Mastery of
core subjects and 21st century themes is essential for students in the 21st
century. Core subjects include:
·
English,
reading or language arts
·
World
languages
·
Arts
·
Mathematics
·
Economics
·
Science
·
Geograph
·
History
·
Government
and Civics
Learning and innovation
skills increasingly are being recognized as the skills that separate students
who are prepared for increasingly complex life and work environments in the
21st century, and those who are not. A focus on creativity, critical thinking,
communication and collaboration is essential to prepare students for the
future.
Creativity and Innovation
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
Reason
Effectively
·
Use
various types of reasoning (inductive, deductive, etc.) as appropriate to the
situationUse 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
·
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)
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
People in the 21st century live in a technology and
media-suffused environment, marked by various characteristics, including: 1)
access to an abundance of information, 2) rapid changes in technology tools,
and 3) the ability to collaborate and make individual contributions on an
unprecedented scale. To be effective in the 21st century, citizens and workers
must be able to exhibit a range of functional and critical thinking skills
related to information, media and technology.
Information Literacy
·
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 informationAnalyze 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
·
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
FLEXIBILITY AND ADAPTABILITY
Adapt to Change
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
INITIATIVE AND SELF-DIRECTION
Manage Goals and Time
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
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
PRODUCTIVITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Manage Projects
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
- 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
LEADERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY
Guide and Lead Others
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 selflessnes
·
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