The concept of “21st-century skills” is not new, most of the skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving have been taught in classrooms for decades, but now it is implemented with a strategic plan to help students excel in college, career, and life.
What are 21st-Century Skills?
21st-century skills are traits, habits, knowledge, life and career skills which help students to thrive in the competitive world and help them to be successful in all areas of life.
International schools in Tokyo are now prioritising 21st-century skills and trying to weave these skills into learning experiences and curricula.
These skills help students to be life ready and keep up with the lightning pace of today’s competitive world.
Why Are 21st-Century Skills Important?
Top companies today look for soft skills as being the most important skill. It is the need to prepare students with sets of skills that will help them to face any challenges in future and make them ready for future challenging upcoming jobs.
In this digital age, it is necessary that students should learn how to process and analyse large amounts of information.
Theoretical knowledge related to various subjects will help students to a certain extent. There is a need to help students with real-life knowledge, IB school and curriculum provide students with practical experience, teaching them to apply facts and ideas to complex problems and skills to manage challenging situations.
What are the 4 C’s of 21st-century skills?
These four skills are essential and important to succeed in school and the workplace.
● Critical thinking helps students to ask a question in order to know the facts behind claims and seeks the truth.
● Creativity thinking helps students to think out of the box
● Collaboration helps students to work together in unity with other students and achieve better results on projects
● Communication is necessary to convey things or ideas effectively.
All these four C’s together empower students.
Types of 21st Century Skills for Students
21st Century Skill is Broken into 3 Types
1. Learning Skills (The Four C’s; Critical thinking, Creativity, Collaboration and Communication)
It helps students to adapt and improve. As we have already discussed the four Important C’s, let’s understand more about Literacy skills and Life skills.
2. Literacy Skills (IMT; Information, Media and Technology)
IMT: It helps the student to identify facts by using technology and separate misinformation that floods the Internet. Also known as IMT skills for focusing on different elements in digital comprehension.
Information literacy:- It helps to understand facts, figures, statistics, data and how to separate fact from fiction.
Media literacy:- It helps students to understand methods and outlets in which information is published
Technology literacy:- It helps students to understand which technology is used to help pass the Information.
Life skills (FLIPS; Flexibility, Leadership, Initiative, Productivity and Social Skill)
It helps students in both personal and professional life.
● Flexibility: It helps students to adapt to changing circumstances. It is crucial for students’ long-term success.
● Leadership: This skill is essential to work in collaboration with the team, setting goals, walking a team through the steps required, and motivating them to accomplish a goal.
● Initiative: It is one of the hardest skills to learn and practice as one needs to take an initiative to do projects, and plan strategies on their own.
● Productivity: Utilising the time, learning the art of management to do work on time and being productive and efficient is the need of today’s world.
● Social Skills: Doing meetings, and maintaining professional relationships through networking is essential
Altogether, these categories cover all 12 skills that are known as 21st Century skills essential for students’ growth.
How Can Students Develop 21st-Century Skills?
Communication
Using effective communication to share thoughts and ideas, ask questions and by providing solutions in powerful ways.
● Ask students to show their understanding of a concept or idea
● Ask students to explain the processes they followed while forming the ideas
● Ask students to help other students by providing constructive feedback
Collaboration
Achieving goals together with others. Thinking and working together on the same project, harnessing the ideas, skills and expertise of the group.
● Give opportunities to students to work on collaborative projects or assign a certain task to each student so that they can take responsibility for larger group projects.
● Ask students to work together to find solutions to real-world problems.
Critical Thinking
Helps students to look at problems in new ways and asks them to think critically to make smart decisions and find connections to other subjects and ideas.
● Give students examples of real-world situations and ask them to figure out issues or problems and solutions. By doing this they will be able to understand the needs and opportunities.
Creativity
Generating innovative, creative ways of thinking.
● Give them design challenges to encourage creativity as it will help students to come up with new ideas
International School Mission
When students leave high school, they should possess skills that will make them life-ready. Life skills will help them to achieve their goals and help them in self-management, social awareness, decision making, and maintaining a healthy relationship.
Students who are life ready possess the growth mindset which empowers them to be confident, dream big and achieve big.
The main mission of the International school is to prepare students to be culturally responsive individuals who will thrive in an ever-changing global community.
The 21st-Century Graduates Should Possess These Six Things
● Be Independent Lifelong learners
● Adaptable collaborators
● Compassionate communicators
● Responsible Creators
● Open-Minded Critical thinkers
● Globally Aware Community Members.
21st Century Learning Strategies & Implementation
● There is a need to integrate 21st-century skills and professional development in teachers, staff and faculties as it will help in growing these competencies in students.
● It is recommended to develop strategies to support teachers with the implementation of 21st-century skills by taking their views, feedback or recommendation.
● Regularly assess results by collecting data or information on students’ performance and progress as it will help to make decisions about the best way to keep each student on track.
Also Read: Importance of time management for students
Conclusion
Implementation of 21st-century skills in the school curriculum is essential so that the students are prepared for life and not just academics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are 21st century skills?
The skills encompass creativity and innovation, critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making, learning how to learn (metacognition), communication, collaboration (teamwork), information literacy, ICT literacy, citizenship (both local and global), life and career skills, as well as personal and social responsibility.
