The Partnership for 21st Century Skills http://p21.org/ organization brings business, learning, and political communities together to emphasize the importance and need for these skills to be promoted, taught, and supported by policy throughout our educational system.
In familiarizing myself with their website, I was immediately impressed with the focused and succinct mission and framework presented. The resources provided to the various communities for practical application of the vision were detailed yet allowed room for flexibility and creativity according to each state's or community's needs. In addition to the comprehensive framework and elements of success, I found a real life purpose and work force relevance that is sorely needed in today's content standards.
The published articles by Timothy Magner (Executive Director) gave me hope that policymakers in their action (or purposeful inaction) might see the light. But the logistics of putting the brakes on the runaway train we have been on might take longer than our students have and deserve. Teachers have been and continue to incorporate these skills into their current content. Organizations such as this are great to have as a collaborative catalyst (the member organizations are impressive) to support the individual efforts of those of us in the trenches.
Wow. I like your post. You sum up the site very clearly for someone who has never seen it.
ReplyDeleteI am not as clear a writer as you.
What I especially liked about the site is that they are lobbying and working with congress to change or overthrow the dreaded NCLB policies that have little concern for many of our students.
Good post
thank you
Scott Parks
I like the fact that they are trying to change the framework of NCLB too. I think that incorporating 21st century skills into our classrooms is very important because students need to be exposed to real-world skills that will help them when they enter the workforce. I also liked that they focus on communication as part of their 21st skills. Students today do not have great communication skills because of texting, Facebook, and other informal social media that exposed them to poor communication habits.
ReplyDeleteHi Hope,
ReplyDeleteI think your posting does a great job of conveying the key issues surrounding 21st century learning--and the focus it has. In an ever evolving landscape, students need the skills to be self-directed learners long after they leave school--information changes rapidly and as 21st century citizens both in and out of the workplace, students will need to be able to learn this information to be productive at work and life. Building these skills in the context of a content area will provide invaluable to students and help bridge any gaps between school and workplace.
Thank you for sharing on your blog.