21st century education
Answers
The term "21st-century skills" is generally used to refer to certain core competencies such as collaboration, digital literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving that advocates believe schools need to teach to help students thrive in today's world.
A 21st century education is not a bunch of students sitting quietly at a desk, in neat rows, writing down every word that teacher says to, it is about giving students the skills they need to succeed in this new world, and helping them grow the confidence to practice those skills. With so much information available to them, 21st century skills are more about making sense of that information, sharing it and using it intelligently.
The Partnership for 21st Century Learning coalition identified 4 “Skills for Today”:
Creativity: It's about re-thinking information in new ways, making new connections and finding innovative solutions to problems.
Critical thinking: It is about analyzing information and criticizing claims.
Communication: This means understanding things well enough to share them clearly with others.
Collaboration: This is the teamwork and collective genius of a group which is more than the sum of its parts.
Technology is also growing very broadly, so it needs to be used strategically for the benefits of students. Students are increasingly technologically advanced users.
21st century schools are also responding to demand by moving into international education. ISC Research has tracked these changes in their research.
In the year 2000 there were 2,500 international schools globally with fewer than one million students attending, but till the end of 2016 there were almost 4.5 million students studying in more than 8,600 international schools.
21st century teachers need to be empowered as facilitators and motivators for learning, so that they can empower their students in turn.