Partnership for 21st Century Skills

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is a well-organized website with a multitude of information and resources used to support its mission to “serve as a catalyst to position 21st century skills at the center of US K-12 education by building collaborative partnerships among education, business, community and government leaders” (Partnership, 2004).

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has developed a framework that demonstrates 21st century skills student outcomes and 21st century skills support systems. I found it refreshing to see a framework that viewed all of the components as interconnected and essential to 21st century student learning. This framework emphasized the need for revamping of our support systems. Without solid support systems in place to lay the foundation for the teaching and assessing of 21st century skills, our educational system will remain in its current state.

While familiarizing myself with the website, I found myself spending a greater portion of my time perusing the Route 21 feature. The Route 21 feature contains skills-related information, resources, and community tools for those interested in learning more about how to ensure that our students are receiving instruction of 21st century skills. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills encourages professionals to submit ideas and/or resources that may assist others in teaching 21st century skills. Frequent submissions help to keep Route 21 current and relevant.

“Since its inception in 2002, the Partnership has more than tripled its membership, growing from eight founding organizations to 26 members representing America’s leading business, technology and education organizations” (Partnership, 2004). Although I found this statistic interesting, it was not surprising. “Business leaders want employees who can continually update their skills, communicate effectively and work independently to get things done” (Partnership, 2004). Employers will no longer view information and communication technology skills and demonstrations of critical and innovative thinking as perks; they will be requirements.

As other countries incorporate 21st century skills into their curriculums, the United States must also make advancements to ensure that our schools are also fostering such skills. As educators, we must analyze our curriculum and current teaching practices to take into account areas where we are meeting the standards set for teaching 21st century skills and those that are not. Serious discussions with colleagues and other teaching professional via educational blogs may prove enlightening when deciding how to best ensure that these 21st century skills are being taught in our classroom. Our students must leave our educational system well-equipped with the tools necessary to compete in a today’s global workforce.

Reference:
(2004) The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Retrieved from http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/