Unit I: Introduction of Key Concepts: Study Guide For Module No. - 1
Unit I: Introduction of Key Concepts: Study Guide For Module No. - 1
Unit I: Introduction of Key Concepts: Study Guide For Module No. - 1
MODULE OVERVIEW
Understanding the following significant concepts facilitates deeper appreciation of the indicator
and helps you deliver lessons that are responsive to content knowledge and pedagogy. So, let us now
acquaint ourselves with the following key concepts.
*CONTENT KNOWLEDGE. Competencies that teachers are expected to master for them to teach
efficiently and effectively.
*CURRICULUM AREAS. Different learning/subject areas taught and learned in the basic education
curriculum.
1. compare the basic concepts of traditional and 21st century literacies and skills
2. explain the features and critical attributes of the 21st century literacies
In today’s world, there are different forms and types of literacies that learners in different fields
talk of in the society. By now, you must have heard or used some type of these types of literacy in the
society. Let us consider some of the most common discussed types of literacies.
Traditional Literacy/ Conventional Literacy is a type of literacy that deals with reading and writing skills
of letters in a language. It involves issues such as knowing the alphabet, phonetics, phonology,
morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics that govern the reading and writing skills in a
conventional manner.
McGee and Richgels (1996:30) describe the use of conventional literacy in terms of the behavior
manifested by readers, “Conventional readers and writers read and write in ways that most people in
our literate society recognize as ‘really’ reading and writing. For example, they use a variety of reading
strategies, know hundreds of sight words, read texts written in a variety of structures, are aware of
audience, monitor their own performances as writers and readers, and spell conventionally.”
Functional Literacy
Functional Literacy is a type of literacy that deals with application of conventional form of literacy such
as reading and writing well enough to understand signs, read newspaper headings, read labels on
medicine bottles, make shopping lists, read Bible, write letters, fill in forms, apply for jobs, practice the
language skills verbally & in written form, reading for pleasure and purposive writing. Functional
literacy as noted by different scholars is used for different activities in the society. Gray (1956:21)
notes: Functional literacy is used for the training of adults to ‘meet independently the reading and
writing demands placed on them. Currently, the phrase describes those approaches to literacy which
stresses the acquisition of appropriate verbal, cognitive, and computational skills to accomplish
practical ends in culturally specific settings.
Early literacy/emergent literacy is a type of literacy that deals with the earliest behaviors that relate to
a kind of literacy in form of the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that are manifested before the actual
conventional level of literacy is attained. The term was first used in 1966 by a New Zealand
researcher Marie Clay to describe the behaviors seen in young children when they use books and
writing materials to imitate reading and writing activities, even though the children cannot actually read
and write in the conventional sense (Ramsburg, 1998). “Emergent literacy is concerned with the
earliest phases of literacy development, the period between birth and the time when children read and
write conventionally. The term emergent literacy signals a belief that, in a literate society, young
children even one and two-year old’s, are in the process of becoming literate”.
As early childhood education moves front and center in the public policy debate, more attention is
being paid to early literacy. Early childhood professionals have long recognized the importance of
language and literacy in preparing children to succeed in school. Early literacy plays a key role in
enabling the kind of early learning experiences that research shows are linked with academic
achievement, reduced grade retention, higher graduation rates and enhanced productivity in adult life.
This report synthesizes the body of professional knowledge about early literacy and offers research-
based recommendations.
Basic Literacy
Basic Literacy refers to a type of knowledge that is expected to be known by everyone in a field. In the
world today, people expect everyone to know basics of conventional literacy that is to know how to
read and write. For example, everyone is expected to know how to read and write as a basic literacy
skill.
(a) Initial Literacy – A type of literacy that looks at the time or stage an individual learns or is expected
to learn the basics or the process of acquiring basic skills in a particular field such as reading and
writing in a particular language. It is a critical foundation of conventional literacy as it has to do with
knowing expected skills in a conventional manner.
(b) Critical literacy – A type of literacy that involves interpreting a piece more than mere piece of work
such as determining what effect a writer is attempting to bring about in readers, why he or she is
making that effort and just who those readers are. According to (Freire, 1970) Critical Literacy looks at
the teaching of critical consciousness skills relating to an individual’s ability to perceive social,
political, and economic oppression and to act against the oppressive elements of society. The concept
of critical consciousness (conscientization) was developed by Paulo Freire primarily in his books:
Pedagogy of the Oppressed and Education for Critical Consciousness, Kirkendall (2004). Critical
literacy involves the analysis and critique of the relationships among texts, language, power, social
groups and social practices.
(c) Film Literacy – skills and abilities possessed by an individual to practice the art and craft of film
making and its processes. Processing the messages packaged in films is also a form of film literacy.
(d) Teaching literacy – A form of literacy that focuses on an individual’s abilities to teach effectively in
a subject matter. He or she understand the craft of teaching and the necessities that can be applied
for an effective teacher.
(e) Computer Literacy – A type of literacy that look at an individual’s knowledge and ability to use
computers and technology efficiently. It includes the comfort level someone has in using computer
programs and other applications that are associated with computers. Computer Literacy – A type of
literacy that look at an individual’s knowledge and ability to use computers and technology efficiently.
It includes the comfort level someone has in using computer programs and other applications that are
associated with computers.
(f) Technological literacy – This form of literacy refers to an individual’s ability to use technology tools
to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, create and communicate information. It also extends to the
knowledge possessed to create or develop technology related products in a broad sense. This
includes to that look at technological issues.
(g) Information Literacy – A type or type of literacy that look at the ability to recognize the extent and
nature of the information needed, to locate, evaluate, and effectively use the needed information in
the manner that would befit it. It constitutes the abilities to recognize when information is needed and
to locate, evaluate, effectively use, and communicate information in its various formats. A person is
said to be information literate if they can recognize when the information is needed and have the
ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. Information literacy has to do
with knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and
communicate it in an ethical manner, implies knowing several skills.
(h) Media Literacy – A type of literacy similar to information literacy that look at an individual’s ability to
understand information or read information from the different media by filtering or sifting through and
analyzing the messages that inform, edutain and sell to us every day. Media literacy is having the
ability to bring critical thinking skills to bear on all media, from music videos and web environments to
product placement in films and virtual displays on billboards
(i) Visual Literacy – A type of literacy that deal with an individual’s ability to interpret, negotiate, and
make meaning from information presented in the form of an images, graphic designs, and other
visuals aspects. Visual literacy is based on the idea that pictures can be “read” and that meaning can
be communicated through a process of reading. It is an instance of Visual Memory: retaining a
“picture” of what a word or object looks like and how to make sense out of it.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 1
SELF-REFLECTION
Before we go further, let us first reflect on our current practice. As a Pre-Service teachers, we
have our knowledge, skills and attitudes regarding application of content knowledge within and across
curriculum teaching areas.
... the subject matters I …plan and organize teaching … that my learners acquire
teach and the ways I learning strategies to apply the content better when I
my expertise in my subject relate my subject matter to
integrate my topics to
matter and to integrate my their enabling competencies
other subjects. content knowledge of other and learning experiences
learning areas. from other disciplines.
Good reflection, it is your turn to reflect on your knowledge, skills and attitudes in relation to the
indicator. You may write it in the boxes below.
3. How do you establish the connection of the concepts from other learning areas in the current
teaching objectives?
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_____________________________________________________________________________ .
4. If you were to enhance this DLL, what activities would you add to emphasize the application of
content knowledge within and across curriculum?
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_______________________________________________________________________________ .
ILLUSTRATIONS OF PRACTICE
We will now walk you through some illustrations of practice that could help you apply content
knowledge within and across curriculum teaching areas. The fundamental task as a teacher is to help
learners understand the content standards and to teach in accordance with the performance
standards. Therefore, the prime instrument in teaching is a strong foundation of knowledge within and
across the curriculum teaching areas, which will use in the development of teaching instructions for
learners’ target competencies.
In this segment, you will encounter varied illustrations of practice that adhere to Indicator
1.1.2. The first one is a set of Daily Lesson Logs for Kindergarten, Elementary and Secondary; the
second is a variety of Culminating Activities in the classroom, in the school and in the community; and
the third is Budget of Work for a specific learning area. Research establishes four major principles of
early literacy acquisition:
Although the abundance of research evidence supports the need for attention to early literacy
and its oral language foundations, it also raises essential questions about how early childhood
programs can foster the skills and abilities young children need to become successful readers and
writers and how reading difficulties can be prevented. The answers to these essential questions
involve consideration of the following five important and related issues:
1. early literacy learning standards
2. curriculum
3. accountability and assessment
4. teacher education and professional development
5. home-school connections
Those charged with the responsibility for early childhood education must carefully consider each of
these issues. (Early Literacy: Policy and Practice in the Preschool Years, By: Dorothy Strickland,
Shannon Riley-Ayers; https://www.readingrockets.org/article/early-literacy-policy-and-practice-
preschool-years)
Issue 5: Home-school
connections
Students need 21st century literacy. This new literacy includes traditional literacy skills, such as
reading, writing, and arguing. But more importantly, it includes new literacy skills, such as critical
thinking, scientific reasoning, and multi-cultural awareness (NCTE, 2008; Wagner, 2008).
Understanding the following key concepts facilitates deeper appreciation of the indicator. So,
let us now acquaint ourselves with literacy and numeracy concepts.
LITERACY. This refers to the capability one acquires to read, understand, and construct
textual material. This ability is useful in regular academic and non-academic situations and
contexts within the school community and in different occupational areas. Literacy is not
confined to merely learning to read and write; it also encompasses a range of more complex
skills including the ability to apprehend ideas and concepts.
NUMERACY. This refers to the ability to understand and use mathematical knowledge for
calculating, problem solving, and interpreting information to arrive at educated and well-
informed decisions. Numeracy is an important skill for learners to master to help them prepare
for life beyond the school and within the workplace and greater community.
Multicultural Literacy consists of the skills and ability to identify the creators of knowledge and
their interests (Banks, 2003), to uncover the assumptions of knowledge, to view knowledge from
diverse ethnic and cultural perspective, and to use knowledge to guided action that will create a
humane and just world (Boutte, 2008). Multicultural Literacy then, brings attention to diversity, equity
and social justice to foster cultural awareness by addressing difficult issues like discrimination and
oppression towards other ethnicities (Boutte, 2008). According to Boutte (2008) education for
multicultural literacy should help students to develop the 21st century skills and attitudes that are
needed to become active citizens who will work towards achieving social justice within our
communities. Because of the growing racial, language and ethnic diversity in our country, Multicultural
Literacy needs to be transformed in substantial ways to prepare students to function effectively in the
21st Century (Boutte, 2008).
Global Literacy aims to address issues of globalization, racism, diversity, and social justice
(Guo, 2014). It requires awareness and action, consistent with a broad understanding of humanity, the
planet, and the impact of human decision on both. Global Literacy also aims to empower students
with knowledge and take action to make a positive impact in the world and their local community
(Guo, 2014).
According to the Ontario Ministry of Education (2015) A global citizen should display most or
all the following characteristics:
1. Respect for humans no matter their race, gender, religion, or political perspectives.
2. Respect for diversity and various perspectives.
3. Promoting sustainable patterns of living, consumption, and production.
4. Appreciate the natural world and demonstrate respectful towards the rights of all living
things.
Every classroom contains students of different race, religion, and cultural groups. Students
embrace diverse behaviors, cultural values, patterns of practice, and communication. Yet they all
share one commonality: their educational opportunity (Guo, 2014).
Teachers should teach their students that other cultures exist and that these deserve to be
acknowledged and respected. Integrating a variety of cultural context into lessons and activities,
teaches students to view the world from many angles, creates a respect for diversity and enables
students to learn exciting information. As classrooms become increasingly more diverse, it is
important for educators to acknowledge an address diversity issues and to integrate multiculturalism
information into the classroom curriculum (Guo, 2014).
Social Literacy
What is Social Literacy and why is it important? Social Literacy is a student’s successful
performance and understanding of social Skills, organizational skills, and communication skills. It is
the student’s ability to connect effectively with those around them. Social literacy spans across
interacting with peers, family, coworkers, teachers, and even people we may not have met face to
face.
Social literacy is so crucial in a person’s success. The ability to communicate and voice
opinions and thoughts, as well as listening to opinions and thoughts of others, is essential in learning.
Firmly grasping social cues and norms is extremely beneficial. In literally every single setting of our
lives: school, home, work, clubs, and activities, interacting with people (whether face to face or behind
technology), we use our social literacy. We play so many roles every day and we socially need to
understand how to play those roles appropriately.
Media Literacy
What is media literacy, and why is it important? The word "literacy" usually describes the
ability to read and write. Reading literacy and media literacy have a lot in common. Reading starts
with recognizing letters. Pretty soon, readers can identify words -- and, most importantly, understand
what those words mean. Readers then become writers. With more experience, readers and writers
develop strong literacy skills.
Media literacy is the ability to identify different types of media and understand the messages
they are sending. Kids take in a huge amount of information from a wide array of sources, far beyond
the traditional media (TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines) of most parents' youth. There are text
messages, memes, viral videos, social media, video games, advertising, and more. But all media
shares one thing: Someone created it. And it was created for a reason. Understanding that reason is
the basis of media literacy.
Financial Literacy
What Is Financial Literacy? Financial literacy is the ability to understand and effectively
apply various financial skills, including personal financial management, budgeting, and investing.
Financial literacy helps individuals become self-sufficient so that they can achieve financial stability.
Financial literacy is the ability to understand how money works: how someone makes, manages, and
invests it, and expends it (especially when one donates to charity) to help others. In-depth knowledge
of financial literacy is required to understand how money works and how it can work for you – even
when you are sleeping – by investing in profitable areas like the stock or money market. To
understand money and how it works, it’s important to understand common financial literacy principles
such as financial goals, budgeting, investments, superannuation, contracts and employment models.
Financial education can benefit consumers of all ages and income levels. For young adults
just beginning their working lives, it can provide basic tools for budgeting and saving so that expenses
and debt can be kept controlled. Financial education can help families acquire the discipline to save
for their own home and/or for their children’s education. It can help older workers ensure that they
have enough savings for a comfortable retirement by providing them with the information and skills to
make wise investment choices with their individual pension and savings plans. Financial education
can help low-income people make the most of what they are able to save and help them avoid the
high cost charged for financial transactions by non-financial institutions. Your level of financial literacy
affects your quality of life significantly. It affects your ability to provide for yourself and family, your
attitude to money and investment, as well as your contribution to your community. Financial literacy
enables people to understand what is needed to achieve a lifestyle that is financially balanced,
sustainable, ethical and responsible. It also helps entrepreneurs leverage other people’s money for
business to generate sales and profits.
Cyber/Digital Literacy
What is digital literacy? Digital literacy means having the skills you need to live, learn, and
work in a society where communication and access to information is increasingly through digital
technologies like internet platforms, social media, and mobile devices.
Developing your critical thinking skills (opens in new window). Opens in a new window is
essential when you are confronted with so much information in different formats – searching, sifting,
evaluating, applying and producing information all require you to think critically. Communication is
also a key aspect of digital literacy. When communicating in virtual environments, the ability to clearly
express your ideas, ask relevant questions, maintain respect, and build trust is just as important as
when communicating in person. Digital literacy is important now, while you are a university student. It
will also be important in the future when you enter the professional world. In your workplace you will
be required to interact with people in digital environments, use information in appropriate ways, and
create new ideas and products collaboratively. Above all, you will need to maintain your digital identity
and wellbeing as the digital landscape continues to change at a fast pace.
What is Cyber Literacy and Why is it Important? While the word “literacy” alone generally
refers to reading and writing skills, when you add on the word “cyber” before it, the term encompasses
much, much more. Cyber Literacy means the ability to use computer technologies effectively and to
simultaneously understand the implications of those actions. It is also important to know where to go
to find reliable and accurate resources in cyberspace, otherwise known as cyber intelligence. The
word understanding is key here, as it goes beyond knowing how to use the technology but to have a
consciousness of one’s actions.
So, what is so important about Cyber Literacy? Actually, quite a lot, just like we use
money every single day and should understand those Financial Literacy components, we need to
understand the computers we use daily and use that knowledge to protect your data, find information
faster, avoid phishing and much more. Recently, a Tenable survey showed that, although virtually all
respondents had heard about data breaches, many have failed to change their security habits. This
could stem from ignorance, denial, or a misunderstanding of their role in protecting data.
Ecological literacy
Ecological literacy (also referred to as Eco literacy) is the ability to understand the natural
systems that make life on earth possible. To be Eco literate means understanding the principles of
organization of ecological communities (i.e. ecosystems) and using those principles for creating
sustainable human communities. The term was coined by American educator David W. Orr and
physicist Fritjof Capra in the 1990s thereby a new value entered education; the “well-being of the
earth”.
An ecologically literate society would be a sustainable society which did not destroy the
natural environment on which they depend. Ecological literacy is a powerful concept as it creates a
foundation for an integrated approach to environmental problems. Advocates champion eco-literacy
as a new educational paradigm emerging around the poles of holism, systems thinking, sustainability,
and complexity.
Creative literacy is a concept that looks beyond sitting with a book. It is a “holistic” approach,
in that it incorporates activities that can strengthen reading skills but are more focused on broader
learning. In many cases it is an activity that on the surface does not even look like it’s related to
literacy or learning to read. A couple quick examples:
1. Holding crayons helps develop fine motor skills later used for writing.
2. Drawing is a way to visually represent ideas and stories. Kids can build entire stories
around a single object they drew. Scribble has meaning to them, too.
3. Singing songs (especially rhyming ones) reinforce letter sounds and build vocabulary.
Bringing creativity and literacy together can be a powerful tool in teaching. It allows
children to be active in literacy, from acting out plays through characters that they have made
themselves or through making props. It allows children to explore their imaginations. Getting involved
in a story re-enforces the learning and can also teach practical skills, for example, working with
templates or basic sewing.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 2
SELF-REFLECTION
This time, let us reflect on our current practice regarding the use of a range of teaching
strategies that enhance learner achievement in literacy and numeracy skills. Considering the key
concepts written below.
... a range of teaching … use a range of teaching … that learners learn best
strategies to enhance strategies to enhance learner and achieve more when
the learner achievement achievement in literacy and their literacy and numeracy
in literacy and numeracy numeracy skills. basics are well established.
skills.
Good reflection, it is your turn to reflect on your knowledge, skills and attitudes in relation to the
indicator. You may write it in the boxes below.
Probing on Arts and Creativity Literacy: Please answer the following probing questions.
1. What is distinct about the arts in regard to teaching and learning?
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2. What are the ways of knowing in the arts?
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3. What does art literacy mean? When is a student art literate?
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4. What modalities are used in the arts?
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After exploring this package resources, you now have a better appreciation of the indicator.
Based on your professional reflection, think of ways on what you can do to further enhance your
knowledge, skills, and attitudes in this indicator.
Recent technological advances have affected many areas of peoples’ lives, including the way they
communicate, collaborate, learn, and teach. Those advances necessitate an expansion of vocabulary,
producing definitions such as digital natives, digital immigrants, and the topic of this post—21st-century
teacher. Changing 20th to 21st brings different results: a 21st-century school, 21st-century education, 21st-
century teacher, 21st-century skills. But what does being a 21st-century teacher really mean?
1. Learner-centered classroom and personalized instruction: As students have access to any information
possible, there certainly is no need to spoon-feed them knowledge or teach one-size-fits-all content. Students
have different personalities, goals, and needs, and offering personalized instruction is not just possible but
desirable. When students can make their own choices, they own their learning, increase intrinsic motivation,
and put in more effort—an ideal recipe for better learning outcomes.
2. Students as producers: Today’s students have the latest and greatest tools, yet the usage in many cases
barely goes beyond communicating with family and friends via chat, text, or calls. Even though students are
now viewed as digital natives, many are far from producing any digital content. They own expensive devices
with capabilities to produce blogs, infographics, books, how-to videos, and tutorials, just to name a few, but in
many classes, they are still asked to turn those devices off and work with handouts and worksheets.
3. Learn new technologies: To offer students choices, having one’s own hands-on experience and expertise
will be useful. Since technology keeps developing, learning a tool once and for all is not an option. The good
news is that new technologies are new for the novice and experienced teachers alike, so everyone can jump
in at any time. Teacher used a short-term subscription to which has many resources for learning new
technologies.
4. Go global: Today’s tools make it possible to learn about other countries and people firsthand, textbooks
are still sufficient, yet there’s nothing like learning languages, cultures, and communication skills by actually
talking to people from other parts of the world.
5. Be smart and use smartphones: Once again—when students are encouraged to view their devices as
valuable tools that support knowledge (rather than as distractions), they start using them as such.
6. Blog: Write on the importance of both students-and-teachers’ blogging. Even beginners of English could
see the value of writing for real audience and establishing their digital presence. To blog or not to blog should
not be a question anymore.
8. Collaborate: Technology allows collaboration between teachers and students. Creating digital resources,
presentations, and projects together with other educators and students will make classroom activities
resemble the real world. Collaboration should go beyond sharing documents via email or creating PowerPoint
presentations. Many great ideas never go beyond a conversation or paper copy, which is a great loss.
Collaboration globally can change the entire experience.
9. Use Twitter chats: Participating in Twitter chats is the cheapest and most efficient way to organize one’s
PD, share research and ideas, and stay current with issues and updates in the field. It can grow professionally
and expand the knowledge as there are great conversations happening every day and going to conferences is
no longer the only way to meet others and build professional learning networks.
10. Connect: Connect with like-minded individuals. Again, today’s tools allow one to connect with anyone,
anywhere, anytime. Have a question for an expert or colleague? Simply connect via social media: follow, join,
ask, or tell.
11. Project-based learning: As today’s students have access to authentic resources on the web, experts
anywhere in the world, and peers learning the same subject somewhere else, teaching with textbooks is very
20th-century. Today’s students should develop their own driving questions, conduct their research, contact
experts, and create final projects to share, all using devices already in their hands. All they need from their
teacher is guidance.
12. Build your positive digital footprint: It might sound obvious, but it is for today’s teachers to model how
to appropriately use social media, how to produce and publish valuable content, and how to create sharable
resources. Even though it’s true that teachers are people, and they want to use social media and post their
pictures and thoughts, we cannot ask our students not to do inappropriate things online if we ourselves do
them. Maintaining professional behavior both in class and online will help build positive digital footprint and
model appropriate actions for students.
13. Code: While this one might sound complicated; coding is nothing but today’s literacy. As pencils and pens
were the tools of the 20th century, today’s teacher must be able to operate with today’s pen and pencil—
computers. Coding is very interesting to learn—the feeling of writing a page with HTML is amazing. Even
though I have a way to go, just like in every other field, a step at a time can go a long way. Again, Lynda.com
is a great resource to start with.
14. Innovate: To expand teaching toolbox and try new ways, such as teaching with social media or replacing
textbooks with web resources. Not for the sake of tools but for the sake of the learners.
15. Keep learning: As new tools and new technology keep emerging, learning, and adapting is essential. The
good news is: It’s fun, and even 20 minutes a day will take you a long way.
The label of ’21st Century learning’ is vague, and is an idea that we here at Teach Thought like to
take a swing at as often as possible, including: (1) weighing the magic of technology with its incredible cost
and complexity; (2) underscoring the potential for well thought-out instructional design; and (3) considering the
considerable potential of social media platforms against its apparent divergence from academic learning. The
following take on 21st-century learning developed by Teach Thought is notable here because of the absence
of technology.
9 Characteristics of 21st Century Learning
LEARNING ACTIVITY 3
Application: Before proceeding to the rest of this lesson, do the activity below on the 21st Century’s
Changing Landscape.
Mrs. Rosalia Santos, a primary school teacher in the Philippines, is presently taking up graduate
studies in education. For her assignment, her professor asked her to write an essay on the changes in
Philippine society in the past four decades. Read her short essay on the next page.
The Changes in Philippine Society- From the 1970s to the 21st Century
by Mrs. Rosalia Santos
Philippine society has been characterized by massive changes over the period 1970 to the present.
Some of these changes were slow to occur while some were fast and drastic. In the area of politics, the
last four decades have seen changes in the leadership of the government. From the Martial Law era of
President Marcos in the 1970s to the early 1980s, to the Aquino, Ramos, Estrada, Arroyo, and now,
Aquino administration, politics has inevitably shaped the way Filipinos live. There was the “People
Power Revolution” in 1986 which toppled the Marcos regime and catapulted Corazon Aquino to power.
With this political change, the Philippine economy showed improvements including a rise in the number
of the middle class and an increase in the number of Filipinos working abroad. These political and
economic changes, on the other hand, led to social changes. Part of the social changes is the
changing structure of the home as family members’ roles shift and mobility of individuals and families
increases.
Values have changed, too. There is a lot of influence being felt from Western societies. Filipinos have
learned to adapt to new ways of life such as being more open to modern ways of living.
Technology also created changes in the way people communicate all over the country and beyond.
Cellular phones, computers and mass media are becoming more and more popular and accessible.
The environment has suffered from the lifestyle changes of the Filipinos. Pollution and other
environmental problems have increased but there is a growing awareness among government officials
and among the general population to address these problems.
Overall, the 21st century has brought about several changes in the Philippine society – some are
positive while others are negative. The challenge remains for us Filipinos to address the problems that
come with the changing times and to work together towards a better future.
Reflection:
After reading Mrs. Santos’ essay, reflect and answer the following questions:
a. What are some of the changes in Philippine society described by Mrs. Santos?
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b. What would be the possible effects of these changes on 21st century education in the Philippines?
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How well did you learn the critical attributes of 21st century education in your own setting? Let’s see as you
work out this activity. For each critical attribute in Column 1, provide Suggested Teaching and Learning
Activities to Achieve the Attribute in Column 2. In Column 3, write the word YES if you are currently doing
these suggested activities in your school, and NO if you are not. Item 8 has been done for you as an example.
2. Technologies and
Multimedia
3. Global Classrooms
4. Creating/Adapting to
Constant Personal
and Social Change,
and Lifelong Learning
5. Student-Centered
7. Project-based and
Research-driven
The world of teachers and students is expected to continue to change dramatically throughout the
21st century and beyond. There is a paradigm shift in the way teaching and learning is delivered. As a 21st
century teacher, you need to develop essential knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values to be able to cope with
these changes and to help your students address them as well.
But, have you ever wondered what 21st century education looks like? What changes does the 21st
century bring to the teaching and learning process? Take a few minutes to reflect on these questions. Write
your ideas in the box provided below.
How did you picture 21st century education? Perhaps some of you may have mentioned that the
curriculum of the 21st century is different from that of earlier decades. Teaching strategies may have also
come up in your discussion about changes in 21st century education. These are but some of the changes and
characteristics of 21st century education that you and your students face today and in the future. Educators
have identified characteristics or attributes critical to 21st education. As a modern-day teacher, you need to be
aware what these are, and you must strive to understand them so that you may be able to integrate them in
your teaching.
Read on and learn more about each of these attributes in greater detail.
Nowadays, knowledge is no longer distinctly divided into clear-cut learning chunks or separate
subjects. Education in the 21st century is characterized by linkages among various subject areas in an
integrated manner. The new approach promotes the utilization of learning from various disciplines. This
critical attribute implies that teachers need to review the school curriculum and identify strategies or ways on
how different subjects can be effectively linked to enhance the learning experiences of students. For example,
music and algebra can be linked together in the discussion of fractions. The time signature of music uses
fractions; as such, you, as a good teacher, can certainly apply this to both your music or math classes.
Education in the 21st century makes full use of available Information and Communication Technology,
or ICT (e.g., computers and the internet) as well as multimedia (e.g., using audio- and video-based instruction)
to improve teaching and learning activities. The ability to find, evaluate, utilize, and create information using
technologies and multimedia, or digital technology in general, is referred to as digital literacy. As a teacher,
some of your day-to-day activities – writing reports, creating multimedia presentations, and communicating or
exchanging information with your colleagues and students online – require different levels of digital literacy.
As such, it is important for you to develop your digital literacy skills so that you can in turn pass these on to
your learners. This critical attribute implies that your school will need to acquire and use computers and
various multimedia equipment to enhance learning to the best extent possible. Training is also needed for
teacher-users as part of a bigger “technology plan.”
3. Global Classrooms
Education in the 21st century aims to produce global citizens by exposing students to the concerns of
the region and other countries. They are encouraged to react and respond to issues as part of their roles as
global citizens. This critical attribute implies that teachers need to include current global issues/concerns, such
as peace and respect for cultural diversity, climate change, and global warming, in classroom discussions.
Education in the 21st century subscribes to the belief that learning does not only happen inside the
school and during one’s schooling years. Learning can take place anywhere, anytime, regardless of one’s age.
This means that teachers should facilitate students’ acquisition of KSAVs that go beyond academics. Learning
should take place not only for the purpose of passing exams, but also for transferring knowledge to real life
situations. The curriculum should be planned in such a way that the students will continue to learn even
outside the school’s portals.
5. Student-Centered
Education in the 21st century is focused on students as learners. It is tailor-fit to address the individual
learning needs of each student. Differentiated instruction is common in 21st century classrooms, where
diverse student factors are taken into account when planning and delivering instruction. You, as a teacher, can
structure learning environments that address the variety of learning styles, interests, needs, and abilities found
in your classroom. This critical attribute implies that teachers should act as facilitators of learning — not as
“sages on the stage” but as “guides on the side.” Learners should be given opportunities to discover new
knowledge, learn with one another, and create their own learnings.
Education in the 21st century promotes the skills needed to be productive members of today’s
society. It is not enough for students to learn the basic skills of reading, writing, and numeracy, but should
develop in themselves skills that would help them cope with life and work in 21st century communities. These
skills include, among others, critical and creative thinking skills, problem solving and decision making, and ICT
literacy and skills. As a teacher, you are expected to possess these 21st century skills before you can help your
students develop these skills.
Among the critical attributes of 21st century education is the emphasis on data, information, and
evidence-based decision making. It relies heavily on student-driven activities to encourage active learning.
This implies that teachers of the 21st century need to be knowledgeable about research to guide their
students’ learning through self-directed activities, such as learning projects within and outside their
classrooms. Investigatory projects showcased in many science fairs across Southeast Asia and in the world are
examples of research-based activities of students.
Education in the 21st century is meaningful because it is rooted in real life day-to-day activities of
learners. It can be applied to the realities of the present and includes what students need to develop to enable
them to become productive members of the 21st century. This critical attribute implies that topics are taught
using current and relevant information and linked to real-life situations and context. As a 21st century teacher,
you need to be updated on the current trends, developments, and issues in your school, community, and in
the world, so that your teaching will be relevant to the lives of your students. Newspapers, TV and radio news,
and the internet are good sources of relevant and up-to-date information that you can access.
Making Connections
Before practicing this strategy in the classroom, create a list of personal connections to the particular
text for which you will be modeling this strategy. Explain to students that you are going to practice the
comprehension strategy of making connections to find ways that students can personally relate to a text.
Visualizing
Albert Einstein once said, “If I can’t picture it, I can’t understand it.” Visualizing is the reading
strategy that helps your students create a picture in their head of what they’re reading. It’s almost as if your
students are making videos or movies in their heads, all built from their background knowledge, their
imagination, and the content of the text. And based on their past experiences, their imagination, and how they
interpret what they read, different students can picture different things from the same text ( https://www.csi-
literacy.com/blogs/blog/reading-strategies-visualizing#).
Practice visualizing with students by having them close their eyes and picture a scene you are
describing (it could be made up, or you could read a description from a book), then have them add
further details from what they imagined.
Play a “soundscape” and have students create a mental picture of where they are and what they see,
hear, smell, taste, and feel.
With a text in front of them, have students point out the words that most helped them to visualize
while reading. Have them compare with their peers to see if some words were more helpful than
others, and why.
When students are writing, have them visualize their setting using all their five senses. Encourage
them to build these ideas into their work. Remind students that using descriptive words will help their
readers to visualize and create a vivid picture.
Check out free visualizing lesson and anchor chart to introduce this reading strategy to your students.
Inferring
The ability to make inferences is, in simple terms, the ability to use two or more pieces of information
from a text in order to arrive at a third piece of information that is implicit. Inference can be as simple as
associating the pronoun ‘he’ with a previously mentioned male person. Or, it can be as complex as
understanding a subtle implicit message, conveyed through the choice of particular vocabulary by the writer
and drawing on the reader’s own background knowledge. Inferencing skills are important for reading
comprehension, and also more widely in the area of literary criticism and other approaches to studying texts
(Kispal, 2008).
Questioning
“Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge … and an understanding of and take responsibility for
promoting high standards of literacy, articulacy and the correct use of standard English, whatever the teacher’s
specialist subject. If teaching early reading, demonstrate a clear understanding of systematic synthetic
phonics.” (Teachers’ Standards). According to McGill (2010), stressed that as regards to literacy, what questions
should we ask every teacher? To provide thoughtful questions for pre-/in-service teachers entering the
classroom this year. We are all teachers of literacy. However, on reflection, the following questions are
applicable for every teacher who works with students in any school.
Determining Importance
Why do we teach Determining Importance? Learners tend to think that everything is important!
They are learning information for the first time, and all of it is equally fascinating. They lack the years of
experience that helps adults tune out the little details and focus on the big ideas. So our task is to teach
children to recognize the big ideas and to organize their thinking around them, while we still encourage the
joy and creativity involved in unusual and tangential thinking. And determining importance involves making
inferences about the author’s intent and about what is useful to us. In this module, we have discussed thinking
about big ideas in literature through inferring (with poetry) and synthesizing (for themes in fiction).
How do we teach Determining Importance? In support of a research unit or inquiry. Often young
children have difficulty determining importance as they read because they lack the background knowledge to
understand whether something is important or not. Therefore determining importance is most effectively
taught within a unit of study or inquiry focused on a science or social studies topic. As the children accumulate
knowledge about the topic, they are much better able to decide what’s important. They are excited as they
find the same information in different sources – a sure clue that this information is important! We give
authentic purpose to the strategy of determining importance as children use it to sort through their research
and decide what to remember and share from what they have learned.
Synthesizing
What is the strategy of synthesizing? The prefix “syn” means together. When we synthesize, we
pull together the most important points from our reading, but we move beyond what’s stated by the author. We
focus on the insights that we gained from reading. We notice how our thinking changes as we read, so that
when we finish, we can put our thinking and learning together in new ways. Debbie Miller says synthesizing is
“the process through which readers bring together their background knowledge and their evolving
understanding of the book to create a complete and original understanding of the text.” We not only
synthesize within a text, but across texts, especially when we are doing research or inquiry. We take what we
learn from various sources and put it together in original ways.
Why do we teach children to synthesize? We want our students to do more than parrot back what
they’ve read. We want them to grow and change because of what they discover in texts. To do that, they need
to synthesize. We have seen examples of children synthesizing throughout this Reading Comprehension
module, even though they had not yet been formally introduced to the strategy:
• When first graders found answers to their questions about animals by combining information from
more than one paragraph or page of text, they were synthesizing – taking ideas from different places
and putting them together for their own purposes. (Ask Questions)
• When a second grader created a diagram of the stages of a volcano (see photo), she was
synthesizing information she had learned throughout the text. (Build and Activate Schema)
• When her classmate came up with the analogy that the magma chamber is like the heart of the
volcano, he synthesized how the chamber looked and what he knew about its function to create a
new way to think about magma. (Build and Activate Schema)
How do we teach children to synthesize? In fiction, Debbie Miller recommends teaching children
that synthesis is like the ripples made by throwing a stone in a pond. First there is the small circle, our initial
thinking. As we read, our thinking expands, like the ripples that grow bigger. Our final thoughts are the big
ideas that we reach by the end of our reading.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 4
2. How can pupils/students best be taught to use inference and deduction skills?
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3. What strategies are most effective in teaching inference and deduction skills to pupils/students of different
ages / abilities?
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4. What does progression in inference and deduction look like and how can it be supported?
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To learn more about the strategy of Determining Importance, see Suggested Readings on the link listed here.
The Sample Lesson is “Find Important Information,” (https://readingrecovery.clemson.edu/introduction-to-
determining-importance/).
During the Session: Be sure that you have read the Introduction to Determining Importance, preferably before
attending the session.
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Concluding the Session: Be sure to leave ready to implement new learning from the session.
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3. Do you think it’s helpful to continue adding interesting details to the anchor chart as well as important
information? Why or why not?
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4. How might you adapt this lesson for your own students or for children at different grade levels?
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Activity To Do: To learn more about the strategies of Summarizing and Synthesizing, see SAMPLE LESSON:
Synthesize Our Thinking in Fiction , Introduction to Summarizing and Synthesizing and Suggested Readings.
Use Debbie Miller’s approach of modeling how her thinking changed from one part of the story.
(https://readingrecovery. clemson.edu/summarize-and-synthesize/)
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SUMMARY
As the world changes culturally, technologically and physically, so too does our ever-broadening
definition of literacy. In recognition of this change, we must empower our students to explore and embrace the
21st century literacies. It is critical to the status of our educational system that we are not using 20th century
teaching methods to educate 21st century learners. Creative/critical thinking skills must be taught at the
earliest age possible, for this becomes the foundation upon which our students will construct their educational
experience, one that will evolve into lifelong learning. Just as our literacies have changed, so too will the
structure of our educational system. Because success with technology depends largely upon critical thinking
and reflection, teachers with relatively little technological skill can provide useful instruction. But schools must
support these teachers by providing professional development and up-to-date technology for use in
classrooms.
Research shows that effective instruction in 21st-century literacies takes an integrated approach,
helping students understand how to access, evaluate, synthesize, and contribute to information. Furthermore,
as Web 2.0 demonstrates, participation is key, and effective teachers will find ways to encourage interaction
with and among students. Teachers need both intellectual and material support for effective 21st-century
literacy instruction. Accordingly, schools need to provide continuing opportunities for professional
development as well as up-to-date technologies for use in literacy classrooms.
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