21ST CENTURY EDUCATION

CONCEPT EXPLORATION
This modern society is ushered in by a dramatic technological revolution. It is an increasingly
diverse, globalized and complex media saturated society. According to Dr. Douglas Kellner, this
technological revolution bears a greater impact on society than the transition from an oral to print culture.
Education prepares students for life in this world. Amidst emerging social issues and concerns,
there is a need for students to be able to communicate, function and create change personally, socially,
economically and politically at the local, national and global levels by participating in real-life and
real-world service learning projects.
Emerging technologies and resulting globalization also provide unlimited possibilities for exciting
discoveries and developments.

21 Century Education Contexts

21 Century Schools. Schools in the 21st century focus on a project-based curriculum for life that
would engage students in addressing real-world problems and humanity concerns and issues.

The 21st century will require knowledge generation, not just information delivery, and schools
will need to create a "culture of inquiry"

Learners will become adaptive to changes. In the past, learners spent a required amount of time
in respective courses, received passing grades and graduated. Today, learners are viewed in a new
context.

The changes have implications for teachers:

1) Teachers must discover student interest by helping them see what and how they are learning to
prepare them for fe in the real world;
2) They must instill curiosity, which is fundamental to lifelong learning:
3) They must be flexible in how they teach; and
4) They must excite learners to become more resourceful so that they will continue to learn outside
formal school.

21 Century learning demands a school that excites students for school.

The 21st Century Curriculum.

● The curriculum has critical attributes that are interdisciplinary project-based and research-driven.
It is connected to local, national and global communities, in which students may collaborate with
people around the world in various projects.
● The curriculum also integrates higher- order thinking skills, multiple intelligences, technology and
multimedia, multiple literacies and authentic assessments, including service- learning.
● The classroom is filled with self-directed students, who work independently and
interdependently.
● The curriculum and instruction are designed imbued with the concept of differentiation.

Learning is not confined through memorization of facts and figures alone but rather is connected to
previous knowledge, personal experience, interests, talents and habits.

The 21 Century Learning Environment.

 ● Cooperative learning is also apparent, in which students work in teams because cooperation is
given more emphasis than competition, and collaborative learning more than isolated learning.
● They use technologies, including Internet systems and other platforms.
● Hence, in the process of creating a world-class 21" century learning environment, building new
schools and remodeling of present school facilities can be addressed toward creating
environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, and "green" schools.

An ideal learning environment also considers the kind of spaces needed by students and
teachers in conducting investigations and projects by diverse groups for independent work. It also has
plenty of wall space and other areas for displaying student work that includes a place where the parents
and the community can gather to watch student performances, as well as a place where they can meet
for discussions

Technology in the 21st Century Pedagogy.

● Technologies are not ends in themselves but these are tools students use to create knowledge
for personal and social change.
● 21st Century learning recognizes full access to technology.

Understanding 21 Century Learners.

● Today’s students are referred to as “digital natives”, while educators as “digital immigrants''
(Prensky 2001).
● Digital natives' predominant senses are motion and touch. They learn through experience and
learn differently.
● Digital immigrants' predominant senses are hearing and seeing. They tend to intellectualize and
believe that learning is constant (Hawkins and Graham, 1994).

A survey by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation found that young people (ages 8-18) spend on
electronic media an average of six hours a day. In addition, many are multitasking, such as listening to
music while surfing the Web or instant-messaging friends while playing a video game.
As Dr. Michael Wesch points out, although today's students understand how to access and utilize
these tools, they use them only for entertainment purposes. Thus, students should be prepared and
assisted to become media literate as they function in an online collaborative research-based environment
with the advent of researching, analyzing, synthesizing, critiquing, evaluating and creating new
knowledge.

21 Century Skills Outcome and the Demands in the Job Market.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills lists three types, namely:
(1) Learning Skills which comprise critical thinking, creative thinking, collaborating, and
communicating:
(2) Literacy Skills which is composed of information literacy, média literacy, and technology
literacy; and
(3) Life Skills that include flexibility, initiative, social skills, productivity and leadership.

These skills have always been important in an information-based economy.

Skills demanded in the job market include knowing a trade, following directions, getting along
with others, working hard and being professional, efficient, prompt, honest, and fair.
Amidst rapid changes in the world, industry requires students to be flexible, take the initiative,
lead when necessary, and create something new and useful.
 According to Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21), various Industries look for employees who
can think critically, solve problems creatively, innovate, collaborate and communicate. Therefore, for a
perfect match between academe and industry demands, schools need to embed time-tested
industry-demanded work skills in the curriculum.

The 21" Century Learning Implications.

Teachers should practice teaching cross-disciplinary skills in related courses, such as integrating
research methods in various disciplines; articulating technical scientific concepts in verbal, written, and
graphic forms; presenting laboratory reports to a pool of specialists, or use emerging technologies,
software programs and multimedia applications as an extension of an assigned project.
Schools and teachers should use a variety of applied skills, multiple technologies, and new ways
of analyzing and processing information, while also taking initiative, thinking creatively, planning out the
process, and working collaboratively in teams with other students.
More so, schools may allow students to pursue alternatives, in which students can earn
academic merits and satisfy graduation requirements by completing an internship, apprenticeship or
volunteer experience.
Schools need to adapt and develop new ways of teaching and learning that reflect a changing
world. The purpose of school should be to prepare students for success after graduation and
therefore schools need to prioritize the knowledge and skills that will be in the greatest demand, such as
those deemed to be most important by college professors and employers.
Henceforth, teachers must realize and students must understand that no one can move toward a
vision of the future unless he/she understands the socio-historical context of where they are now. what
events led them to be where they are, how this can inform development of a vision for the future and how
they want to get there.

A. A Paradigm Shift for the 21st Century Education

Before 21st Century Education 21st Century Education

Timed based Outcome-based

Focus: memorization of discrete facts Fous: what students Know, Can Do, and Are Like after all
the details are forgotten.

Lower order thinking skills in Bloom’s Taxonomy, such as Higher order thinking skills (metacognition), such as
knowledge and comprehension. application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

Textbook-driven Research-driven

Passive learning Active learning

Learners work in isolation and are confined in the Learners work collaboratively with classmates and others
classroom (walled classroom). around the world (global classroom).

Teacher centered: teacher is dispenser of knowledge, Student centered: teacher is facilitator/coach of student’s
information and attention. learning.

Little to no student freedow. Great deal of student freedom.

“Discipline problems” – No trust between educators and No “discipline problems” – Students and teachers have
students. Little student motivation. mutual respect and relationship as co-learners. High
student motivation.
 Fragmented curriculum Integrated and interdisciplinary curriculum

Grades taken from formal assessment measures entered Grades are based on students' performance as evidence
in the class record for reporting purposes. of learning outcome.

Assessment is for making purposes and placed as part of Assessment is an important aspect of instruction to gauge
lesson plan structure. learning outcome.

Low expectations. What students receive is what they High expectations that students succeed in learning to a
get. high extent.

Teacher is the judge. No one else sees student work. Self, peer, and others serve as evaluators of student
Outputs are assessed using structured metrics. learning using a wide range of metrics and authentic
assessments.

Curriculum is irrelevant and meaningless to the students. Curriculum is connected to a student's interest,
experiences, talents, and the real world.

Print is the primary vehicle of learning and assessment. Performances, projects, and multiple forms of media are
used for learning and assessment.

Student diversity is ignored. Curriculum and instruction address student diversity.

Students just follow orders and instructions while listening Students are empowered to lead and initiate while creating
to the teacher's lecture. solutions and solving problems.

Literacy is the 3 R’s (reading, writing, and rithmetic). Multiple literacies of the 21st Century aligned to living and
working in a globalized new society.

Factory model, based upon the needs of employers for Global model based upon the needs of a globalized
the Industrial Age of the 19th century. high-tech society.

B. Eight attributes of 21st Century Education

The Critical Attributes of 21st Century

Education

Education continuously changes dramatically

throughout time. There is a paradigm shift in the
way teaching and learning is delivered. Therefore,
the 21st Century teacher needs to develop
essential knowledge, skill and values in order to
cope with these changes and address students’
needs (21st Century Schools, 2011).

The following are eight attributes of 21" Century education and their Implications:

1. Integrated and Interdisciplinary. Education in the 21st Century is characterized by interfacing

various disciplines in an integrated manner rather than compartmentalizing its subsequent parts.
This critical attribute implies the need to review the curriculum and create strategies infusing
different subjects toward enhancing the learning experiences of students.
 2. Technologies and Multimedia. Education in the 21 Century makes optimum use of available
Information and Communication Technology (ICT), as well as multimedia to improve the teaching
and learning process, including online applications and technology platforms. It implies a need to
acquire and use computers and multimedia equipment and the design of a technology plan to
enhance learning at its best.
3. Global Classrooms. Education in the 21 Century aims to produce global citizens by exposing
students to the issues and concerns in the local, national and global societies. This critical
attribute implies the need to include current global issues/concerns, such as peace and respect
for cultural diversity, climate change and global warming in classroom discussions.
4. Creating/Adapting to Constant Personal and Social Change and Lifelong Learning.
Education in the 21 Century subscribes to the belief that learning does not end within the four
walls of the classroom. Instead, it can take place anywhere, anytime regardless of age. This
means that teachers should facilitate students' learning even beyond academics. Therefore, it
should not end with requirement compliance and passing the exams, but also for transferring and
applying knowledge to a new context or real-life situations. As such, the curriculum should be
planned in such a way that students will continue to learn even outside the school for life
5. Student-Centered. Education in the 21 Century is focused on students as learners while
addressing their needs Differentiated instruction is relevant in the 21" Century classrooms, where
diversity factors and issues are taken Into account and addressed when planning and delivering
instruction, including their fearing styles, interests, needs and abilities the
6. 21st Century Skills. Education demonstrates the skulls needed in becoming productive
members of society. Beyond learning the basic skills of reading. Writing and numeracy students
should also develop life and work skills in 21 Century communities, such as critical and creative
thinking, problem-solving and decision-making and ICT literacy and skills. Therefore, it implies
that teachers should possess these skills first before their students.
7. Project-Based and Research-Driven. 21st Century education emphasizes data, information and
evidence-based decision making through student activities that encourage active learning. This
implies the need for knowledge and skills in research, such as self-directed activities, learning
projects, investigatory projects, capstones and other research-based output.
8. Relevant, Rigorous and Real World. Education in the 21" Century is meaningful as it connects
to real-life experiences of learners. It implies the use of current and relevant information linked to
real-life situations and contexts.

C. The Characteristics of a 21" Century Teacher

The 21" Century teaching-learning environment becomes more complicated brought by
technological changes. Therefore, teachers should be able to cope with and adapt to these changes.
Thus, teachers must be equipped with attributes, knowledge and skills critical to 21" century
education so that they may be able to integrate them in their teaching. 21" Century teachers are
characterized as:
1. Multi-literate. Teachers know how to use various technologies in teaching
2. Multi-specialist. Teachers are not only knowledgeable in the course subject they teach but also
in other areas so that they can help the learner build up what they gain in the classroom and
outside the school and make sense of what was learned.
3. Multi-skilled. Teachers cope with the demand for widening learning opportunities by being skilful
not just in teaching but also in facilitating and organizing groups and activities.
4. Self-directed. Teachers are responsible for various aspects of school life and know how to
initiate action to realize the learning goals of the students and the educational goals of the
country, at large.
 5. Lifelong learner. Teachers embrace the ideal that learning never ends. Therefore, teachers must
be constantly updated on the latest information related to their subject and pedagogic trends.
They should also share what they are learning with their students and colleagues with a high
sense of professionalism.
6. Flexible. Teachers are able to adapt to various learning styles and needs of the learners. They
can facilitate learner-centered teaching with flexibility using alternative modes of delivery.
7. Creative problem solver. Teachers create innovative ideas and effective solutions to the arising
problems in the field, be it in the classroom, in the school or the profession as a whole.
8. Critical thinker. Teachers are critical thinkers as they encourage students to reflect on what they
have learned, and rekindle in them the desire to ask questions, reason out, probe, and establish
their own knowledge and belief.
9. Has a passion for excellent teaching. Teachers possess passion in the teaching profession to
ensure that students are motivated to learn under their guidance and care.
10. High Emotional Quotient (EQ). Teachers do not just have the head but also the heart to teach.
Teaching is emotionally taxing but an influential job as it involves interaction with human beings.
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D. Common 21" Century Technology Tools for Learning

As teachers for the 21" Century, no one can escape from the reality that we are now in a
borderless society. It is, therefore, important that we should know different technology tools for learning to
respond to the needs of 21" Century learners' and the demands of the times. The following are common
21" Century technology tools.

1. Affinity Groups. These are groups or communities that unite individuals with common interests.
Electronic spaces extend the range of possibilities for such groups.
2. Blogs. Web logs or "blogs" are interactive websites, often open to the public that can include
Web Inks, photographs and audio and video elements.
3. E-portfolio. It refers to student's works that are generated, selected, organized, stored and
revised digitally. Often, electronic portfolios are accessible to multiple audiences and can be
moved from one site to another easily. It can document the process of learning, promote
integrative thinking, displey final work, and/or provide a space for reflective learning.
4. Hypertext. These are electronic texts that provide multiple Inks and allow users to trace ideas in
immediate and idiosyncratic directions. Hypermedia adds sound, video, animation, and/or virtual
reality environments to the user's choices.
5. Podcasts. These are digitized audio files that are stored on the Internet and downloaded to
listeners' computers or most likely to MP3 players. The term "podcast" comes from the iPod, the
popular MP3 player.
6. Web 2.0. This refers to a second generation of Web-based communities that demonstrate the
participatory literacies that students need for the 21st-century.
7. Myspace (http://www.Myspace.com). It is a social networking website that offers an interactive
user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music and videos
internationally. Students can rate professors, discuss books, and connect with high school and
college classmates here
8. Second Life (http://www.secondlife.com). It is an Internet-based 3-D virtual world that uses
avatars (digital representations) to explore, socialize, participate in individual or group activities,
create and trade items (virtual property) and services.
9. Semantic Web. It is an extension of the current Web that puts data into a common format so that
instead of humans working with individual search engines (e.g., Google, Ask Jeeves) to locate
information, the search engines themselves feed into a single mechanism that provides this
searching on its own. Sometimes called Web 3.0, this technology enables integration of virtually
all kinds of information for more efficient and comprehensive retrieval.
10. Webkinz (http://www.webkinz.com). It is an Internet simulation wherein children learn pet care
and other skills.
11. Wiki. It refers to software that fosters collaboration and communication online. Wikis enable
students to create, comment upon, and revise collaborative projects. One of the most prominent
is Wikipedia (http://www.wikipedia.org), an online multilingual free-content encyclopedia, which
has 79 million articles in 253 languages.
12. Youtube (http://www.Youtube.com). It is a popular website for video sharing where users can
upload, view and share video footage, including movie clips, TV clips, and music videos. aven
student-produced videos.
13. Google Docs. It allows students to collaborate with other people and the document materials that
need to be compiled. processed, transacted and analyzed.
14. Prezi. It allows individuals to use pre-made, creative presentation templates.
15. Easybib. It allows individuals to generate citations in any given format.
16. Social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Edmodo, Schoology. Instagram, etc.). These are
means to communicate and share ideas among users.
17. Smartboards and audience response systems. These are replacement for traditional
chalkboards or whiteboards in classrooms.
18. ReadWrite Think.org. (www.readwritethink.org). It is a repository of standards-based literacy
lessons that offer teachers instructional ideas for Internet integration.
19. WebQuest Page (www.webquest.org). It provides Webquests on an array of topics across
content areas with a template for creating one's own.
20. Literacy Web (http://www.literacy.uconn.edu). It is an online portal that includes a large number
of new Iteracy's resources for new literacies for teachers.