Full Description
What skills and attributes will allow young people to succeed in the new global economy? This volume addresses the question by examining the topic of twenty-first century learning. Twenty-first century learning frames an increasingly relevant and vital national conversation about what young people need in order to achieve: critical thinking, problem-solving, innovation, and communication skills. The chapters in this volume provide a broad scope of perspectives - from business leaders, educators, researchers, youth workers, and students - on the need, opportunity, application, and outcomes of twenty-first century learning. The twenty-first century calls us to reimagine the learning day-building partnerships that engage schools, after-school programs, businesses, and community-based organizations - and to embrace both traditional academic basics as well as small-group and project-based learning. This volume provides the most comprehensive review to date of this important topic. This is the 110th issue of New Directions for Youth Development, a quarterly journal published by Jossey-Bass. Click here to view the entire catalog of New Directions for Youth Development titles.
Contents
Issue Editors' Notes (Eric Schwarz, Ken Kay). Executive Summary. Part One: The Case for Twenty-First Century Learning. 1. Why American business demands twenty-first century skills: An industry perspective (Karen Bruett) Emphasizing the responsibility of all stakeholders to take part in preparing youth to compete in the global economy, through technology Dell supports schools in preparing students with twenty-first century skills. 2. Why American business demands twenty-first century learning: A company perspective (Allyson Knox) Because Microsoft believes the challenges of competing in today's economy are substantial, it measures current employee performance against twentyfirst century competencies and invests in educating youth-future workers-with twenty-first century skills. 3. Why the American public supports twenty-first century learning (Michele Sacconaghi) A Time Warner Foundation survey found that Americans want a "basicsplus" education for students and see strong public sentiment for teaching twenty-first century skills in school and in after-school programs. 4. Why America's disadvantaged communities need twenty-first century learning (Blenda J. Wilson) High-quality after-school programs have the potential to help traditionally underserved students develop "new basic skills," which are necessary to succeed in today's workforce, thereby closing the achievement gap. 5. Why the changing American economy calls for twenty-first century learning: Answers to educators' questions (Frank Levy, Richard J. Murnane) Answers to educators' questions around the effect of fluctuations in the American economy on the future of education are provided through exploring the composition of the future workforce and related concerns. Part Two: Research and Practice for Twenty-First Century Learning. 6. Establishing the R&D agenda for twenty-first century learning (Ken Kay, Margaret Honey) A long-term agenda is needed to invest in targeted research to propel and sustain the teaching and assessment of twenty-first century skills critical for the United States to compete globally. 7. Twenty-first century learning in afterschool (Eric Schwarz, David Stolow) School systems have limitations of time, structure, inertia, and bureaucracy, and priorities that make it difficult to teach twenty-first century skills, while after-school programs represent an untapped opportunity and possess certain competitive advantages. Part Three: Voices from the Field-Essays on Twenty-First Century Learning. 8. Twenty-first century learning in schools: A case study of New Technology High School in Napa, California (Bob Pearlman) A case study of twenty-first century teaching and learning at New Technology High School demonstrates uses of project-based learning, online portfolios, outcomes-based assessment, and technology to cultivate twenty-first century knowledge and skills. 9. Twenty-first century learning in school systems: The case of the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township, Indianapolis, Indiana (Marcia Capuano, Troy Knoderer) Lawrence County, Indiana, school district works to institutionalize twentyfirst century learning through a digital-age literacy initiative, featuring a strong emphasis on professional development for teachers, and using data to measure progress. 10. Twenty-first century learning in states: The case of the Massachusetts educational system (David P. Driscoll) Exemplary practices in Massachusetts show how states can overcome K-12 and higher education challenges in helping more students graduate and be prepared for the twenty-first century workforce and citizenship. 11. Twenty-first century learning after school: The case of 4-H (Cathann Kress) A long-time leader in youth advancement, 4-H Youth Development's "Learn by Doing" ideals serve as a natural model for helping youth develop the twenty-first century assets of leadership, connection, careers, and community service. 12. Twenty-first century learning after school: The case of Junior Achievement Worldwide (John M. Box) After-school programs such as JA Worldwide are building curricula to ensure that the next generation of students has the twenty-first century skills and knowledge needed to enter the workforce prepared. 13. Twenty-first century learning for teachers: Helping educators bring new skills into the classroom (John I. Wilson) Educators are committed to implementing twenty-first century skills, yet a multitude of resources and public policy underpinnings need to be put into place to support the transformation. 14. Twenty-first century skills for students: Hands-on learning after school builds school and life success (Leide Cabral) One Boston student credits her participation in a quality after-school program, emphasizing twenty-first century skills through hands-on learning apprenticeships, with preparing her for a successful future. Index.
