Both educators and workforce experts have been warning us for quite some time now that our children need to improve on their 21st Century Skills. They say that if our children don’t develop these skills they won’t only be unable to successfully participate in our global economy but they also won’t be adequately prepared for college or work either.
What exactly are the skills that they’re talking about here though? Are they simply referring to things like computer and technology skills or is there more to it? Who decides which skills make the list? The answers to these questions depend upon who you ask but some light has been shed on this subject by Hanover Research.
More than Computers and Technology
Recently Hanover Research took the time to analyze 6 major educational frameworks that were designed to improve upon the development of these skills. Included within this framework were several critical skills. While the various participants in this study (e.g. Tony Wagner, the Metiri Group, the Iowa Core, the Connecticut State Department of Education, the Assessment and Teaching) each had slightly different ideas of what these skills were they did all agree that there were four critical areas for development. These included collaboration and teamwork, creativity and imagination, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
These skills are valuable not only in school but also in the workforce. Each of them also easily interacts with one another. What this indicates is that the skills that are needed have to do with more than technological expertise. They also have to do with content knowledge, literacies, and proficiencies that prepare people to meet the challenges that are present in today’s world and to also take advantage of the various opportunities that present themselves there.
Other Critical Skills for Success
According to The Hanover Research analysis, there are other secondary skills that are also necessary for success. These include flexibility and adaptability, global and cultural awareness, information literacy, and leadership. Some also suggest that civic literacy and citizenship, oral and written communication skills, social responsibility and ethics, technology literacy, and initiative are equally as important. This is because the driving force behind 21st Century Skills has to do with people’s intellectual capital. Many people believe that any political, social, or economic advances that occur within the United States during this millennium will only be made possible if we can take the time to fully develop the intellectual potential of America’s youth.