Module 2:

21st Century Skill Categories

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

1. Identify the categories of 21st Century skills

2. Apply the 21st Century skills in preparing, planning and delivering a lesson
3. Cite ways on how to enhance the 21st Century skills of learners
4. Explain how 21st Century skills be integrated in the teaching-learning process
5.Cite implications of 21stCentury skills to educators and to pre-service teacher preparation
6. Draw relevant life lessons and significant values from the personal experience in attaining 21 st Century
skills
7. Analyze research abstract on 21st Century skills and its implications on the teaching- learning process
8. Craft a curriculum plan matrix imbued with 21st Century learning outcomes

21st Century skills refer to a broad set of knowledge, skills, work habits, and character traits that
are deemed necessary in coping with today's world and future careers and workplaces. Thus, it can be
applied in all academic subject areas educational settings and throughout a student's life.

The 21st Century Skills

The 21st Century skills may include the following: (1) critical thinking. problem-solving, reasoning,
analysis, interpretation, synthesizing information; (2) research skills and practices, interrogative
questioning: (3) creativity, artistry, curiosity, imagination, innovation, personal expression; (4) perseverance,
self-direction, planning, self-discipline, adaptability, initiative; (5) oral and written communication, public
speaking and presenting, listening; (6) leadership, teamwork, collaboration, cooperation, facility in using
virtual workspaces; (7) information and communication technology (ICT) literacy, media and Internet
literacy, data interpretation and analysis, computer programming: (8) civic, ethical, and social justice
literacy: (9) economic and financial literacy, entrepreneurialism; (10) global awareness, multicultural literacy,
humanitarianism; (11) scientific literacy and reasoning, the scientific method; (12) environmental and
conservation literacy, ecosystem understanding; and (13) health and wellness literacy, including nutrition,
diet, exercise, and public health and safety.

Framework for 21st Century

According to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, this concept encompasses a wide array of a
body of knowledge and skills that have to be categorized. Moreover, this concept has been interconnected
with applied skills, cross-curricular skills, cross- disciplinary skills, interdisciplinary skills, transferable skills,
transversal skills, noncognitive skills and soft skills.
The 21st Century skills concept is grounded on the belief that students must be educated in a more
relevant, useful, in-demand and universally applicable manner. The idea simply lies in the fact that students
need to be taught different skills and reflect on the specific demands that will be placed upon them in a
complex, competitive, knowledge-based, information-age and technology-driven society. Therefore, 21st
Century education addresses the whole child or the whole person (AACTE, 2010).
 Hence, the curriculum should be designed to be interdisciplinary, integrated and project-based.
Tony Wagner (2010), in his book The Global Achievement Gap", advocated the seven survival skills,
namely: (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; and (7) curiosity and imagination.
The term "21st Century skills" refers to certain core competencies, such as collaboration, digital
literacy, critical thinking, and problem- solving that schools need to teach the students for them to thrive in
today's world.
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills presents the following sets of skills that are categorized
accordingly with different strands of expected outcomes.

Learning and Innovation Skills

These are the primary skills orchestrated in the 21st Century. They are attributes that differentiate
students who are prepared for a complex life and work environment from those who are not. Therefore,
there is a need to stress on creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration in preparing
learners for the future.
A. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. These may include effectively analyzing and
evaluating evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs; and solving different kinds of non-familiar
problems in both conventional and innovative ways.
Skill Sub-skills
Establish clear definitions and agreements on the
roles of partners in the collaborative process
1. Work together effectively in team Keep communication open within teams to carry
out tasks
Carefully identify obstacles and address problems
cooperatively
Use various types of reasoning (inductive,
deductive, etc.) as appropriate to the situation
Use systems thinking
2. Reason effectively
Analyze how parts of a whole interact with each
other to produce overall outcomes in complex
systems
Effectively analyze and evaluate evidence,
arguments, claims and beliefs

Analyze and evaluate major alternative points of

view
3. Make Judgments and decisions Synthesize and make connections between
information and arguments

Interpret information and draw conclusions based

on the best analysis
Reflect critically on learning experiences and
processes
4. Solve problems Solve different kinds of non-familiar problems in
both conven- tional and innovative ways
 Identify and ask significant questions that clarify
various points of view and lead to better solutions

B. Communication. This pertains to articulating thoughts and ideas effectively using oral and written
communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts.
Skill Sub-skills
Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral,
written and nonverbal communication skills in a
variety of forms and contexts

Listen effectively to decipher meaning, including

knowledge, values, attitudes and intentions

Use communication for a range of purposes (e.g.

to inform instruct, motivate and persuade)

Utilize multiple media and technologies, and judge

their effectiveness a priori, as well as assess their
impact
Communicate effectively in diverse environments
1. Communicate clearly (including multi-lingual)

Use technology as a tool to research, organize,

evaluate and communicate information
Use digital technologies (computers, PDAs, media
players, GPS, etc.), communication/networking
tools and social networks appropriately to access

Exercise flexibility and willingness in making

necessary compromises to accomplish a common
goal

Assume shared responsibility for collaborative

work, and value the individual contributions made
by each team member

C. Collaboration. It entails demonstrating ability to work effectively and respectfully with diverse
teams.

Skill Sub-skills
Establish clear definitions and agreements on the
roles of partners in the collaborative process
Keep communication open within teams to carry
1. Work together effectively in team out tasks
Carefully identify obstacles and address problems
cooperatively
 D. Creativity and Innovation. It denotes use of wide range of idea creation techniques to create new
and worthwhile ideas.

Skill Sub-skills
Use a wide range of idea creation techniques, such
as brainstorming
Create new and worthwhile ideas (both
1. Think creatively incremental and radical concepts)

Elaborate, refine, analyze and evaluate their own

ideas in order to improve and maximize creative
efforts
Develop, implement and communicate new ideas
to others effectively

Be open and responsive to new and diverse

perspectives; incorporate group input and
feedback into the work

2. Work creatively with others Demonstrate originality and inventiveness in work

and understand the real world limits to adopting
new ideas
View failure as an opportunity to learn; understand
that creativity and innovation is a long-term,
cyclical process of small successes and frequent
mistakes

Act on creative ideas to make a tangible and useful

contribution to the field in which the innovation will
3. Implement innovations occur

INFORMATION, MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY SKILLS

People in the 21st century live in a technology and media- saturated environment marked by the
following: (1) access to an abundance of information; (2) rapid changes in technology tools; and (3) the
ability to collaborate and make individual contributions on an unprecedented scale.
Therefore, to be effective in the 21st Century, everyone must be able to exhibit a range of functional
and critical thinking skills related to information, media and technology (AACTE, 2010).
A. Information Literacy. It refers to accessing and evaluating information critically and competently
and managing the flow of information from a wide variety of sources.

Skill Sub-skills
Access information efficiently (time) and
effectively (sources)
1. Access and evaluate Information
Evaluate information critically and competently

Use information accurately and creatively for the

issue or problem at hand
2. Use and manage Information
Manage the flow of information from a wide
variety of sources
 Apply a fundamental understanding of the
ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and
use of information

B. Media Literacy. It underscores understanding both how and why media messages are constructed;
creating media products by understanding and utilizing the most appropriate media
creation tools, characteristics and conventions.

Skill Sub-skills
Understand both how and why media messages
are constructed, and for what purposes

Examine how individuals interpret messages

differently, how values and points of view are
1. Analyze media included or excluded, and how media can influence
beliefs and behaviors
Apply a fundamental understanding of the
ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and
use of media

Understand and utilize the most appropriate media

creation tools, characteristics and conventions

Understand and effectively utilize the most

2. Create media products appropriate expressions and interpretations in
diverse, multi-cultural environments

C. Technology Literacy. It pertains to the use of technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate
and communicate information.
Skill Sub-skills
Use technology as a tool to research, organize,
evaluate and communicate information

Use digital technologies (computers, PDAs, media

players, GPS, etc.), communication/networking
1. Apply technology effectively tools and social networks appropriately to access,
manage, integrate, evaluate and create information
to successfully function in a knowledge economy

Apply a fundamental understanding of the

ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and
use of information technologies

D. Life and Career Skills. Today's life and work environments both require more than thinking skills
and content knowledge. Cultivating the ability to navigate the complex life requires students to
develop the following life and career skills: (1) flexibility and adaptability; (2) initiative and self-
direction; (3) social and cross-cultural skills; (4) productivity and accountability; and (5) leadership
and responsibility (AАСТА, 2010).
Flexibility and Adaptability
Skill Sub-skills
Adapt to varied roles, job responsibilities,
schedules and contexts
1. Adapt to change
Work effectively in a climate of ambiguity and
changing priorities

Incorporate feedback effectively

Deal positively with praise, setbacks and criticism

2. Be flexible Understand, negotiate and balance diverse views
and beliefs to reach workable solutions, particularly
in multi-cultural environments

INITIATIVE AND SELF-DIRECTION

Skill Sub-skills
Set goals with tangible and intangible success
criteria
Balance tactical (short-term) and strategic (long-
1. Manage goals and time term) goals

Utilize time and manage workload efficiently

2. Work independently Monitor, define, prioritize and complete tasks

without direct oversight

Go beyond basic mastery of skills and/or

curriculum to explore and expand one's own
learning and opportunities to gain expertise

Demonstrate initiative to advance skill levels

3. Be self-directed learner towards a professional level

Demonstrate commitment to learning as a lifelong

process
Demonstrate integrity and ethical behavior in using
influence and power

Act responsibly with the interests of the larger

community in mind
Consider others' ideas and viewpoints

Look for others' welfare and safety in all

4. Be responsible to others circumstances
Assist others in times of their downfalls and
setbacks
SOCIAL AND CROSS-CULTURAL SKILLS
Skill Sub-skills
Know when it is appropriate to listen and when to
speak
1. Interact effectively with others Conduct one's self in a respectable, professional
manner

Respect cultural differences and work effectively

with people from a range of social and cultural
backgrounds
2. Work effectively in diverse teams Respond open-mindedly to different ideas and
values

Leverage social and cultural differences to create

new ideas and increase both innovation and quality
of work

PRODUCTIVITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Skill Sub-skills
Set and meet goals, even in the face of obstacles
and competing pressures
1. Manage projects Prioritize, plan and manage work to achieve the
intended result
Demonstrate additional attributes associated with
producing high quality products, including the
abilities to:
➢ Work positively and ethically
➢ Manage time and projects effectively
➢ Multi-task
➢ Participate actively, as well as be reliable
2. Produce results and punctual
➢ Present oneself professionally and with
proper etiquette
➢ Collaborate and cooperate effectively with
teams
➢ Respect and appreciate team diversity
➢ Be accountable for results

LEADERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY

Skill Sub-skills
Use interpersonal and problem-solving skills to
influence and guide others toward a goal

Leverage strengths of others to accomplish a

1. Guide and lead others common goal
Inspire others to reach their very best via example
and self-lessness
 Demonstrate integrity and ethical behavior in using
influence and power

2. Be responsible to others Act responsibly with the interests of the larger

community in mind

Integrating 21 Century Skills in Teaching-Learning Process

The 21st Century support systems. The following elements are the critical systems necessary to
ensure student mastery of 21st Century skills: (1) 21st Century standards; (2) assessments; (3) curriculum
and instruction; (4) professional development; and (5) learning environments. These must be aligned to
produce a support system that produces 21st Century outcomes for today's students.

1. 21st Century Standards

1.1 Focus on 21st Century skills, content knowledge and expertise
1.2 Build understanding across and among core subjects, as well as 21 Century interdisciplinary
themes
1.3 Emphasize deep understanding rather than shallow knowledge
1.4 Engage students with the real-world data, tools and experts they will encounter in college, on
the job, and in life; students learn best when actively engaged in solving meaningful problems
1.5 Allow for multiple measures of mastery

2. Assessment of 21st Century Skills

2.1 Supports a balance of assessments, including high-quality standardized testing along with
effective formative and summative classroom assessments
2.2 Emphasizes useful feedback on student performance that is embedded into everyday
learning
2.3 Requires a balance of technology-enhanced, formative and summative assessments that
measure student mastery of 21st Century skills
2.4 Enables development of portfolios of student work that demonstrate mastery of 21 st Century
skills to educators and prospective employers
2.5 Enables a balanced portfolio of measures to assess the educational system's effectiveness in
reaching high levels of student competency in 21st Century skills (AACTE, 2010)
3. 21 Century Curriculum and Instruction
3.1 Teaches 21st Century skills discretely in the context of core subjects and, 21st Century
interdisciplinary themes
3.2 Focuses on providing opportunities for applying 21st Century skills across content areas and for
a competency- based approach to learning
3.3 Enables innovative learning methods that integrate the use of supportive technologies, inquiry-
and problem-based approaches and higher-order thinking skills
3.4 Encourages the integration of community resources beyond school walls (AACTE, 2010)

4. The 21st Century Professional Development

4.1 Highlights ways teachers can seize opportunities for integrating 21st Century skills, tools and
teaching strategies into their classroom practice and help them identify what activities they can
replace/de-emphasize
4.2 Balances direct instruction with project-oriented teaching methods

4.3 Illustrates how a deeper understanding of subject matter can enhance problem-solving, critical
thinking, and other 21st Century skills
4.4 Enables 21st Century professional learning communities for teachers that model the kinds of
classroom learning that best promotes 21st Century skills for students
4.5 Cultivates teachers' ability to identify students' particular learning styles, intelligences, strengths
and weaknesses
4.6 Helps teachers develop their abilities to use various strategies (such as formative assessments)
to reach diverse students and create environments that support differentiated teaching and
learning
4.7 Supports the continuous evaluation of students' 21st Century skills development
4.8 Encourages knowledge sharing among communities of practitioners using face-to-face, virtual
and blended communications
4.9 Uses a scalable and sustainable model of professional development (AACTE, 2010)

5. The 21st Century Learning Environments

5.1 Create learning practices, human support and physical environments that will support the
teaching and learning of 21st Century skill outcomes
5.2 Support professional learning communities that enable educators to collaborate, share best
practices and integrate 21st Century skills into classroom practice
 5.3 Enable students to learn in relevant, real-world 21st Century contexts (e.g., through project-

based or other applied work)

5.4 Allow equitable access to quality learning tools, technologies and resources

5.5 Provide 21st Century architectural and interior designs for group, team and individual learning

5.6 Support expanded community and international Involvement in learning, both face-to-face and

online (AACTE, 2010)

Implications to Educators

The advent of 21st Century skill enhancement among learners bring the following implications to educators
in:

1. successfully complementing technologies to content and pedagogy and developing the ability to
creatively use technologies to meet specific learning needs

2. aligning instruction with standards, particularly those that embody 21 st Century knowledge and skills

3. balancing direct instruction strategically with project- oriented teaching methods

4. applying child and adolescent development knowledge to educator preparation and education policy

5. using a range of assessment strategies to evaluate student performance and differentiate instruction
(including but not limited to formative, portfolio-based, curriculum-embedded, and summative)

6. participating actively in learning communities, tapping the expertise within a school or school district
through coaching, mentoring, knowledge-sharing, and team teaching

7. acting as mentors and peer coaches with fellow educators

8. using a range of strategies (such as formative assessments) to reach diverse students and to create
environments that support differentiated teaching and leaming

9. pursuing continuous learning opportunities and embracing career-long learning as professional ethics
(AACTE, 2010)

10. establishing a conducive learning environment where leamers can freely express themselves and
explore their potentials and capacities

Implications to Pre-service Teacher Preparation

There is a need to understand the key elements of optimum curricula that will help pre-service
teachers develop the dispositions, habits of mind and confidence to enable students to develop 21 st Century
skills in a range of core academic subject areas.

Since schools get rid of a one-size-fits-all system, therefore, preservice teachers are expected to
play an active role in developing and organizing content and instruction for their students.
 AACTE (2010) asserts that a 21st Century approach to curriculum is about more than just adding
an extra course or extra class time in the curriculum. Thus, pre-service teachers benefit from the ability to
fully explore and understand how to develop and use curriculum for deep understanding and mastery of
academic subject knowledge and 21st Century skills.

As a starting point, a teacher education program can be aligned with student and teacher standards
in ways that blend thinking and innovation skills, ICT literacy, and life and career skills in the context of all
academic subjects and across interdisciplinary themes.

An effective 21st Century skills approach to curriculum, in other words, is designed for
understanding (McTighe and Wiggins, 2005 in AACTE, 2010). The program's curriculum will be most
beneficial to pre-service teachers if it is designed to produce deep understanding and authentic application
of 21st Century skills in all subject areas.

Instructional models. Instructional models are an important component of any teacher

preparation program. AACTE (2010) pointed out that the integration of innovative and research-proven
leaching strategies, modern learning technologies and real-world resources and contexts are all imperative
in:

1. Integrating "teach for understanding" principles. When pre-service teachers can prepare and
present lessons that can develop students' essential concepts and skills with the integration of
technologies, the latter can reciprocally demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving in class.
2. Creating rich practice teaching experiences. Strong practice teaching experiences allow pre-
service teachers to connect theory and practice.
3. Creating dynamic learning communities and peer mentoring networks. Pre-service teachers
benefit greatly from service-learning as part of their experiential learning courses. It provides time
to reflect on relevant pedagogic strategies that enhance 21st Century skills in classroom practice.
4. Examining the role of content, pedagogy, and technologies in developing higher-order
thinking skills. The ability to teach for content mastery is a challenging task for most pre- service
teachers. Teaching for content mastery (1) supports a range of high-quality standardized testing
along formative and summative assessments: (2) emphasizes useful feedback on student
performance; (3) requires balanced technology- enhanced, formative, and summative
assessments; (4) enables development of student portfolios that demonstrate mastery of 21
Century knowledge and skills; and (5) enables a balanced score card to assess the educational
system’s effectiveness.

Teacher preparation programs can play a vital role in developing education leaders who understand
and can influence current trends in assessment through: (1) research and evaluation test for innovative
approaches; (2) 21st Century knowledge and skills assessment strategies; and (3) mastery of a wide range
of student assessment methods.

Learning environments. The learning environment within the teacher preparation program is a
key component of any systemic reform initiative. Determining the enabling structures, policies and
strategies that can best support 21st Century skills acquisition among pre-service teachers is a step towards
creating a kind of environment that will promote 21st Century learning.

The following are initiatives in creating 21st Century teacher education learning environment: (1)
Establish a 21st Century vision for learning environments in the program and the university; (2) Ensure that
the physical infrastructure supports 21st Century knowledge and skills; (3) Practice flexibility in time for
project-based work and competency-based assessment; (4) Ensure technical infrastructure that sufficiently
supports learning; and (5) Strengthen networking engagement in the learning environment.
 Partnerships. Partnerships are extraordinarily important in the work of transforming 21 st Century
teacher preparation programs. Along the line, teamwork within the program and the institution is imperative
for sustainability and development. The partnership forged with community leaders, business industry,
professional associations, government agencies, non-government organizations, other institutions,
parents, other stakeholders, and the community creates high impact outcome.

The powerful partnerships are created through strong collaboration towards enabling innovation
in the teaching and learning for the 21st Century.

Continuous improvement. Continuous improvement represents willingness to commit to

revisiting the process over time. For AACTE (2010), any implementation effort should include continuous
improvement steps. to wit: (1) Clearly identify measurable goals; (2) Track progress regularly against these
goals; (3) Communicate progress to all stakeholders; and (4) Engage all participants in refining (AACTE,
2010) and