The 21st Century Learner

We are in the 21st century now, but do our students possess 21st century skills?
A 21st century learner should be able to:

• Speak to a group of people effectiviley
• Problem solve when necessary and come to viable solutions
• Not just know what something is, but understand why or how
• The ability to transfer knowledge to other aspects not just memorize facts
• Collaborate with peers and other people effectively
• Perseverance to never give up and keep trying until its right
• Be a good digital citizen using technology appropriately and safely
• Know and be able to use basic technology such as the internet, word processing program, and general computer usage (saving, printing, opening programs)

A 21st century educator needs to prepare learners by doing the following:

• Require students to give presentations and speak in front of their peers
• Provide an interactive environment to engage learners
• Assign open ended questions where students must problem solve or use their own knowledge to answer the question
• Provide group work opportunities for students to learn how to work with different types of people
•  Do not allow work that is incomplete or students to give up on their work. Keep guiding and mentoring when necessary
• Stay in contact with parents about their students achievements and concerns you may have
• Use technology when appropriate to encourage technology and keyboarding skills

 Students can use technology to research, use appropriate programs, and collaborate with their peers and people anywhere in the world. Technology is a great tool for students to utilize to enhance and support their learning. To incorporate more technology into the classroom, teachers could do interactive activities using digital devices. They could also have an online classroom for students to collaborate, submit assignments, and have access to course resources. Teachers could promote group work online as well using Padlet for example.