21 st Century Skills… a Necessity for Success By Heather Wiselogle

1. 21st Century Skills… a Necessity for Success By Heather Wiselogle

2. Why does education need to change? • The world is changing • U.S. schools and students have not adapted to the changing world. • The United States has no clear sense of purpose or direction for securing our future economic competitiveness. Kay, K. (2010). Foreward: 21st century skills: why they matter, what they are, and how we get there. 21st Century skills rethinking how students learn (pp. xiii-xxxi). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

3. “Nice to Have” or “Must Have”? Why is it that 21st Century Skills are not automatically included in the curriculum? Why don’t we consistently assess these skills as we would reading, writing, or math skills? When will there be a call to change to include 21st century skills as equally as we do the rest of the core curriculum? These are my leading questions…

4. Chapter 8… I look forward to reading this chapter and reading how John Barell will argue that problem-based learning is a preferred way to instill 21st century skills. How will teachers alter the required standards-based curriculum from direct instruction to active engagement and therefore creating students who ask meaningful questions and have the problem solving skills to seek the answers?

5. The Ultimate Goal… “Technology makes it possible for students to become less dependent on schools and take more responsibility for managing their own learning.” Bellanca, J, & Brandt, R. (Ed.). (2010). Introduction. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.