This post is a summary of two articles. The first with the title above was published in May of 2015 at http://www.nais.org/Independent-Ideas/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=425. The second was published at http://www.ksbe.edu/_assets/spi/pdfs/21_century_skills_full.pdf
The rapid increase in the rate of change creates a complex world. Such a context requires humans to engage with complex challenges and adapt to new situations. Following is a discussion of six factors, three human and three technological, that will require a diverse set of individual abilities and competencies and an increased collaboration among cultures. The three human factors affecting our future are: 1) Increased human longevity - The average human lifespan is lengthening and will produce collective changes in societal dynamics, including better institutional memory. This may also lead to economic implications, such as multiple careers over one's lifespan and conflicts over resources allocation between younger and older generations. Such a context will require intergenerational sensitivity and a collective systems mindset in which each person balance personal and societal needs. 2) Global connectivity - The rapid increase in the world's interconnectedness has had many compounding effects, including exponential increase in the velocity of the dissemination of information and ideas, with more complex interactions on a global basis. Thriving in this context will require tolerance of a diversity of cultures, practices and world views, as well as the ability to leverage this connectedness. 3) Environmental stresses - Along with our many unprecedent tech advances, human society is using up our environment at an unprecedented rate, consuming more of it and throwing more of it away. An expansion of business models to include collaboration with a shared spirit of humanity for collective well-being. It also demands that organizations possess an ability to pursue science with an ethical approach to societal solutions. Three technological factors will also condition our future: 1) The rise of smart machines and systems - The increasing development and diffusion of smart machines, that is, technologies that can perform tasks once considered only executable by humans, has led to increased automation, offshorability of jobs and production of goods. 2) The explosive growth of data and new media - The influx of digital tech and new media has allowed for a generation of "big data" and brings with it tremendous advantages and concerns. Massive data sets generated by millions of individuals afford us the ability to leverage those data. At the same time, however, such big data production open the door to privacy issues and abuses. Harnessing these advantages, while mitigating the concerns and potential negative outcomes, will require better collective awareness of data, with skeptical inquiry and a watchfulness for commercial or governmental abuses. 3) The possibility of amplified humans - Advances in prosthetic, genetic and pharmacological support are redefining human capabilities while blurring the lines between disability and enhancement. These changes have the potential to create "amplified humans". All of these changes discussed above highlight why it is so critical to rethink what of a 21st century education. Curricula worldwide have often been tweaked, but they have been completely redesigned for the comprehensive education of knowledge, skills, character and metacognition. The four dimensions of education. 1) Knowledge - What we know. Traditional curricula (math,language,etc) and modern curricula (robotics, entrepreneurship,etc) with interdisciplinarity. 2) Skills - How we use what we know. Creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration. 3) Character - How we engage in the world. Mindfulness, curiosity, courage, resilience and ethics. 4) Metacognition - How we reflect and learn.
There has been a significant shift over the last century. Knowledge is expanding exponentially and ICT is transforming how we learn and the nature of how work is conducted. Shared decision-making, collaboration, innovation, and speed are essential in today's enterprises. Today, much success lies in being able to communicate, share, and use information to solve complex problems, in being able to adapt and innovate to new demands and changing circumstances, in being able to command and expand the power of technology to create new knowledge. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has developed a framework, which describes the skills that students need to thrive in today's global economy. The North Regional Education Laboratory and the Metiri Group have also identified a framework, which is organized into four categories: digital literacies, inventive thinking, effective communications, and high productivity. The core subjects and themes that frame 21st century learning include traditional core subjects while emphasizing civic literacy, global awareness, financial literacy, health literacy, and environmental literacy. Learning is a fundamentally social activity, whether in schools, workplaces, or other environments. Web 2.0 tech enables users to produce and share content in new ways in real-time, become creative and engaging practices that challenge the traditional relationships between teachers and students in providing information and content for learning. The partnership for 21st Century Skills argues that all initiatives must focus on both core academic subject and 21st century skills outcomes. Both the Partnership and NCREL strongly suggest: 1) Developing teacher professional development programs and workshop that focus specifically on 21st century skills. 2) Integrating 21st century skills training into teacher preparation. 3) Developing on-line professional learning communities to provide support for teachers. 4) Invest in a ICT and provide professional development opportunities. 5) Integrate 21st century skills into both student and teacher standard.
