21st Century Skills

"Proficiency in 21st century skills is the new civil rights of our times."

-Unknown 

We hear about “21st Century Skills” in the educational media quite often. However, the question arises, what are they, and how do they connect with our daily work?

According to Skills21.org, 21st Century Skills are defined as:

Informational Literacy: The ability to use and find important information.

Collaboration: Working together for team success.

Communication: The ability to read ,write, and comprehend ideas from different mediums.

Creativity & Innovation: Refining and improving existing ideas.

Problem Solving: Experimenting with new and familiar ideas until a solution is reached.

Responsible Citizenship: Displaying appropriate technology use, global awareness, and moral capacity outside of the classroom.

What attributes would we want our students to master as they mature into adults? Process this, when our KDG students are 25 years old (that’s scary!), what will the workforce look like for them? We are all unsure; on the other hand, we could all agree these six skills, regardless of their profession, will play a major role in their ability to excel. 

Finally, let’s continue to educate, prepare, and guide our students for the unknown world-using powerful known skills.

-Rodney S. Lewis, Ed.D