Presenter: Dr. Stanley E. Hopkins Assistant State Superintendent of Schools Division of Technical & Adult Education Services West Virginia Department of Education INCORPORATING 21 ST CENTURY LEARNING SKILLS IN CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION

OBJECTIVES Discuss the impact of technology and the global economy on the American workplace and the skill sets needed for success in the 21 st Century; Identify how the focus of career & technical education must change to better prepare students for success in the 21 st Century workplace; and

Relate “specific” actions career & technical educators can take to achieve the desired outcomes.

75% of the current world wealth creation is human capital. In ten years, knowledge will double every year. 25% of the work in this country can be done by anyone, anywhere. THE CHANGING WORLD (Ed Barlow,

After defense, the most critical challenge facing this country is developing a competitive workforce. 30 years from now, we will need three planet earths to meet the natural resource needs of China alone.

The oil industry is the only one that can raise prices to maintain profitability – others must lower costs and add value to survive. The birthrate in industrialized nations has decreased resulting in an aging population and worker shortage. 70% of the world’s purchasing power is in non- English speaking countries.

We will need to double global food production by Outsourcing saves manufacturers 15-25% in costs. Water supply is becoming a problem in the United States – choice between food or a shower.

We will live or die by how we deal with the environment and use available natural resources. We are becoming a molecular manipulation economy. And the list goes on and on……………………….

Employer Perspectives “Are They Ready To Work?” Employers’ perspectives on the Basic knowledge and applied skills of new entrants to the 21 st Century U.S. Workforce (2006) National Survey sponsored by: The Conference Board Partnership for 21 st Century Skills Corporate Voices for Working Families Society for Human Resource Management

High School Graduates Rank Applied Skills 1.Reading Comprehension80.3% 2.Teamwork/collaboration Oral Communications Ethics/Social Responsibility Critical Thinking/Problem Solving Information Technology Application Written Communications Diversity Lifelong Learning/Self Direction Creativity/Innovation Leadership29.2 Applied skills rank ordered by percent rating as “very important.” Number of respondents varied for each question, ranging from Applied skills necessary for successful entry into the 21 st century workplace

High School Graduates Rank Basic Knowledge/Skills 1.Professionalism/Work Ethic62.5% 2.English Language Writing in English Mathematics Foreign Languages11.0 Basic skills rank ordered by percent rating as “very important.” Number of respondents varied for each question, ranging from Top five basic knowledge skills for successful entry into the 21 st century workplace

Unfortunately, employers report that over 40% of new entrants with a high school diploma are “deficient” in their overall preparation for entry-level jobs.

High School Graduates are: “Deficient” in the basic knowledge and skills of Writing in English, Mathematics, and Reading Comprehension “Deficient” in Written Communications and Critical Thinking/Problem Solving, both of which may be dependent on basic knowledge and skills, “Deficient” in Professionalism/Work Ethic; and, “Adequate” in three “very important” applied skills: Information Technology Application, Diversity, and Teamwork/Collaboration.

Not only has the world and workplace changed, but so have our students. They are  digital natives  “wired” differently neurologically  instant messenger generation  multi-taskers

“ Today’s students are fundamentally different from previous generations in the way they think; in the way they access, absorb, interpret, process and use information; and in the way they view, interact and communicate in and with the modern world.” Ian Jukes

Both the changes in the world and our students have profound implications for us as educators because while these changes were occurring, many schools have remained relatively unchanged!

Given all of this, What are our options?

In Reality Our Options Are Limited! We must re-examine - What we do and answer three basic questions: What do we expect students to know and be able to do? (Curriculum) How will we know if they have learned it? Or, a better question is, what can they do with what they have learned? (Assessment) What do we do if they don’t? (Instruction)

We must collectively defined our destination as the development of a world class workforce. Then, we must take the journey!

In West Virginia, we believe the answer lies in 21 st Century Teaching and Learning as defined by the partnership for 21 st Century Skills.

The major milestones along this untraveled path have been established…the six elements of the 21st Century Learning

Six Elements of 21 st Century Learning 1.Emphasize Core Subjects 2. Emphasize Learning Skills 3. Use 21 st Century Tools 4. Teach in a 21 st Century Context 5. Teach 21 st Century Content 6. Use 21 st Century Assessments

More impact on academic areas – Revision of CSOs – Higher Blooms/More Rigor In CTE, emphasis on achievement of academic skills – Literacy – Numeracy – Making academic skills visible to CTE students – ACT WorkKeys ® Assessments of all CTE completers 1. Emphasize Core Subjects

2. 21 st Century Learning Skills Information and Media Literacy – Accessing, evaluating, analyzing information – Creating Information – Making judgments about sources of information

21 st Century Learning Skills Communication Skills – Understanding, managing, creating – Oral, written, multimedia

21 st Century Learning Skills Critical Thinking/ Systems Thinking – Sound reasoning – Making complex choices – Understanding relationships and interconnectedness

21 st Century Learning Skills Problem identification, formulation and solution Creativity and intellectual curiosity

21 st Century Learning Skills Interpersonal and collaborative skills – Teaming with others to productively solve problems – Taking on different roles within a group – Being open to others’ ideas – Respecting diversity

21 st Century Learning Skills Self-Direction – Monitoring one’s own understanding, learning, motivation, resources Accountability and Adaptability – Exercising personal responsibility – Flexibility – Setting high standards for themselves and meeting those standards

21 st Century Learning Skills Social Responsibility – Act with the larger interests of the community in mind – Act ethically in school, the workplace and in the community

3.21 st Century TOOLS! Information and Communication Tools – computers, networking Audio, Video, Media and Multimedia Tools Instructional Tools – Electronic whiteboards – Data projectors – Responders

21 st Century TOOLS! Problem Solving Tools – Spreadsheets, design tools Information and Communication Tools – Word processing, – Presentation software – Web Development Tools – Internet Search Tools

21 st Century TOOLS! Interpersonal /Self Directional Tools – Collaboration Tools – Time Management/Calendar Tools – E-learning

4.21 st Century Context “Why do I need to know this?” A Strong Point In CTE

21 st Century Context Make the content relevant to students’ lives Bring the world into the classroom Take the students out into the world

21 st Century Context Create opportunities for students to interact with each other, with teachers, and with knowledgeable adults in authentic learning experiences.

5. 21 st Century Content Global Awareness – Using 21st century skills to understand global issues – Working with people of different cultures, religions and lifestyles – Learning non-English terms and language to better understand other nations and cultures

21 st Century Content Financial, Economic, Business and Entrepreneurial Literacy – Personal financial literacy – Understanding the role of business and the economy – Understanding the role of entrepreneurship

21 st Century Content Civic Literacy – Participate effectively in forms of government – Exercise the rights and obligations of citizenship – Make intelligent choices as a citizen

6.21 st Century Assessment Test 21 st Century Skills Summative assessments should be balanced with formative assessments – assessment of learning vs. assessment for learning

Let’s Recap!

21 st Century Learning has become the basis of many changes and new initiatives in Career and Technical Education in West Virginia over the coming past two years and into the foreseeable future.

Implications for Career & Technical Education For years, CTE juggled:

with a single ball. Traditional CTE focused on teaching technical skills and we did a good job!

Then we were asked to reinforce academic skills through technical content.

Juggling with two balls was more difficult than one…

but we’re getting better at it.

And yet…

there is still a profound gap between the knowledge and skills most students learn in school and those they need in 21st century communities and workplaces.

We know that to be successful in the 21 st century, students need more than technical and academic skills.

They need 21 st century skills:

Thus, we must learn to juggle with three balls

By the age of 21, this digital generation will have spent less than 5,000 hours reading books, less than 9,000 hours attending school, and more than 10,000 hours playing video games.

It’s not easy to get their attention because they are juggling too!

computers podcasts Internet cell phones MP3 players video games PDAs digital cameras text messaging MySpace YouTube

learn to juggle.

It’s time schools reflected the rest of our students’ lives. Thanks and have a great conference! Presentation available at: