"We are working hard to educate a new generation in old ways, using tools that have ceased to be effective." - Marc Prensky
Now for the big question: How do we change this?
Have you heard of 21st Century Skills?
21st century skills are, essentially, the skills one needs to acquire and master in order to be successful in the modern workplace. According to p21.org, the critical skills needed be successful in the 21st century and beyond include “mastery in key subjects and 21st century themes; learning and innovation skills; life and career skills; and information, media, and technology skills.” P21 is critical to education because it establishes a framework for 21st century learning. Educators are largely responsible for preparing students to enter the workforce and be successful. As the modern workplace evolves, it is up to educators to continue evolving the education system in order to adequately prepare students for the workforce in which they’ll enter. Educators must evolve their own way of thinking and teaching in a way that allows students to acquire and develop these 21st century skills. It is important that educators recognize what employers are stating are necessary skills in the workplace (both basic and applied skills) and present students a variety of different outlets to develop these skills. If educators are unable to develop and grow professionally, then they could potentially hinder a student’s ability to enter and be successful in the workforce.
So, how do we provide students with an opportunity to develop these 21st century skills? Well, there are several different teaching strategies we can employ in today's classroom.
One teaching strategy would be the flipped classroom. Now, many people believe that the flipped classroom means that students go home, watch a video, come back to school the next day, and really no instruction from the teacher takes place. There are many misconceptions surrounding the flipped classroom. Watch the video below to learn more about the flipped classroom:
Another strategy is to take a constructivist approach with teaching. According to thirteen.org “Constructivism is basically a theory -- based on observation and scientific study -- about how people learn. It says that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world, through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences.” In a constructivist classroom, the curriculum looks at the big picture, and then looks at the parts. In a traditional classroom teachers are really viewed as the almost “gatekeeper” of knowledge, and the teacher is supposed to tell the students what they need to know and the students should memorize it. Rather in a constructivist classroom, a teacher acts almost as a guide in which they help students answer their own questions in order to learn new concepts. Assessment is done in a traditional classroom typically through tests where there are definite correct and incorrect answers. However, in a constructivist classroom, assessment could be done through a variety of different ways. So just what does constructivism look like in a classroom? View the video below to find out.
In his book, Teaching Digital Natives, Marc Prensky discusses a variety of ways of how to teach effectively and efficiently in the 21st century classroom. Today's students are living in a fast-paced environment, and most of them have direct access to some type of technology around the clock. These students desire knowledge that is authentic and knowledge that will directly impact and benefit them in the world outside of school. In the video below, Marc Prensky introduces us to these "digital natives":
In addition to introducting us to digital natives, Marc Prensky also discusses a wide variety of different partnering pedagogies. These partnering pedagogies are methods of teaching that the educator can employ in his or her classroom in order to effectively reach and teach these 21st century students. One of these partnering pedagogies is action learning. According to the World Institute for Action Learning, “Action Learning is a process that involves a small group working on real problems, taking action, and learning as individuals, as a team, and as an organization. It helps organizations develop creative, flexible and successful strategies to pressing problems.” In the video below, WEDU Channel 16 News investigates Action Learning further:
There is a multitude of teaching strategies that educators may find useful and effective in the classroom! Just as no two students learn the same way, no one teaching strategy will work for every classroom. If you wish to learn more about teaching strategies in the 21st century classroom, I encourage you to check out the resources below.