Learning 21st-century skills requires 21st-century teaching

Frederick, Lauren

Rosefsky Saavedra, A. & Opfer, V. (2012). Learning 21st-century skills requires 21st-century teaching. Phi Delta Kappan, 94(2), 8-13.

Summary:

The article discusses the higher-order thinking skills which the authors believe students ought to be learning in the 21st century. The authors offer nine steps to increase students' learning outcomes regarding various thinking skills such as critical thinking, student collaboration, and effective communication. Topics include the use of educational technology, the practice of making curriculum contextually relevant to students' lives, as well as the encouragement of learning transfer in which students can transfer their skills and knowledge to different environments. Students are not developing the skill because they are not being explicitly taught.

Evaluation:

This article is a great resource to fully appreciate the benefits of 21^st century learning and teaching. It states that despite the challenges, we can educate students differently. Learning scientists have taught us nine lessons relative to teaching 21st-century skills. All of the lessons are about how students learn 21stcentury skills and how education can address their needs. Many of the lessons — especially transfer, metacognition, teamwork, technology, and creativity — are also 21st-century skills in themselves. The article emphasizes that if we believe 21st-century skills are the key to solving economic, civic, and global challenges and to engaging effectively in those spheres, then we must act upon the belief that using those skills to overhaul

our education systems is possible.