Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21)

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) is a national organization that advocates for 21st century readiness for every student. As the world continues to undergo exponential change, P21 provides tools and resources to help fuse the three Rs (reading, writing, mathematics, history and other core subjects) with the four Cs (creativity and innovation, and critical thinking and problem solving, communication, and collaboration).

I. CORE SUBJECTS AND INTERDISCIPLINARY THEMES

Mastery of fundamental subjects and 21st century themes is essential for students in the 21st century. Disciplines include:

SUBJECTS

•  English, reading, or language arts
•  World languages
•  Arts
•  Mathematics
•  Economics
•  Science
•  Geography
•  History
•  Government and Civics

THEMES

In addition to these subjects, we believe schools must move beyond a focus on basic competency to promoting understanding of academic content at much higher levels by weaving 21st century interdisciplinary themes into curriculum:

• Global Awareness
• Financial, Economic, Business and Entrepreneurial Literacy
• Civic Literacy
• Health Literacy
• Environmental Literacy

II. LEARNING AND INNOVATION SKILLS

1. Creativity and Innovation

2. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

3. Communication

4. Collaboration

III. INFORMATION, MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY SKILLS

5. Information Literacy

6. Media Literacy

7. ICT Literacy – Information, communication, and technology literacy

IV. LIFE AND CAREER SKILLS

8. Flexibility and Adaptability

9. Initiative and Self-Direction

10. Social and Cross-Cultural Skills

11. Productivity and Accountability

12. Leadership and Responsibility

Many of these skills overlap and examplars in the curriculum often represent the combination of multiple skills applied.  This list is not comprehensive, but a sampling of examples that demonstrate 21^st century skills addressed in The Campus School Middle School curriculum.

II. LEARNING AND INNOVATION SKILLS

1. Creativity and Innovation 

Students demonstrate creativity and innovation through the creation of various projects

and creative endeavors

Think Creatively

• Use a wide range of idea creation techniques (such as brainstorming)
• Create new and worthwhile ideas (both incremental and radical concepts)
• Elaborate, refine, analyze and evaluate their own ideas in order to improve and maximize creative efforts

Work Creatively with Others

• Develop, implement and communicate new ideas to others effectively
• Be open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives; incorporate group input and feedback into the work
• Demonstrate originality and inventiveness in work and understand the real world limits to adopting new ideas
• View failure as an opportunity to learn; understand that creativity and innovation is a long-term, cyclical process of small successes and frequent mistakes

Implement Innovations

• Act on creative ideas to make a tangible and useful contribution to the field in which the innovation will occur

2. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Students demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving by using sound reasoning and judgment; understanding interconnections among topics, identifying and asking significant questions, and analyzing and synthesizing information.

Reason Effectively

• Use various types of reasoning (inductive, deductive, etc.) as appropriate to the situation

Use Systems Thinking

• Analyze how parts of a whole interact with each other to produce overall outcomes in complex systems

Make Judgments and Decisions

• Effectively analyze and evaluate evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs
• Analyze and evaluate major alternative points of view
• Synthesize and make connections between information and arguments
• Interpret information and draw conclusions based on the best analysis
• Reflect critically on learning experiences and processes

Solve Problems

• Solve different kinds of non-familiar problems in both conventional and innovative ways
• Identify and ask significant questions that clarify various points of view and lead to better solutions

3. Communication

Students demonstrate communication by articulating thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in speaking and writing.

Communicate Clearly

• Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts
• Listen effectively to decipher meaning, including knowledge, values, attitudes and intentions
• Use communication for a range of purposes (e.g. to inform, instruct, motivate and persuade)
• Utilize multiple media and technologies, and know how to judge their effectiveness a priori as well as assess their impact
• Communicate effectively in diverse environments (including multi-lingual

4. Collaboration

Students demonstrate collaboration by working effectively and efficiently with diverse teams, making compromises, and assuming shared responsibility for collaborative work.

Collaborate with Others

• Demonstrate ability to work effectively and respectfully with diverse teams
• Exercise flexibility and willingness to be helpful in making necessary compromises to accomplish a common goal
• Assume shared responsibility for collaborative work, and value the individual contributions made by each team member

III. INFORMATION, MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY SKILLS

5. Information Literacy 

Students demonstrate information literacy by effectively accessing, evaluating, and

using information.

Access and Evaluate Information

• Access information efficiently (time) and effectively (sources)
• Evaluate information critically and competently

Use and Manage Information

• Use information accurately and creatively for the issue or problem at hand
• Manage the flow of information from a wide variety of sources
• Apply a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and use of information

6. Media Literacy 

Students demonstrate media literacy by understanding how media messages are constructed, for what purposes, and using which tools; by understanding various interpretations and points of view are possible; and by recognizing that media can influence beliefs and behaviors.

Analyze Media

• Understand both how and why media messages are constructed, and for what purposes
• Examine how individuals interpret messages differently, how values and points of view are included or excluded, and how media can influence beliefs and behaviors
• Apply a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and use of media

Create Media Products

• Understand and utilize the most appropriate media creation tools, characteristics and conventions
• Understand and effectively utilize the most appropriate expressions and interpretations in diverse, multi-cultural environments

7. ICT Literacy – Information, communication, and technology literacy

Students demonstrate ICT literacy when they access, manage, integrate, evaluate and create information in order to function in a knowledge economy; and by developing a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and use of information.

Apply Technology Effectively

• Use technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate and communicate information
• Use digital technologies (computers, PDAs, media players, GPS,  etc.), communication/networking tools and social networks appropriately to access, manage, integrate, evaluate and create information to successfully function in a knowledge economy
• Apply a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and use of information technologies

IV. LIFE AND CAREER SKILLS 

8. FLEXIBILITY AND ADAPTABILITY

Adapt to Change

• Adapt to varied roles, jobs responsibilities, schedules and context
• Work effectively in a climate of ambiguity and changing priorities

Be Flexible

• Incorporate feedback effectively
• Deal positively with praise, setbacks and criticism
• Understand, negotiate and balance diverse views and beliefs to reach workable solutions, particularly in multi-cultural environments

9. INITIATIVE AND SELF-DIRECTION

Manage Goals and Time

• Set goals with tangible and intangible success criteria
• Balance tactical (short-term) and strategic (long-term) goals
• Utilize time and manage workload efficiently

Work Independently

• Monitor, define, prioritize and complete tasks without direct oversight

Be Self-directed Learners

• Go beyond basic mastery of skills and/or curriculum to explore and expand one’s own learning and opportunities to gain expertise
• Demonstrate initiative to advance skill levels towards a professional level
• Demonstrate commitment to learning as a lifelong process
• Reflect critically on past experiences in order to inform future progress             
  

10. SOCIAL AND CROSS-CULTURAL SKILLS

Interact Effectively with Others

• Know when it is appropriate to listen and when to speak
• Conduct themselves in a respectable, professional manner

Work Effectively in Diverse Teams

• Respect cultural differences and work effectively with people from a range of social and cultural backgrounds
• Respond open-mindedly to different ideas and values
• Leverage social and cultural differences to create new ideas and increase both innovation and quality of work

11. PRODUCTIVITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Manage Projects

• Set and meet goals, even in the face of obstacles and competing pressure
• Prioritize, plan and manage work to achieve the intended result

Produce Results

• Demonstrate additional attributes associated with producing high quality products including the abilities to:

            -    Work positively and ethically

            -    Manage time and projects effectively

            -    Multi-task

            -    Participate actively, as well as be reliable and punctual

            -    Present oneself professionally and with proper etiquette

            -    Collaborate and cooperate effectively with teams

            -    Respect and appreciate team diversity

            -    Be accountable for results

12. LEADERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY

Guide and Lead Others

• Use interpersonal and problem-solving skills to influence and guide others toward a goal
• Leverage strengths of others to accomplish a common goal
• Inspire others to reach their very best via example and selflessness
• Demonstrate integrity and ethical behavior in using influence and power

Be Responsible to Others

• Act responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind