Paradigm Shift

Schools need a framework and a roadmap for balancing subject content delivery with the development of essential 21st century skills. There are several models and lists of 21st Century Skills, Values, and Attributes. As you read through these lists, you will notice a lot of overlap.

NAIS’ Schools of the Future Committee identified these Essential Capacities for the 21st Century:

1. Analytical and Creative Thinking and Problem Solving
2. Complex Communication – Oral and Written
3. Leadership and Teamwork
4. Digital and Quantitative Literacy
5. Global Perspective
6. Adaptability, Initiative, and Risk-taking
7. Integrity and Ethical Decision-Making

Daniel Pink’s Six Senses from A Whole New Mind:

1. Design
2. Story
3. Symphony
4. Empathy
5. Play
6. Meaning

Howard Gardner’s Five Minds for the Future:

1. The Disciplinary Mind
2. The Synthesizing Mind
3. The Creating Mind
4. The Respectful Mind
5. The Ethical Mind

Tony Wagner’s Seven Skills from The Global Achievement Gap:

1. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
2. Collaboration across Networks and Leading by Influence
3. Agility and Adaptability
4. Initiative and Entrepreneurialism
5. Effective Oral and Written Communication
6. Accessing and Analyzing Information
7. Curiosity and Imagination

Pat Bassett’s 21st Century Skills and Values

1. Character (self-discipline, empathy, integrity, resilience, and courage)
2. Creativity and Entrepreneurial Spirit
3. Real-World Problem-Solving (filtering, analysis, and synthesis)
4. Public Speaking/Communications
5. Teaming
6. Leadership

Bob Johansen’s Leaders Make the Future

1. Maker instinct (leaders approach their leadership with commitment of a job and energy of a passionate hobby)
2. Clarity (leaders being clear about what they are making but flexible about how it gets made)
3. Dilemma Flipping (turning problems that can’t be solved into opportunities)
4. Immersive Learning (learning by doing)
5. Bio-empathy (understand, respect and learn from nature)
6. Constructive depolarization (calming tense situations and bringing people from divergent cultures towards constructive engagement)
7. Quiet transparency (ability to be open and authentic about what matters to you without self-promotion)
8. Rapid Prototyping (ability to create early versions of innovations)
9. Smart mob organizing (creating, engaging and nurturing social networks
10. Commons creating (stimulate, grow and nurture shared assets that can benefit other players)

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has a framework for 21st century learning that maps out the skills.

In this framework, a 21st century education includes knowledge of traditional core subjects. It emphasizes contemporary themes such as global awareness and financial/economic, health, and environmental literacies. Students will apply their knowledge to understanding and solving real-world problems using the following 21st century skills:

Learning and Innovation Skills

• Creativity and Innovation
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
• Communication and Collaboration

Digital Literacy Skills

• Information Literacy
• Media Literacy
• ICT Literacy

Career and Life Skills

• Flexibility and Adaptability
• Initiative and Self-Direction
• Social and Cross-Cultural Skills
• Productivity and Accountability
• Leadership and Responsibility

In 2003, the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL) and the Metiri Group shared another research-based model of the 21st Century Skills called the enGauge model.

The model’s skill clusters were to be considered within the context of rigorous academic standards. It was intended to provide the public, business and industry, and education with a common understanding of what is needed by students, citizens, and workers in the Digital Age. The model highlighted the following:

Subject Knowledge – Knowledge and skills for the 21st century must be built on subject knowledge. Focus on subject knowledge must expand beyond basic competency to understanding of core academic content at much higher levels.

21st Century Skills – Schools have traditionally fostered these skills. Now they need to incorporate these intentionally and strategically into all instruction.

Use of 21st century tools – Students need to learn to use tools that are essential to their daily life and their future workplace productivity.

21st century context – Learning has to be relevant, engaging and meaningful to students’ lives. They need to learn academic content through real-world examples, applications and experiences both inside and outside the school. In a global world, learning has to expand beyond the four walls of a classroom.

At the American School of Bombay we have adapted the enGauge model to create our own version of 21st century learning within the context of a Culture of Learning that has Respect for the Whole Child, and delivers Quality Curriculum and Instruction through Meaningful Learning Experiences. The skill clusters are Skills and Habits that we will begin to define and weave through our work as a school.

What framework is your school using for providing a 21st century education?