I discovered that I was “late to the party” and that many organizations, businesses and educators were working on understanding the needs of employers for the 21st Century. However, I also discovered that many school districts have not yet adopted these programs and others think that 15 years into the new century, this is “old news”.
I first found the Partnership for 21st Century Learning where I read about the 4Cs: Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Creativity.
Then I discovered Bernie Trilling’s work and thrilled to his starkly simple equation 3Rs x 7Cs = 21st Century Learning! The seven Cs are Critical thinking and problem solving, Creativity and innovation, Communication and media literacy, Collaboration and leadership, Computing and digital proficiency, Cross-cultural and social fluency, Career, civic and learning self-direction. If you are too young to remember, the three Rs are Reading, writing and arithmetic.
Even though I am not a pioneer, I know that I have experience and expertise to bring to this discussion. Let’s talk…
Christine Heinicke 