21st Century Skills in Education

The assignment focuses on the significance of 21st century skills in education, highlighting their relevance in preparing students for the modern world. It emphasizes the need for educators to adapt their approaches to meet the unique needs of learners and communities in the 21st century. The discussion revolves around the importance of incorporating critical thinking, problem-solving, and digital literacy into educational practices.

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My Philosophy of Teaching and Teaching in the 21st Century
Affiliate Institution:
Students Number:
Tutor:

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Part A: My Philosophy of teaching
The purpose of developing my educational philosophy is to show the value and
effectiveness I wish to achieve as a teacher during the process of teaching in the classroom. My
teaching philosophy is distinct in nature. I believe in providing educationally appropriate
information within a time limit that is appropriate for the student. Educational principles are built
on the belief that education should be community oriented that is it should meet the needs of the
community members (Ananiadou, K., & Claro, M. , 2009; Atkinson, M., & Dawson, D,
2016). The educational principles I provide to my students should be effective in helping them
to be better members of the society and not only good scholars at the end of the day.
Education should also be formatted to be learner oriented and meet the needs of the
learner (Beatty, J. E., Leigh, J. S., & Lund Dean, K. , 2009; Bell, S., 2010) . I believe that
when learners get the opportunity to experiences and show their ideas in a learning environment,
they will be better able to deal with challenges that they face on day to day basis. Confidence can
only be developed through learner participation in the learning environment. Being a good
listener is paramount to the success of my students (Binkley, M., Erstad, O., Herman, J.,
Raizen, S., Ripley, M., Miller-Ricci, M., & Rumble, M, 2012; Cahn, S. M. , 2018) .
Showing my students that they are of value by fostering communication in the classroom
strengthens our relationship.
The teachers’ and learners’ relationship is also significant for educational development.
However, boundaries should be set in teacher and learner relationships (Cahn, S. M. , 2018;
De Vries, 2016; Dede, C., 2010). Teachers and learners should respect their boundaries to
prevent interruption in the provision of knowledge. This interruption can come into play when
teachers and learners engage in romantic relationships. I do not believe in having romantic

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relationships with students. I believe in maintaining stringent and appropriate lines in terms of
relationships with students although I enjoy being social with my students.
Education should also address both the cognitive, psychomotor and the effective
domains of learning (Gay, G., & Howard, T. C. , 2000; Goodyear, 1998). For the cognitive
part, education should be formatted to address the mental skills of the learners- that are their
knowledge. Education, according to me, should also be formatted to address the effective domain
of learning. Through the effective domain, education should be formatted to aid the student to
grow both in feelings and emotions (Greenberg, M. T., Weissberg, R. P., O'brien, M. U.,
Zins, J. E., Fredericks, L., Resnik, H., & Elias, M. J. , 2003). In this regard, education
should enable the student to develop the right skills and attitudes that will be relevant for
personal development in both activities of daily living and for personal development. I strive to
ensure the student is viewed as a whole entity and not only a part of a whole.
Under the cognitive domain, education should enable the leaner to develop both
physically and intellectually (Greenberg, M. T., Weissberg, R. P., O'brien, M. U., Zins, J.
E., Fredericks, L., Resnik, H., & Elias, M. J. , 2003). The intellectual development of the
learners is hallmarked on the fact that the learners should be exposed to sufficient number of
experiences that support their development. Learning should be aimed at providing the student
with knowledge that is up to date and accurate (National Research Council, 2013).
Information provided to learners should be shaped to be appropriate not only for the class but
also for their development out of the class, in the environment that they are in. I do not believe in
providing out of date and irrelevant information to students but rather information that is up to
date and highly relevant to the students in question.

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Information that is provided for to students should also be easily comprehensible by the
students in question (Greenberg, M. T., Weissberg, R. P., O'brien, M. U., Zins, J. E.,
Fredericks, L., Resnik, H., & Elias, M. J. , 2003; De Vries, 2016). The understanding of
meanings of concepts is highly significant if the leaner or learners are to succeed in the job
market and beyond. I strive to provide information that is easy to understand and relevant to the
learners in terms of the level of development and degree of information provided. Before I give
complex terms to students, I strive to understand their level of development and performance
first. This can only be done when I have created a strong relationship with the students.
Considering the diversity of students’ that exists, as a teacher I strive to ensure I provide
an atmosphere that effectively supports this fact. The identities of the varied numbers and
categories of the students are important to consider. The religious identities, ideologies and
beliefs of students should be considered for effective learning (Gay, G., & Howard, T. C. ,
2000). As a teacher, I strive to ensure that the cultural practices and ideologies of the students
are respected. Students from different races and cultures might feel offended if their beliefs are
challenged. In this regard, it is important that as teacher I provide only relevant information
without judging the students day to day ways of life. Cultural barriers to communication are
important to consider in the classroom. (Gay, G., & Howard, T. C. , 2000). I strive to ensure
that I respect the cultural beliefs that may become a hindrance in provision of information.
Confidence is necessary for the students (Şendağ, S., & Odabaşı, H. F. , 2009;
Dede, C., 2010). In order for the students to feel confident and enthusiastic, it is important that
the students receive necessary information with a teacher who is confident and enthusiastic. As a
teacher, I strive to be confident and enthusiastic as I provide information to my students.
Students will be better able to deal with the day to day aspects of learning when the provider of

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information (that is the teacher) is actually able to provide this information in a confident and
enthusiastic manner that is appropriate to the learner’s level of performance.
Motivation is necessary for learning to be effective (Stepanovienė, A., 2017;
Kivunja, 2014; De Vries, 2016). As a teacher, I strive to encourage students to express their
views without fear of judgment by others. Once students are able to feel encouraged and
confident about their learning, they will be better able to face the challenges that occur in day to
day life. The process of motivating students on its own is not simple. It requires that I consider
many important and stringent aspects during the actual process of motivation. These particular
aspects include intrinsic motivators and the extrinsic motivators. The intrinsic motivators are the
factors that increase fascination in the subject matter and that develop relevance of the subject
matter at the end of the day (National Research Council, 2013). These factors are student
bound. Intrinsic motivation can be developed when the students actually like the subject and see
its usefulness and applicability in real word situations. It is necessary, as a teacher, to identify
what really motivates the students to ensure that they are better able to be motivated by what
they are learning. I strive to bring in practical aspects of the topics I teach into the classroom as
real world situations to ensure that the student is better able to feel motivated.
Another important aspect, that I should consider the aspect of extrinsic motivation.
Extrinsic motivation on its own includes the aspects that are outside the student or extrinsic to
the student (National Research Council, 2013). This particular aspects include the
expectations by their parents or significant others after learning, the grades that they want to
attain and my own expectations of them as my students. Extrinsic factors of motivation can lead
to stress if they are not provided in an appropriate manner. I strive to balance my expectations
with the student’s potential and actual capabilities in the classroom. Students will be better able

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to perform if they are not pressured. As a teacher, I set realistic expectations for my students that
they can achieve at the end of the day.
I must be ready to perform diverse roles in the classroom. My role in the classroom is
varied in nature and does not only entail being a facilitator of information mainly. However, as a
facilitator I strive to be a helper in the process of discovery of new ideas and concepts. In
addition to being a facilitator, I strive to be a teacher an instructor, a coach, a mentor and a
counselor to the students. The existence of these dynamic roles is necessary because students
need to be educated on many aspects of life as necessary to maintain their performance both in
the classroom and outside the classroom. I consider students wholly to ensure they can perform
more effectively. This is the hallmark of my teaching philosophy.
Part B: Teaching for 21st skills in classroom
Introduction
In today’s world, a variety of skills and attitudes are necessary for the success of the
student especially in the school level. Especially considering that there are many technological
advancements and day to day changes and challenges, new ways of educating the student and
fostering knowledge are necessary for the performance of the student. The 21st century skills in
the classroom ultimately are in reference to a broad set of skills, knowledge, habits of working
and the specific personalities and character traits that are employed by teachers, educators,
coaches, the reformers of educational institutions (among other members of the educational
fraternity) with an aim of improving the degrees of performance of the students and to ensure
that the highest quality education is provided for (Şendağ, S., & Odabaşı, H. F. , 2009).
Body

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Despite there being no complete definition of the 21st century skills in the classroom, the
National Research Council in the United Sates on the Assessment of the 21st Century skills
categorized the 21st century skills into the cognitive skills, the interpersonal skills and the
intrapersonal skills. Cognitive skills were grouped into critical thinking, problem solving and
systems thinking. Interpersonal skills include cultural sensitivity, social skills and complex
communication. The committee further divided the intrapersonal skills into self-development,
self-regulation, the ability to execute functioning (National Research Council, 2013; Meyer,
2017). These skills can be properly used employed in the school level and classroom level to
improve the performance of the students in question in various ways.
These 21st century skills are easily applicable throughout the various types of teaching-
that is the skills can be applied in varied teaching areas including in practical lessons and
theoretical perspectives. But this skills are more applicable in the classroom setting. The concept
and theory of 21st century skills has not been fully defined or put into a specific category.
However, the specified types of 21st century skills in teaching have been well presupposed and
organized into appropriate categories (Stepanovienė, A., 2017; Kivunja, 2014).
The 21st century skills employ a variable list of work habits, skills and knowledge.
Though the definition of the 21st century skills has not been fully defined, particular aspects that
are present within it have been defined. One of the aspects within the 21st century skills include
the use of critical thinking and problem solving (Jenkins, 2009; Greenberg, M. T.,
Weissberg, R. P., O'brien, M. U., Zins, J. E., Fredericks, L., Resnik, H., & Elias, M. J. ,
2003). Critical thinking can be applied in the classroom whereby students are provided with a
problem that requires them to rationalize and derive the appropriate solution. In the school

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setting this category of 21st century skill is especially significant in improving student
performance.
In addition to critical thinking and problem solving as a concept to be applied in the
classroom during the 21st century teaching, the use of appropriate research skills platys a
significant part as a 21st century skill. Research skills in the school and classroom are necessary
if the student is ready to perform. Considering that the 21st century is built on innovations and
technological advancements, the application of research skills is necessary for any student. As a
teacher, providing students with up to date information that is viable and appropriate is essential
but also giving them an opportunity to research and find out new concepts on their own is of
pivotal significance (Goodyear, 1998).
Students should also be encouraged to express themselves in the school level and
classroom levels and delve into their curiosity. The aspect of self-expression is essential in a
classroom environment. Those students who do not have the confidence for self-expression
should be encouraged to express themselves. During a class or lesion session, students should be
encouraged to express the meaning of the concepts that they have understood and to show what
they know. The use of a judgmental stance should not be elicited to students but rather an
understanding tone that is appropriate for the students in question. Confidence in the 21st century
is of significance and it can only be built through self-expression (Jenkins, 2009; Kivunja,
2014).
Considering the immense proportion of illnesses that are present in the 21st century, the
application of education on health and wellness is paramount to classroom teaching in the 21st
century. Students in the 21st century need to be taught on appropriate prevention measures of
illness. The developments in science and technology mean that movement from one place to

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another has increased, and so has the spread of disease and infirmity. To curb this, students are
taught on common conditions (Stepanovienė, A., 2017; National Research Council,
2013).
The use of technology in the teaching sessions is yet another highly significant factor
when considering 21st century skills. Technology is an essential tool in the 21s century which is
highly significant. Although there are many teaching resources, the adoption of technology in a
classroom session is an essential skill in the 21st century. A teacher should be literate in aspects
of information communication and technology. In addition, a teacher should be able to
accurately interpret the data that is collected during sessions and give adequate and appropriate
deductions from this data. The ability to analyze data is of pivotal significance to a teacher
during his teaching sessions (National Research Council, 2013).
Conclusion
Conclusively, the 21st skills for teaching are hallmarked on the fact that teaching should
be essentially built up on the provision of the most relevant and up to date information. In
addition to this, the skills that have been universally adopted should be incorporated into the
classroom sessions. Application of this skills in the school and classroom levels is essential to
improve performance of the students. The employing of teaching methods which are both
universally acceptable and up to date ensure that students are up to speed with the latest
development in the 21st century.
The main concept in the 21st century skills is that the students who are in the 20th century
and those in the 21st century have different needs in terms of the way they can and should be
taught. This needs are brought about by the diversity and developments that have taken place in

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science and technology over the years. The application of the 21st century skills in a classroom is
also dependent on what the specific students are learning. Learner needs are inherent to the type
of skill that is employed. The learning method used in the 21st century should not only be leaner
centered but also meet the needs of the community as they arise.
References
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