21 st Century Skills: What Do We Need to Know? Marian Thacher, OTAN Technology and Distance Learning Symposium February 26, 2011

What do adult learners need to know in order to survive and thrive in employment and further education?

How is Tech Changing the Way We Live?

AMANPOUR: The State Department just had an Arabic Twitter account, a Farsi Twitter account. This week, what do you expect to do with that? CLINTON: …mostly we want to be in the mix with this incredible, young, energetic population that is seeking the same rights to express themselves as young people in the United States seek.

What’s Happening to Reading? What do we read? Where do we read? When do we read? How do we read? Is auding different than reading? divisions_sur

What’s Happening to Reading?

What’s Happening to Education?

What do adult learners need to know in order to survive and thrive in employment and further education?

Three Sources National Education Technology Plan Partnership for 21 st Century Skills ISTE National Education Technology Standards for students

How Should We Define 21 st Century Skills? National Education Technology Plan Published Nov Addresses many aspects of education ◦ Learning ◦ Teaching ◦ Assessment ◦ Infrastructure ◦ Productivity

National Education Technology Plan Learning ◦ Critical thinking, complex problem solving ◦ Information tools – Web sites, online libraries, online books, original resources ◦ Collaboration tools - social networking, wikis, blogs ◦ Mobile learning – not confined to the classroom, even the digital classroom

National Education Technology Plan Teaching ◦ Technology-based professional development ◦ Leverage social networking to create communities of practice ◦ Develop a teaching force skilled in online instruction

National Education Technology Plan Assessment ◦ Technology-based to give timely feedback to shape instruction ◦ Make use of simulations, collaborative environments, games ◦ Revise policies to support these changes

National Education Technology Plan Productivity ◦ Competency, not seat time! ◦ Emerge prepared for college and careers

Partnership for 21 st Century Skills To all the usual curriculum, they add…

Partnership for 21 st Century Skills To all the usual curriculum, they add… Learning and Innovation Skills ◦ Creativity & Innovation ◦ Critical Thinking and Problem Solving ◦ Communication and Collaboration Info, Media & Technology Skills ◦ Information Literacy ◦ Media Literacy ◦ ICT Literacy

Partnership for 21 st Century Skills Information Literacy Access and Evaluate Information ◦ Access information efficiently (time) and effectively (sources) ◦ Evaluate information critically and competently Use and Manage Information ◦ Use information accurately and creatively ◦ Manage the flow of information from a wide variety of sources ◦ Apply a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues re use of information

ISTE: NETS for Students

Creativity and Innovation Communication and Collaboration Research and Information Fluency Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making Digital Citizenship Technology Operations and Concepts

So What’s New? The Context! Creativity & Innovation ◦ Apply existing knowledge to new ideas ◦ Create original works ◦ Identify trends and forecast possibilities How do you teach this stuff?? ◦ Sir Ken Robinson: It’s all about passion ◦ 6 Myths of Creativity  Everyone is creative  Collaboration, not competition  Time to play

Creativity in the Classroom Frame the collaborative pair or team task Make the learning outcomes clear Set the ground rules ALLOW TIME BE QUIET

Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions. --Albert Einstein

Communication and Collaboration No geographical boundaries ◦ (You learn a lot more about time zones) DIY Education What is a MOOC? Tools for C & C Publish! ◦ Writing ◦ Photos ◦ Audio ◦ Video

Reading & Writing Write/read student stories published on blog or Web site Create a Twitter channel – short communications ◦ About a topic from reading ◦ As an historical or current public figure Create a slide show and post on blog, Web site, Scribd, VoiceThread Create a class photo account, students post and write about favorite item from their closet

Speaking & Listening Class Skype call with an author, expert, or other guest Leave audio or video comments on VoiceThread slides Have an online meeting with another class or group Post a podcast at Podomatic, to which students reply with audio comments

Research & Information Fluency Search strategies Critical eval of Web sites ◦ Read the URL ◦ Examine the content ◦ Ask about author ◦ Look at the links Strategies for managing information, organizing bookmarks ◦ Delicious.com ◦ Diigo.com Prioritizing, time management, & bunny trails

Teaching Information Fluency How do you do it?

Teaching Information Fluency Do you teach a little about search strategies every day? Have you provided critical thinking activities about Web sites? Are you modeling information management? Do you discuss information management directly? Do you monitor how your students manage information? Do you suggest or assign management tools? Do you model selecting the appropriate tool for the task? Do you ask how students need to manage information at work or at home?

Critical Thinking, Problem Solving Identify authentic problems for investigation Plan and manage activities to develop a solution Collect and analyze data Identify solutions Incorporate diverse perspectives Choose and test a solution

Authentic Problem (Wileytoons 20 January 2000,

Classroom Examples What are some examples of an authentic problem related to ◦ Keeping campus green ◦ Getting a job ◦ Going to college ◦ Managing money ◦ Writing an essay ◦ Convincing someone ◦ Changing a law

Digital Citizenship Safe, legal and responsible use of information and tech Positive attitude towards technology Personal responsibility for lifelong learning Leadership for digital citizenship US Dept. of Labor, public domain

Safe, Legal, Responsible Copyright – who owns what? What is OK to copy and use? If not, why not? Personal information online etiquette, discussion board etiquette, facebook etiquette,…

Security Basic understanding of security is important! ◦ Passwords ◦ Attachments ◦ Phishing s ◦ Malware/Spyware ◦ Identity Theft

Responsibility for Lifelong Learning What strategies do you use to learn a new skill or find new information? What is the future of schools? What is the role of teachers? The only thing you can count on is change

Technology Operations and Concepts Understand and use technology Select and use applications effectively Troubleshoot systems and applications Transfer skills to new technologies

Classroom Examples Do you need to teach keyboarding? Do you have computer classes for basic skills students? Is there support for students teaching each other? Is there support for teachers teaching each other? What if your students know more than you?

THE ILLITERATE OF THE 21ST CENTURY WILL NOT BE THOSE WHO CANNOT READ AND WRITE, BUT THOSE WHO CANNOT LEARN, UNLEARN, AND RELEARN. -- Alvin Toffler