21st Century Skills: The History and Future of a

Movement

Justin ReichEdTechTeacher.org

Co-Director

Harvard Graduate School of Education

Doctoral Researcher

Agenda• KWL on 21st Century Skills• A labor economist’s history of the 21st C skills idea• Conceptions of 21st C skills

– Visions of 21st C instruction

• Technology and 21st C Skills– Visions of 21st C instruction with technology

• Where’s Waltham?• Obstacles and opportunities

What do you know about 21st Century Skills?

What do you want to know?

Know?• Information literacy• Global awareness• Collaboration• Work ethic• Thinking skills• Hands on learning• Daniel Pink, Tony

Wagner• Process Learning• Project based learning• creativity

• Initiative and entrepreneurialism

• Real time feedback• Change, vision, path to

the vision• Communication• Assumptions about what

kids know about technology

• Core content core subjects

Want to Know?• Is higher ed doing their part in

training teachers? Or even working with college kids? Re-licensure – retraining teachers

• What does it looks K-20, college and career access vs. readiness? How do we get the means to provide for all student?

• Keep up effectively with rate of change in tech

• Strong research base, where are policymakers?

• Bridge the gap between where we are and where we need to go?

• How do we move forward with this, in light of AYP, MCAS, testing regime, etc?

• Maintain the need to be an educational leadership, while doing bean counting… as we balance

• Stay focused on standards while achieving new goals

Skills for 21Skills for 21stst Century Work and Century Work and LifeLife

Richard J. MurnaneRichard J. Murnane

Harvard Graduate School of Harvard Graduate School of EducationEducation

June 22, 2009June 22, 2009

Men's real hourly wage by education, 1979-2006 (2006 Men's real hourly wage by education, 1979-2006 (2006 $)$)

All Males

Less than High School

High School Graduate

4-year College Degree

Advanced Degree

$5.00

$10.00

$15.00

$20.00

$25.00

$30.00

$35.00

$40.00

1979

1982

1985

1988

1991

1994

1997

2000

2003

2006

Year

Ho

url

y W

age

(200

6 $)

The data on w hich this graph is based w as provided by Jared Bernstein of the Economic Policy Institute. The data come from the Current Population Survey. The sample includes all w age and salary w orkers, age 18-64.

Women’s real hourly wage by education, 1979-2006 (2006 $)Women’s real hourly wage by education, 1979-2006 (2006 $)

All Females

Less than High School

High School Graduate

4-year College Degree

Advanced Degree

$5.00

$10.00

$15.00

$20.00

$25.00

$30.00

$35.00

$40.00

1979

1982

1985

1988

1991

1994

1997

2000

2003

2006

Year

Ho

url

y W

age

(200

6 $)

The data on w hich this graph is based w as provided by Jared Bernstein of the Economic Policy Institute. The data come from the Current Population Survey. The sample includes all w age and salary w orkers, age 18-64.

Men’s Real Hourly Wage by Education, 1973-2005 (2005 $)

1989 12.49 15.59 17.19 24.25 30.15

1990 12.13 15.26 17.28 24.38 30.58

1991 11.85 15.13 17.11 24.06 31.01

1992 11.69 15.00 16.74 24.34 30.44

1993 11.50 14.92 16.68 24.32 30.70

1994 11.20 15.05 16.68 24.57 31.80

1995 10.98 14.88 16.60 24.61 32.01

1996 10.96 14.81 16.57 24.50 31.87

1997 10.94 15.15 16.98 25.26 32.31

1998 11.38 15.38 17.28 26.34 32.72

1999 11.46 15.60 17.61 27.15 34.43

2000 11.38 15.74 17.95 27.64 34.54

2001 11.36 15.84 18.18 28.31 34.60

2002 11.67 16.01 18.11 28.32 35.76

2003 11.72 16.00 18.08 28.28 35.37

2004 11.63 15.94 18.08 27.97 36.07

2005 11.48 15.65 17.76 28.06 35.67

Source: The State of Working America 2006-07, table 3.18.

Based on authors' analysis of CPS wage data described in Appendix B.

LT HS Some 4-Yr GT

HS Coll Coll 4-Yr Coll

1973 $14.68 $17.41 $17.79 $24.01 $26.67

1974 14.32 16.89 17.23 23.38 27.53

1975 13.81 16.78 17.32 23.15 27.45

1976 14.09 16.86 17.40 23.25 27.04

1977 14.17 16.80 17.16 22.98 27.17

1978 14.36 17.21 17.83 23.51 27.69

1979 14.79 17.33 18.03 23.56 26.80

1980 14.32 16.78 17.65 23.27 26.44

1981 13.97 16.54 17.43 23.39 26.28

1982 13.73 16.42 17.45 23.67 27.30

1983 13.36 16.24 17.32 23.95 27.76

1984 13.26 16.08 17.32 24.28 28.39

1985 13.14 16.15 17.58 24.62 29.39

1986 13.21 16.25 18.01 25.35 30.54

1987 12.99 16.22 17.98 25.85 30.90

1988 12.95 16.24 17.79 25.89 31.40

One Possible Explanation for the Growth One Possible Explanation for the Growth in the College-High School Wage in the College-High School Wage

DifferentialDifferential

The Supply of college-educated workers The Supply of college-educated workers fell relative to the supply of high-school fell relative to the supply of high-school educated workerseducated workers

Educational Attainments of U.S. Labor Force,

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

HS Dropout HS Graduate Some College 4-Yr College ormore

%

1980 2000

Explanation lies in changes in Explanation lies in changes in demanddemand for for workers with different educational workers with different educational attainmentsattainments

What changes occurred in the economy What changes occurred in the economy that increased the value of college that increased the value of college educated workers to employers relative to educated workers to employers relative to the value of high school educated workers?the value of high school educated workers?

One candidate: more and faster computers One candidate: more and faster computers changing the way much work is changing the way much work is accomplished.accomplished.

24.4%

37.3%

46.6%

50.6%54.0%

38.9%

55.5%

41.7%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

1984 1989 1993 1997 2001 2003

Share of US Workers Using a Computer and Using the Internet on the Job, 1984 - 2003

Use a Computer at Work? Use the Internet at Work?

The Need for Careful The Need for Careful TheoryTheory Initial Response: Computers must Initial Response: Computers must

Substitute for less educated workers Substitute for less educated workers and Complement more educated and Complement more educated workers.workers.

BUTBUT– What about chess? What about chess?

– What about caring for the elderly?What about caring for the elderly?

A theory about the Impact of Computer-A theory about the Impact of Computer-Driven Technological ChangeDriven Technological Change

All Human Work involves All Human Work involves processing informationprocessing information

Computers are strongest at Computers are strongest at performing processing that can be performing processing that can be described in rules (described in rules (Rules Based Rules Based Logic)Logic)

Examples: Mathematical Examples: Mathematical Algorithms, Diagnostic Procedures, Algorithms, Diagnostic Procedures, Securities Trading, Order Securities Trading, Order ProcessingProcessing

Computerizing the Routine Tasks: Self-Service Computerizing the Routine Tasks: Self-Service Check-InCheck-In

Types of Tasks Computers Do Not Types of Tasks Computers Do Not WellWell

Tasks that cannot be described well as a Tasks that cannot be described well as a series of if-then-do steps because:series of if-then-do steps because:

• ““We know more than we can tell.” We know more than we can tell.” (Polyani).(Polyani).

• Not all contingencies can be predicted Not all contingencies can be predicted ahead of time.ahead of time.

• We learn to define the task and We learn to define the task and accomplish it through social accomplish it through social interactions.interactions.

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

ServiceWorkers

Blue CollarWorkers

AdministrativeSupportWorkers

Sales RelatedOccupations

Technicians ProfessionalOccupations

Managers andAdministrators

% o

f Em

plo

yed A

dult

s

1969 1999

The Adult Occupational Distribution: The Adult Occupational Distribution: 1969 and 19991969 and 1999

Progress and New Progress and New QuestionsQuestions

We have learned that the occupational We have learned that the occupational distribution has changed markedly distribution has changed markedly over the last 35 years in ways that over the last 35 years in ways that reduce demand for workers whose reduce demand for workers whose jobs consist of carrying out rules-jobs consist of carrying out rules-based tasks. based tasks.

But the occupational groups we have But the occupational groups we have examined contain many disparate examined contain many disparate occupations.occupations.

Composition of Employment in Service Occupations 2000

Food Preparation and ServiceOccupations

Healthcare SupportOccupations

Housekeeping, Cleaningand Laundry Workers

Protective ServiceOccupations

Building and GroundsCleaning and Maintenance Occs.

Recreation andHospitality Occs.

Misc. PersonalService Occs.

Child Care Workers

Personal Appearance Occs.

Changes in Skill Requirements?Changes in Skill Requirements?

As educators we want to learn how the As educators we want to learn how the changes in the economy have changes in the economy have affected the skills students should affected the skills students should master. master.

Required skill mix varies widely among Required skill mix varies widely among the hundreds of occupations in the the hundreds of occupations in the U.S. economy.U.S. economy.

Four Kinds of Workplace Tasks Four Kinds of Workplace Tasks

Routine Cognitive (filing, bookkeeping)Routine Cognitive (filing, bookkeeping)

Routine Manual (assembly line work)Routine Manual (assembly line work)

Expert Thinking (identifying and Expert Thinking (identifying and solving new problems)solving new problems)

Complex Communication (eliciting Complex Communication (eliciting critical information and conveying a critical information and conveying a convincing interpretation of it to convincing interpretation of it to others)others)

A Homework QuestionA Homework Question Examine the homework that teachers in your Examine the homework that teachers in your

school typically assign:school typically assign:

– Does the homework push students to develop Does the homework push students to develop expert thinking skills (non-routine problem solving) expert thinking skills (non-routine problem solving)

– What about communication skills?What about communication skills?

– Or does the homework ask students to do the kind Or does the homework ask students to do the kind of rules-based tasks that computers can be of rules-based tasks that computers can be programmed to do?programmed to do?

The answer may tell you a lot about the types The answer may tell you a lot about the types of jobs your school is preparing students to do.of jobs your school is preparing students to do.

Economy-Wide Measures of Routine and Non-Economy-Wide Measures of Routine and Non-Routine Task Input: 1969-1998 (1969=0)Routine Task Input: 1969-1998 (1969=0)

-10

-8

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

1969 1980 1990 1998

Perc

entile

Change in 1

969 D

istr

ibution

Complex Communication

Expert Thinking

Routine Manual

Routine Cognitive

Key Elements of Expert Key Elements of Expert Thinking:Thinking:

A great deal of well organized A great deal of well organized knowledge about the problem (not knowledge about the problem (not memorized facts, but well memorized facts, but well understood relationships).understood relationships).

Skill at pattern recognitionSkill at pattern recognition

Initiative (a disposition)Initiative (a disposition)

MetacognitionMetacognition

Key elements of Complex Key elements of Complex CommunicationCommunication

Observing and listening.Observing and listening.

Eliciting critical information.Eliciting critical information.

Interpreting the information.Interpreting the information.

Conveying the interpretation to Conveying the interpretation to others.others.

Economy-Wide Measures of Routine and Non-Economy-Wide Measures of Routine and Non-Routine Task Input: 1969-1998 (1969=0)Routine Task Input: 1969-1998 (1969=0)

-10

-8

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

1969 1980 1990 1998

Perc

entile

Change in 1

969 D

istr

ibution

Complex Communication

Expert Thinking

Routine Manual

Routine Cognitive

Changes in Task Mix Within Occupations: Example: Changes in Task Mix Within Occupations: Example: SecretarySecretary

1970 description of a secretary’s job:

““Secretaries relieve their employers of routine duties Secretaries relieve their employers of routine duties so they can work on more important matters. . . .”so they can work on more important matters. . . .”

2000 description of a secretary’s job:

““. . . Office automation and organizational . . . Office automation and organizational restructuring have led secretaries to assume a restructuring have led secretaries to assume a wide range of new responsibilities once reserved wide range of new responsibilities once reserved for managerial and professional staff. Many for managerial and professional staff. Many secretaries now provide training and orientation to secretaries now provide training and orientation to new staff, conduct research on the Internet, and new staff, conduct research on the Internet, and learn to operate new office technologies.” learn to operate new office technologies.”

Source: U.S. Department of Labor Occupational HandbookSource: U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Handbook

New Knowledge and QuestionsNew Knowledge and Questions

Factors contributing to the growth in the Factors contributing to the growth in the college-high school wage differentialcollege-high school wage differential– Changes in demand for workers with different types Changes in demand for workers with different types

of skillsof skills Decline in demand for workers who carry out rules-based Decline in demand for workers who carry out rules-based

taskstasks Growth in demand for workers skilled at expert thinking Growth in demand for workers skilled at expert thinking

and complex communicationand complex communication

Question:Question:– Are students leaving school less skilled than in the Are students leaving school less skilled than in the

past?past?

NAEP Test Score Trends in NAEP Test Score Trends in Mathematics Mathematics National Averages for 13 Year Olds (8th Grade)

220

230

240

250

260

270

280

290

300

1973 1978 1982 1986 1990 1992 1994 1996 1999 2004

Year

Sca

le S

core

White Black Latino

NAEP Test Score Trends in ReadingNAEP Test Score Trends in ReadingNational Averages for 13 Year Olds (8th Grade)

200

210

220

230

240

250

260

270

280

1971 1975 1980 1984 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1999 2004

Year

Sca

le S

core

White Black Latino

Racial and Ethnic Composition of Racial and Ethnic Composition of American Children from 1980-2020 American Children from 1980-2020 (projected)(projected)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Year

Perc

ent

of Child

ren

White, non-Hispanic

Hispanic

Black, non-Hispanic

Implications for EducationImplications for Education

The Three Rs are not less important, The Three Rs are not less important, but they need to be tools for but they need to be tools for knowledge acquisition and knowledge acquisition and communication.communication.

What was the date of battle of the What was the date of battle of the Spanish Armada?Spanish Armada?

Student 1: 1588.Q. How do you know this?

It was one of the dates I memorized for the exam.

Q. Why is the event important? I don’t know.

Student 2: It must have been around 1590. Q. How do you know this?

I know the English began to settle in Virginia just after 1600, although I’m not sure of the exact date. They wouldn't have dared start overseas explorations if Spain still had control of the seas. It would have taken a little while to get expeditions organized, so England must have gained naval supremacy somewhere in the late 1500's.

Q. Why is the event important?It marks a turning point in the relative importance of England and Spain as European powers and colonizers of the New World.

 This example is taken from Bransford, Brown and Cocking (eds.)

Implications for EducationImplications for Education

Expert Thinking and Complex Expert Thinking and Complex Communication are not new subjects to Communication are not new subjects to add to the curriculum. They should be add to the curriculum. They should be at the center of instruction in every one at the center of instruction in every one of the existing subjects.of the existing subjects.

What are 21st Century Skills?• Levy and Murnane: Expert Thinking and

Complex Communication• Skills where humans have a comparative

advantage over computers in a labor market• [[What they are not: skills invented in the 21st

century]]• Levy F. and Murnane R., The New Division of

Labor, Princeton UP

Discussion prompts:

• What questions or insights emerge from this analysis?

• Are there parts of the analysis with which you disagree?

Reactions to Levy and Murnane• For the average joe?• Who is the average

joe?• Separate vs individual• Who decides who can

learn expert thinking and complex communication?

• Offering the opportunity for all kids

• Role of team, making individual contributions to groups

• Cubicalization vs. team thinking

Visions of Teaching in the 21st Century

• http://www.edutopia.org/engineering-success

Discussion Prompts

• Is this happening in Waltham? Where?

• How does it happen?

• Where it isn’t happening, what is happening instead?

Reactions to the Engineering Project

Alternative Approaches to 21st Century Skills

• Ask around:– Partnership for 21st century skills– Tony Wagner

• What do I think:– Howard Gardner– Henry Jenkins

Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Core Subjects and Literacies• English, reading or language arts

• World languages

• Arts

• Mathematics

• Economics

• Science

• Geography

• History

• Government and Civics

• Global awareness• Financial, economic,

business and entrepreneurial literacy

• Civic literacy• Health literacy

Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Learning and Innovation Skills

• Creativity and Innovation

• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

• Communication and Collaboration

Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Information, Media and Technical Skills

• Information Literacy

• Media Literacy

• ICT (Information, Communications & Technology) Literacy 

Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Life and Career SkillsFLEXIBILITY AND ADAPTABILITYAdapt to ChangeBe Flexible

INITIATIVE AND SELF-DIRECTIONManage Goals and TimeWork IndependentlyBe Self-directed Learners

SOCIAL AND CROSS-CULTURAL SKILLS Interact Effectively with OthersWork Effectively in Diverse Teams

PRODUCTIVITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Manage ProjectsProduce Results

LEADERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY

Guide and Lead OthersBe Responsible to Others

Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Tony Wagner- Rigor Redefined1. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

2. Collaboration and Leadership

3. Agility and Adaptability

4. Initiative and Entrepreneurialism

5. Effective Oral and Written Communication

6. Accessing and Analyzing Information

7. Curiosity and Imagination

Howard Gardner: Five Minds for the Future

• Disciplined mind

• Synthesizing Mind

• Creating Mind

• Respectful Mind

• Ethical Mind

Henry Jenkins: New Media Literacy• Play — the capacity to experiment with one’s

surroundings as a form of problem-solving• Performance — the ability to adopt

alternative identities for the purpose of improvisation and discovery

• Simulation — the ability to interpret and construct dynamic models of real-world processes

• Appropriation — the ability to meaningfully sample and remix media content

• Multitasking — the ability to scan one’s environment and shift focus as needed to salient details.

• Distributed Cognition — the ability to interact meaningfully with tools that expand mental capacities

• Collective Intelligence — the ability to pool knowledge and compare notes with others toward a common goal

• Judgment — the ability to evaluate the reliability and credibility of different information sources

• Transmedia Navigation — the ability to follow the flow of stories and information across multiple modalities

• Networking — the ability to search for, synthesize, and disseminate information

• Negotiation — the ability to travel across diverse communities, discerning and respecting multiple perspectives, and grasping and following alternative norms.

Waltham High School Mission

• Academic Expectations:1. Read, write, and listen for understanding 2. Apply analytical, critical, and creative thinking skills 3. Effectively apply technology 4. Solve problems effectively

• Social/Civic Expectations: 1. Value community and diversity2. Advocate for self and others3. Set goals4. Demonstrate an understanding of physical and emotional wellness5. Exhibit responsible citizenship

Final Thoughts• Kids struggling in schools b/c

of basic skills- can’t get to this stuff because, but their differing abilities may be highlighted in this framework

• Citizenships- interpretation of that in the 21st century, in a global way, in interactions mediated by technology

• Greater contact with each other, with us,

• Parallel play in IM

• Decision making in the face of social change

Enable Rich CollaborationEnable Rich

Collaboration

Motivate StudentsMotivate Students

Improve Writing

Skills

Improve Writing

Skills

Engage in New Civic Dialogue

Train for Web 2.0

Applications in Business

Engage in New Global

Dialogue

Learn New

Media Literacies

Learn New

Media Literacies

Practice Deeper and

Richer Discussion

Practice Deeper and

Richer Discussion

Train for Writing

under Real World

Conditions

Develop Fundamental Skills in New Ways

Rehearse for 21st Century Situations/

Environments

Include More Students

Include More Students

Improve Student Engagement

Hypothesized Benefits to Teaching with Web 2.0

57

58

59

Web 2.0 in Administration

• Bering Strait School District : http://wiki.bssd.org/index.php/Main_Page

• Classroom 2.0: http://www.classroom20.com/

Flat Classroom Project

• http://www.flatclassroomproject.org/

• Vicki Davis Video: http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-teachers-vicki-davis

Reactions to Technology and 21st C Skills

Where’s Waltham?

• Classroom Instruction

• Homework

• Assessments

• Technology

• Teacher/Department/Coach Collaboration

• Administrative Collaboration

Obstacles to Steering Towards a 21st Century Learning Environment

“Classrooms are rarely changed in substantial ways by educational policies.”

- John Diamond, sociologist of education, Harvard University School of Education

content influences

influences on pedagogy

PD implications

sustained & intensive

job-embedded

collective participation

active learning

PD “best practices”

1821-1835: Whelpley’s Compend of History from Earliest Times (and others)

1835-1877: Worcester’s Elements of History Ancient and Modern

1877-1890: Swinton’s Outlines of History Ancient, Medieval and Modern

1890-1923: Sheldon Studies in General History Myers’ General History

-From George Emerson’s Remembrances of an Old Teacher (p.58)

The quotation is from a description of his teaching at the Boston’s Girl’s School, but it represents well the instruction of the era.

From Rev. C. Lenny’s Questions for Examination of Tytler’s Elements (p. 1) From Alexander Fraser Tytler’s Elements of General History (p.18)

“ Thus did nationalism, millennialism, and evangelicism converge in an ideology of civic piety and pious civility.”- From Lawrence Cremin’s American Education: The National Experience,

1783-1876 (p. 57)

“The principles of democracy are identical with the principles of Christianity.”

- From Catherine Beecher’s Domestic Economy (p.25)

All events, past, present and to come, are employed in directing and completing the destines of all creatures, in subservience to that infinitely great and glorious kingdom, which shall never be removed.

“It is a brief barren abstract of events, put together with no other relation of cause and effect than that which chronology makes inevitable; it states facts without the least regard to their relative importance and gives the same apace and emphasis of comment to a Welch foray, whose consequences died with its slain, as to the act of adding to Magna Charta the clause requiring the assent of Parliament to the imposition of taxation.”

-From the Report of the Annual Examiner, 1845, Boston School Committee

“Can the [Mexican] war be justified on moral or religious grounds? But however this question may be answered, it is to be hoped that a beneficent Providence will bring good out of evil, and cause, in the final result, an advancement of human freedom and human happiness, of good government and of true religion. “ (pp. 327)

Medieval: “There is a destiny that shapes our ends, rough-hew them as we will.”- Shakespeare

Modern : “Infinite Providence, thou wilt make the day dawn.” - Richter

19th Century: “Ring out a slowly dying cause,/ And ancient forms of party stryfe;/ Ring in the nobler modes of life,/ With sweeter manners, purer laws./ Ring out false pride in place and blood,/ The civic slander and the spite / Ring in the love of truth and right/ Ring in the common love of good./ Ring in the valiant man and free,/ The larger heart, the kindlier hand; / Ring out the darkness of the land,/ Ring in the Christ that is to be.” - Tennyson