21th century skills

© 2009 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Confidential Presentation_ID 1

What Are 21st Century Skills?

Phan Thanh Son CTO, Cisco Vietnam


The Popular Press Gets It

“This is a story about the big public

conversation the nation is not having

about education…whether an entire

generation of kids will fail to make the

grade in the global economy because

they can’t think their way through

abstract problems, work in teams,

distinguish good information from

bad, or speak a language other than

English.”

How to Build a Student for the 21st Century, TIME

Magazine, December 18, 2006


We Believe the Education Game Is Changing

Facing Large Scale Disruption

In Need of a Bold and Urgent Response

The Employer

Demands New 21st Century Skills

Demands Strong Basics

The Learner

Lives an Online Life

Attends a Disconnected

Classroom

Education System


Employers are Adapting to the Challenges of Global Competition

Results refer to US 2-year college and technical diploma graduates, but are similar for high school

and 4-year college diploma graduates

Source: National Council on Economic Education, Tough Choices or Tough Times?—The Report of

the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, Washington, 2007; Workforce

Readiness Project, 2006.

“The best employers the world over will be looking for the most creative, most innovative people on the face of the earth.”

Tough Choices for Tough Times, 2007

% Employers Think 21st Century Skills Will Be More Important in Graduates over Next 5 Years*

Critical Thinking/ Problem Solving

IT Application

Teamwork/ Collaboration

Creativity/ Innovation

Diversity

77.8

77.4

74.2

73.6

67.1


21st Century Learning

Education 2.0

Education 3.0—a Paradigm Shift

Education 1.0

Supported Through an Adapted Reform Agenda

Enabled by Technology

21st Century Skills

21st Century Pedagogy

Achieved in Holistic Transformation

Education 3.0

Traditional Education Systems

Curriculum

Teachers

Accountability

Leadership


Source: Developing a Framework for 21st Century Learning,

Partnership for 21st Century Skills, April 21, 2007; team analysis

21st Century Skills: What Learners Need to Know



Life and Career Skills

21st Century Content

Core Subjects

Learning and

Thinking Skills

ICT Literacy

Develop Core Subjects to Create Deep Specialized

Subject Knowledge

1

Place Special Emphasis on

Science, Technology,

Engineering, Math (STEM) Disciplines

2

Ensure Most Able Students Can Reach Higher

Achievements in 21st Century and

STEM Skills

3





Core Subjects

Learning and

Thinking Skills

ICT Literacy

Flexibility and Adaptability

Initiative and Self-Direction

Social and Cross-Cultural Skills

Productivity and Accountability

Leadership

Ethics and Responsibility



Core Subjects

Learning and

Thinking Skills

ICT Literacy





Core Subjects

Learning and

Thinking Skills

ICT Literacy

Global Awareness

Financial

Economics

Business and Entrepreneurial literacy

Civic Literacy

Health Literacy

Environmental Awareness






Core Subjects

Learning and

Thinking Skills

ICT Literacy

Native Language/ Reading

World Language (s)

Arts

Geography

Core Subjects

History

Mathematics

Science

Government/ Civics





Core Subjects

Learning and

Thinking Skills

ICT Literacy

Critical Thinking

Problem Solving

Innovation

Creativity Skills

Self Direction

Collaboration

Learning and

Thinking Skills





Core Subjects

Learning and

Thinking Skills

ICT Literacy

Information Literacy

Communication

Media Literacy

Technology Literacy

Social Networking

ICT Literacy


Why Are 21st Century Skills So Important?

Global competition/ cooperation

Growth in new information

Pace of change is growing

Increased computerization and off-shoring

Global increase in service jobs


“We are currently preparing students for jobs and

technologies that don’t yet exist… in order to solve problems that we don’t even know are problems yet.”

“Did you know”, widely circulated YouTube posting


But Something Never Getting Old


Q&A