This week the White House asked the following question on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter: “What does a 21st century education mean to you? Here is my take:
A 21st century education is a lifelong learning process of obtaining and developing knowledge and skills which enables people to be successful, productive, and contributing members of our society throughout this century.
The foundation knowledge will include reading, writing, mathematics, science, history (including social and cultural backgrounds, customs, norms and sensitivities,) economics, finance, metacognition (in how one thinks and learns), psychology, and the information technologies of the times.
The core skill sets will consist of developing one’s abilities:
- to learn, (unlearn,) and teach,
- to communicate effectively through various mediums, for various purposes to various audiences,
- to collaborate, team, build relationships and resolve conflicts,
- to locate and evaluate information from a wide variety of sources,
- to apply knowledge to situations and solve problems,
- to analyze and think critically,
- to engage in creative and innovative thought and activities,
- to manage one’s self, time and projects,
- to manage one’s physical, mental, and spiritual condition,
- to manage increasing amounts of data, information, and messages through an increasing number of channels, and changing technologies,
- to cope with increasing rates and types of change in the world around them,
- to contribute to one’s communities and governances for the betterment of humanity.
The high rate of change will require ongoing learning throughout one’s productive life. Education will be delivered through more channels, to a wider diversity of students, offer a wider variety of material, courses and curriculums, to more people, at more times, and with more personalization to the students. More of the population will be involved in delivering education in some format. Greater amounts of education will be delivered to students who are not co-located with the instructor or each other. Co-located institutions will still retain a significant role in education, although their operations, processes, and techniques will change significantly.
P.S. Life long learning in not an option anymore, it is a requirement to be successful and remain employable.
So, What does a 21st century education mean to you?
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