The Principles of 21st- Century Skills?
6 Essential Skills.
I have stated that; the general purpose of education is to help humans develop a sense of their intellect, to create self-worth, and to achieve independence for the future ahead of them. In order to fulfill these developments, students must be introduced to three fundamental foundations of 21st-century skills. These include: “life and career skills, learning and innovation skills, media and technology skills” (P21. 2016. p.1). Among these categories, learning and innovation skills are considered universal skills to acquire in the 21st century. According to Slyter (2019): “Learning skills: The skills used to process and communicate information. This includes the four Cs: creativity, critical thinking ability, collaboration, and communication” (para 5). However, in this phase of the pandemic, which may represent a “new normal”, having the ability to adapt is pivotal to the list of must-have skills in the 21st century.
Critical thinking.
Having a critical mind is not simply having the ability to think and reason about solving a specific problem, but also “the ability to understand why things are the way they are and to understand the potential consequences of actions” (University of West Florida, 2018, para 2). I believe this enables student’s curiosity and awareness in relation to how information should be processed in the diverse landscape of opportunities to both inform and misinform oneself. The varying claims that students exposed to online and offline sources represent “a steady barrage of information” (University of West Florida, 2018, para 3). In context to the wealth of autodidactic learning sources, the purpose of education as I define it is most fundamentally to instill the practical wits needed to take advantage of life’s opportunities and to create your own; while avoiding being taken advantage of. But I would also add the importance of critical scrutiny when it comes to exercising the power of knowledge, taking efforts to consider the consequences for other people. In a democracy, we must resist the analysis of a given issue based solely on personal expediency. As it is usually to the benefit of the individual to live in a highly functional, integrated, stable, and pluralistic society. Because this tends to produce a population of individuals that feel they can be trusting and supportive of its citizens without incurring significant personal hazards. Likewise, individuals that feel looked after by the commonwealth of society, will feel empowered to take financial risks to achieve in the labor market, without feeling that they are risking their lives in service of innovative and unproven endeavors.
Creativity
Creativity and Innovation tend to go hand in hand with each other. Because, creativity is considered a learned skill rather than an innate trait, an idea that had long been circulated. “A lot of research actually suggests that creativity, much like other skills, can be cultivated and can be something that you develop over time” (Columbia Business School, n.d, para 5). Therefore it has been considered one of the essential skills in the 21st century. There are three common elements in creativity, they are: “utility, aesthetics, originality” (Hughes et al, 2016, p. 16). The incentive of creativity in the 21st century is the ability to approach situations with different perspectives and “to respond to situations with elegance, utility, and novelty” (Hughes et al, 2016, p.16).
Collaboration
Every time I hear collaboration, my automatic response has brought me to think of the sociological perspective of functionalism in our society, which is associated with how we interact with each other. According to Stauffer (2020); “The key element of collaboration is willingness. All participants have to be willing to sacrifice parts of their own ideas and adopt others to get results for the company” (para 29). However, collaboration does not simply mean combining one’s labor with others to finish a project or deadline. The benefit of collaboration comes also from joining together, so they can “learn from one another while learning their own individual strengths” (Applied educational systems, n.d, para 3).
Communication.
Communication is not simply learning how to speak to others, but rather is the ability to communicate effectively. Stauffer (2020) commented that “Effective communication is also one of the most underrated soft skills in the United States. For many, it’s viewed as a “given,” and some companies may even take good communication for granted” (para 35). But good communication abilities enable people to make sense of confusing situations and combine knowledge, not in a merely additive capacity, but in a multiplicative sense. Because knowledge is not another term for retained facts. Knowledge is power, and its potential does not increase in a linear fashion. In a world where governments and companies can have millions of employees, the ability to effectively leverage the coordinated power of the whole can come down to the exceptional communication skills of a single inspiring leader.
Adaptability
Adaptability is a skill that is perhaps best measured beyond the confines of the classroom’s perimeter. In my opinion, adaptability to changing market realities is an essential skill for sustaining any 21st-century careers. But it is also needed to cope with the general uncertainty in life, without succumbing to the temptation to substitute lazy answers that serve only to make us feel better. Stauffer (2020) explained: “This is one of the most challenging qualities to learn for students because it’s based on two uncomfortable ideas:
Your way isn’t always the best way
You have to know and admit when you’re wrong” (para 65-66).
References
Applied educational systems, (n.d). Top 3 Collaborative Learning Lesson Plans for Middle School. Para 3. Retrieved from https://www.aeseducation.com/businesscenter21/3-best-collaborative-learning-lesson-plans-for-middle-school
Columbia Business School, (n.d). Is Creativity an Innate Trait, or Can it be Developed?. https://www.ivyexec.com/career-advice/2018/creativity-innate-developed/
Hughes, C & Acedo, C. (2016). Guiding Principles for Learning in the Twentyfirst Century. http://www.ibe.unesco.org/sites/default/files/resources/practices_series_28_v3_002.pdf
Johnson, K. (2018, July 31). The most important skill for 21st-century success. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinhjohnson/2018/07/31/the-most-important-skill-for-21st-century-success/#1f47340a32c8
P21. (2016, January). Framework for 21st Century Learning. Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/our-work/p21-framework
Slyter, K. (2019, December 16). Do You Have the 21st Century Skills Today’s Employers Are Seeking?. Rasmussen College. Retrieved from https://www.rasmussen.edu/student-experience/college-life/21st-century-skills/
Stauffer B, (2020, March 19). What are the 21st-century skills? Retrieved from https://www.aeseducation.com/blog/what-are-21st-century-skills
University of West Florida, (2018). The importance of critical thinking for students. https://getonline.uwf.edu/articles/education/critical-thinking-for-students.aspx