“ The only skill that will be important in the 21st century is the skill of learning new skills.Everything else will become obsolete over time.” —–Peter Drucker
Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes and change is the only constant that exists. Getting the 21st century learner ready for a world that’s changing so rapidly is not an easy task because no pupil in the history of education is like today’s modern learner. They are complex, energetic and techno- savvy individuals. So the skills our students will need to be successful in work and life are constantly evolving, and there arises the need to support these learners with ‘21st century skills’ which typically include both the academic and life skills that are intended to help students keep up with the lightning -pace of this fast changing world.
Each change is unique in how it help students and can be categorised into
- Learning skills
- Literacy skills
- Life skills
- Learning skills teaches students about the mental processes required to adapt and improve upon a modern work environment and they are a universal need for any career. They can be categorised into 4 C’s.
. Critical thinking : helps in finding solutions to problem and can deepen students’
academic learning and are also beneficial for successful interactions.
. Creativity : thinking outside the box, creating one’s own options
. Collaboration : working well with others as they navigate relationships in classroom at home and later in the workplace.
. Communication : helps in developing the ability to actively listen and communicate
with others.
- 2. Literacy skills are sometimes called IMT skills and they are concerned with a different element in digital comprehension. The three 21st century literacy skills are:
Information literacy : involves traditional skills such as reading, researching, and writings
. helps students understand facts,especially data points, that they encounter online.
Media literacy: involves understanding the many ways that information is produced and distributed. It is the practice of identifying publishing methods, outlets and sources while distinguishing between the ones that are credible and the ones that are not.
It helps students to find trustworthy sources in a world that is saturated with information.
Technology literacy: helps students understand facts,especially data points, that they encounter online. It gives them the basic information they need to understand what tasks gadgets do and why.
It unmasks the high – powered tools that run today’s world.
- Life skills: also called as FLIPS pertain to someone’s personal life but are of equal importance in professional settings. The five 21stcentury life skills are:
Flexibility: Knowing when to change, how to change and how to react to change.
It speaks about the ability of an individual to adapt to changing circumstances.
Flexibility is not spinelessness.
Leadership : is not only motivating a team to accomplish a goal but also to assist a group in facing challenges.
includes self confidence, effective communication, ability to plan, manage conflict, organize, delegate and assess.
Initiative: includes skills like starting projects, making strategies and initiating plans of their own
help students to get success in personal and professional life.
Productivity: is about maintaining efficiency in an age of distractions and managing to gain profitability
enable students to gain success in school and in their careers.
Social skills : Social skills are essential in building both personal and professional relationships.
It includes meeting people and networking with them for mutual benefits.
With these foundational outcomes of 21st century skills, we see that today’s classrooms are focusing not only on content knowledge — but also on ensuring that students develop innovative solutions, critically thinking through complex problems, and the ability to work and communicate across diverse teams. They not only provide a framework for successful learning in the classroom, but also ensure that students can thrive in a world where change is constant and learning never stops. And they are also tremendously important because they help in shaping the future of a nation.
Soma Banerjee
Seedling Modern High School