Evaluating 21st-Century Skills:

           As a Walden University graduate student working toward a master’s degree in Integrating Technology k-12, I have recently begun researching the implementation and importance of 21^st century skills in the classroom.  This week, I spent some time exploring the website of the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills (http://www.p21.org), and familiarized myself with their mission, members, and available resources.

            The Partnership for 21^st Century Skills, or P21, is a national organization that “advocates for 21^st century readiness for every student” (Partnership for 21^st Century Skills, n.d.).  For many educators looking to incorporate 21^st century skills into their daily teaching practices, this website is easy to navigate, user friendly, and overflowing with valuable and easily accessible resources.  While exploring the website, I began my journey by traveling through the “Tools and Resources” tab for educators.  Within this tab, I was presented with various links to 21^st century skill research guides, kits, and skill maps.  From introduction to integration, the “Tools and Resources” tab clearly provides educators with resources needed to begin, continue, or advance their use of 21^st century skills in the classroom.

            In addition to resources for themselves, the “Tools and Resources” tab also provides educators with printable resources to share with parents and the surrounding community.  As teachers, we work hard to build a strong and pliable home-school connection.  Often times this translates to informing parents of what we are teaching and more importantly why.  The incorporation of 21^st century skills is no different than any other content area, and it is imperative that parents know the significance of these skills and the things they can do to reinforce such skills at home.  To aid in the home-school connection, P21 provides educators with articles such as “Defining 21^st Century Skills”, “Why 21^st Century Skills”, and “Implementing 21^st Century Skills” (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, n.d.).  These articles are available as PDF files and can be printed and distributed at your discretion.   

            Educators today are faced with many challenges.  Often times we struggle with an overload of curriculum and can not find time to fit everything in.  Additionally, in more recent years, a strong emphasizes has been placed on high-stake tests and school accountability, placing an undeniable stress on today’s educators.  Like ants under a magnifying glass, teachers are being heavily scrutinized.  With this in mind, as an educator you may be wondering; I have to teach 21^st Century Skills? But I already have so much on my plate!  Fear not follow educators, the members of P21 have a plan.  Rather than tack on to the preexisting workload, P21 proposing that educators “promote the understanding of academic content at much higher levels by weaving 21^st century [skills as] interdisciplinary themes [that blend] into core subjects” (Partnership for 21^st Century Skills, n.d.).  Rather than increase the workload, they provide teachers will skill maps to enhance content areas.  Another area of the website that I found interesting is the “State Initiatives” tab.  This tab provides a link to each state which directs to a state page that includes state goals, initiatives, content standards, and updates.

            Many educators may find themselves shying away from incorporating 21^st century skills in their classroom.  They may be unsure as to what 21^st century skills are, worried of change, or simply apprehensive of an addition to their already hefty workload.  As teachers we must go beyond these thoughts and apprehensions.  It is our job as teachers to prepare students for the outside world, and ready them for the work force.  We must evolve with the work environment, familiarize ourselves with the 21^st century skills they will need to succeed and meet challenges head on to better the education of our students.


References:

Partnership for 21st century skills. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.p21.org