Some say the problem with education today is that many stakeholders have mindsets from the 20th century. Who are these 21st century students and how do we need to think about preparing them to compete and succeed in this century?
Some people say that the problem with education today is that many stakeholders have mindsets from the 20th century. After all, we went to school and have some memory of what we liked and didn’t like. If something was good enough for us, then it should be good enough for students today. We think that because we experienced education, somehow we have some insight into how it should work today.
The problem with this thinking is that the world has dramatically changed since we attended school. Today’s students face a different environment and have different expectations than we had. They also have different challenges ahead. Only a 21st-century education focused on developing 21st-century skills will do for these young learners.
Just who are the children entering our classrooms today and what are the skills that they will need to succeed in the 21st century?
Digitally switched on
There is no question that students today are the most switched-on generation the world has ever known. They have never known life without computers. They take special effects in movies for granted. They text message and use Instant Messenger. They find the information that they need on the Internet. They connect and collaborate with others around the world.
Time slicers
Students today have several tasks underway at one time, applying their attention to each one for only a short period of time. They move from task to task quickly, keeping track of everything easily. (While some may call it multi-tasking, it’s really just quick movement from task to task.)
Curious experimenters
Today’s students expect to be able to experience things, and it is perhaps their preferred mode of learning. They discover the special levels in video games that most adults wouldn’t even know to look for.
Anytime, anywhere learning
Watching how 21st-century students undertake a home-work assignment can provide particular insight into their learning style. They start their computer and get onto the Internet. They open up several Instant Messenger sessions with classmates and friends. They might text message a friend on their cell phone while they have a multi-party call with their study group.
With these experiences it is no wonder that the children in today’s classrooms have different expectations of their education than we had. At the same time, the skills demanded of these children will be different as they enter the workforce.
Ability to adapt and re-Learn
21st-century students must be prepared for multiple careers, not just multiple employers. Skills that they learn in university will quickly become passé as technology takes a leap forward or whole industries shift in a global economy. Students must know that they will have multiple careers that will require continuous learning as their lives and careers progress. Lifelong learning will be a personal commitment.
Global players
The world is becoming a smaller place and that means that 21st-century students need to be able to compete not just against students wanting to get into a university in their home province or state but for 21st-century jobs anywhere in the world. Students will need to know more about the global community in order to fully participate.
Collaborators and team players
While individual contributions will still be highly valued, 21st-century students must be able to function as team players, making strategic contributions to the overall whole.
Emotional intelligence
Because 21st-century students will work with people in other cultures and time zones, emotional intelligence and maturity will be expected. Forming teams quickly and productively will separate winners from losers.
Technology literacy
Part of the skills to be mastered will encompass new technology that changes the world of work. It’s just a given that technology will be assimilated and put to productive use quickly after it emerges.
It’s not life as we knew it when we were growing up. Our classrooms and schools need to reflect this new reality.
