Below is the chart that Lauren, Vanessa and I made during the presentation/discussion on Thursday, October 18th. The chart shows how 21st century competences can be incorporated into the traditional curriculum.
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Traditional Subjects |
Incorporating Skills |
| Math |
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| Science |
|
| Language Arts (English) |
|
| Social Science (History) |
|
| Music |
|
| Foreign Languages |
|
| Physical Education |
|
| Arts (Visual & Performing) |
|
What is the difference between a competency and a skill? Which worker competencies are most important for the 21st century?
Is there a vast difference in educational or economic outcomes for individuals and organizations that possess all these competencies? Are competencies universal?
According to the article, besides teaching 21st century skills, teachers are expected to possess these skills themselves. Even if policy dictates the implentation of these skills, research conducted by SITES shows that classrooms do not yet foster the learning of these competences. How can stakeholders and policymakers ensure that their teachers are highly qualified? What innovative pratices or policies can be implemented to help provide them with these skills?
For the implentation of these 21st century competences, which approach should be taken? Why?
a) adding them to the existing curriculum as new subjects
b) integrating them as cross-curricular competences
c) a new curriculum with less traditional structure
Do you think that the 21st Century Competencies are useful for every child in every country?
If you could chose your top three frameworks to implement in your school system, which ones would you chose and in what order?
The article mentions that the nature and depth of the educational changes accompanying the introduction of 21st century competences in the curriculum varies from country to country, what reasons are provided to support this finding?
What are some reasons why a professor/institution have an intended curriculum, and but in reality implement a different curriculum? Where would this be most common? Doo you think this happens often? Should it? How do you regulate this?
Are there base requirements for implementation of 21st century competencies? If so, what are they?
What are the disadvantages faced in implementation of 21st century competencies?
The article identifies three key issues concerning the implementation and assement issues of 21st Century competencies: how to implement within the curriculum, the role of the teachers, and the role of the stakeholder. When thinking about the role of the teachers, what are some of the challenges they might face? Do you think that it would be easier to implement 21 century competences in another 15-20 years, when current students themselves become teachers?
The article explores the challenges of implementing 21st century competencies into education from a stakeholder and curriculum perspective. What are some other challenges that were not mentioned, but could be relevant to this discussion?
Ideally, 21st century competences could be integrated into traditional curriculum, but focusing on these new skills might mean that there will be less focus on traditional skills. What aspects of traditional curriculum should be reduced in order to make way for a new 21st century curriculum? Or do you think this is not necessary because the old and new curriculums can be fully combined?
What needs to happen in order for the various necessary actors to decide on and begin to transform curriculum? Who do you think has the most responsibility to lead such a change? The national government, state governments, public institutions, private institutions?
