21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in Our Times

The Authors xv

Prologue: The Search for Innovative Learning xix

Introduction: Learning to Innovate, Innovating Learning xxiii

The Four Question Exercise xxiv

About This Book xxviii

A Map of the Book xxix

Part One: What Is 21st Century Learning?

1 Learning Past and Future 3

Learning a Living: The Future of Work and Careers 7

Learning Through Time 11

2 The Perfect Learning Storm: Four Converging Forces 21

Knowledge Work 24

Thinking Tools 25

Digital Lifestyles 27

Learning Research 30

The Forces of Resistance 35

The Turning of Learning: Toward a New Balance 36

The Top 21st Century Challenge 40

Part Two: What Are 21st Century Skills?

3 Learning and Innovation Skills: Learning to Create Together 45

The Knowledge-and-Skills Rainbow 47

Learning to Learn and Innovate 49

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving 50

Communication and Collaboration 54

Creativity and Innovation 56

4 Digital Literacy Skills: Info-Savvy, Media-Fluent, Tech-Tuned 61

Information Literacy 65

Media Literacy 67

ICT Literacy 68

5 Career and Life Skills: Work-Ready, Prepared for Life 73

Flexibility and Adaptability 75

Initiative and Self-Direction 77

Social and Cross-Cultural Interaction 80

Productivity and Accountability 82

Leadership and Responsibility 84

Part Three: 21st Century Learning in Practice.

6 21st Century Learning and Teaching 89

Learning P’s and Q’s: Problems and Questions 90

Roads to Answers and Solutions: Science and Engineering 91

7 Powerful Learning: Proven Practices, Researched Results 95

The 21st Century Project Learning Bicycle 96

Creativity Through Projects 104

Evidence That Project Learning Works 107

Obstacles to Collaborative Inquiry and Design Learning 114

8 Retooling Schooling: Reshaping Support Systems 117

Shifting Systems in Sync 120

Support Systems 125

From Skills to Expertise: Future Learning Frameworks 145

9 Conclusion: Learning for Life—Building a Better World 151

Appendix A Resources 159

21st Century Skills Example Videos DVD 159

Resources from the Partnership for 21st Century Skills 161

Selected Online Resources 162

Appendix B About the Partnership for 21st Century Skills 167

What Is P21? 167

What Does P21 Do? 168

How the P21 Learning Framework Came into Being 170

Appendix C 3Rs x 7Cs = 21st Century Learning 175

Acknowledgments 179

Notes 183

References 187

Credits 197

How to Use the DVD 199

Index 201