, that will help them understand how to use the materials required for the assignment.
Ex. adjusting aperture and shutter speed in manual settings on SLR cameras, "exposure", making basic manipulations in photoshop (crop, levels, hue/saturation, etc.)
Students will UNDERSTAND how the techniques they learned function in a system and how they can be used for effect.
Ex. by adjusting the aperture, students can control the depth of field of the image. However, when aperture is adjusted, the shutter speed and/or ISO will also have to be adjusted to accommodate the amount of light (exposure) entering the camera.
Students will APPLY their understanding to Big Ideas and Concepts.
Ex. students consider how depth of field could be used to communicate our theme of "Telling Someone Else's Story" through brainstorming (mind maps) and research into relevant artists such as Brandon Stanton and JR.
Students will ANALYZE their research and brainstorming to break down the messages they really want to communicate and the methods that will best support this goal.
Ex. students will make thumbnail sketches and notes about ways they could best communicate their ideas and intentions through their portrait photography
Students will EVALUATE which idea is best, considering the materials, time frame, budget, audience, etc.
Ex. Students will choose their final idea(s), and complete more detailed sketches and proposals about how they will complete it.
Students will CREATE the artwork that they proposed and share it with an audience.
Ex. Students will shoot their photographs, edit their photographs, and present them by creating a gallery wall in collaboration with their classmates.
Students will continue to EVALUATE their work through self-reflection after completing the assignment, will ANALYZE their decisions and techniques, APPLY their new ideas and understandings to future assignments, and UNDERSTAND how their work contributes to the art discourse of the Big Ideas or Themes that their work is about.
Additionally, when students are looking at artwork (in person at galleries or class critiques, or in books or on slideshows), they will always be evaluating the success of the art, analyzing the artistic intention and techniques and processes used, and applying their previous understanding to understand why those decisions were made and how they communicate meaning.
Ex. adjusting aperture and shutter speed in manual settings on SLR cameras, "exposure", making basic manipulations in photoshop (crop, levels, hue/saturation, etc.)
Students will UNDERSTAND how the techniques they learned function in a system and how they can be used for effect.
Ex. by adjusting the aperture, students can control the depth of field of the image. However, when aperture is adjusted, the shutter speed and/or ISO will also have to be adjusted to accommodate the amount of light (exposure) entering the camera.
Students will APPLY their understanding to Big Ideas and Concepts.
Ex. students consider how depth of field could be used to communicate our theme of "Telling Someone Else's Story" through brainstorming (mind maps) and research into relevant artists such as Brandon Stanton and JR.
Students will ANALYZE their research and brainstorming to break down the messages they really want to communicate and the methods that will best support this goal.
Ex. students will make thumbnail sketches and notes about ways they could best communicate their ideas and intentions through their portrait photography
Students will EVALUATE which idea is best, considering the materials, time frame, budget, audience, etc.
Ex. Students will choose their final idea(s), and complete more detailed sketches and proposals about how they will complete it.
Students will CREATE the artwork that they proposed and share it with an audience.
Ex. Students will shoot their photographs, edit their photographs, and present them by creating a gallery wall in collaboration with their classmates.
Students will continue to EVALUATE their work through self-reflection after completing the assignment, will ANALYZE their decisions and techniques, APPLY their new ideas and understandings to future assignments, and UNDERSTAND how their work contributes to the art discourse of the Big Ideas or Themes that their work is about.
Additionally, when students are looking at artwork (in person at galleries or class critiques, or in books or on slideshows), they will always be evaluating the success of the art, analyzing the artistic intention and techniques and processes used, and applying their previous understanding to understand why those decisions were made and how they communicate meaning.
References
Partnership for 21st Century Learning. (2016). P21org. Retrieved 22 July, 2016, from http://www.p21.org/about-us/p21-framework
Pink, D. H. (2005). A whole new mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future. New York: Riverhead Books.
President’s committee on the arts and humanities. (2011). Reinvesting in arts education: Winning America’s future through creative schools. Retrieved from www.pcah.gov/sites/default/files/photos/PCAH_Reinvesting_4web.pdf
Tan, O. S. (2015). Flourishing Creativity: Education in an Age of Wonder. Asia Pacific Education Review, 16: 161-166.
Robinson, K. (2015). Creative Schools. New York: Viking.
Winner, E. and Hetland, L. (2007). Art for our sake. Boston Globe.
Pink, D. H. (2005). A whole new mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future. New York: Riverhead Books.
President’s committee on the arts and humanities. (2011). Reinvesting in arts education: Winning America’s future through creative schools. Retrieved from www.pcah.gov/sites/default/files/photos/PCAH_Reinvesting_4web.pdf
Tan, O. S. (2015). Flourishing Creativity: Education in an Age of Wonder. Asia Pacific Education Review, 16: 161-166.
Robinson, K. (2015). Creative Schools. New York: Viking.
Winner, E. and Hetland, L. (2007). Art for our sake. Boston Globe.
