Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Partnership for 21st Century Skills
As I browsed the Web site of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/), I was really impressed. I see it as an informational tool to educate others, specifically educators, of the overwhelming effects of technology on our society and the need to prepare our students with skills – information and communication; thinking and problem-solving; interpersonal and self-direction; global awareness; financial, economic and business literacy, and developing entrepreneurial to enhance workplace productivity and career options; and civic literacy - necessary for them to survive in not only their soon-to-be workplace but also in their everyday lives.
Although there are many surprising and impressive statements on the Site, I was most astonished with the P21’s statement that deliberately, strategically, and broadly incorporating twenty-first century skills into schools is a key to improving the United States’ economy. It is an astonishing statement; but, after serious consideration, I find it to be a true statement. Think of education as a mother-to-be who gives birth to all professions! As the mother of all professions, education must be equipped with all of the necessary nutrients or tools to give birth to other healthy professions, i.e., engineers, lawyers, politicians, teachers, etc. Failure to provide necessary nutrients or tools for the mother-to-be during her prenatal stages may produce abnormal births.
You think that this analogy is graphic, huh? It may be, but it is just higher level thinking using comparison.
The implication of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills for my students is that the correlation must be achieved if our students are going to be functioning entities in this global society. It has ceased being an option, now! It has become a full-blown need.
The implication for me as a contemporary educator is that I must become and remain a continuing master learner so that I can teach my students to be life-long learners who effectively use their knowledge of the core subjects in innovative ways to promote the definite existence of our global society. I must collaborate and partner with not only other educators but also with business, community, and government leaders to get the necessary nutrients for the mother-of-all-professions to birth other professions that can function in a competitively global society.
As United States citizens fulfilling many positions in our various professions, we must no longer go our separate ways but work collaboratively to prepare our children – our students – to take their places in the twenty-first century workplace.
Let’s face it! We are all in this boat together whether we like it or not, and we must work cooperatively to improve the health or our economy!