What are 21st Century Learning Skills?
-“21st century learning skills are increasingly being recognized as the skills that separate students who are prepared for increasingly complex life and work environments in the 21st century, and those who are not” (P21's Framework for 21st Century Learning)
The key 21st century learning and life skills that are honed through our programs are-
You can find a short video explaining these skills and their impact on children here. Why Teach 21st Century Learning Skills? In 2010, IBM carried out a survey of more than 1,500 Chief Executive Officers from 60 countries and 33 industries worldwide, and found that—more than dedication, integrity and fairness—the quality most desired by employers today is creativity. Needless to say, the nature of today’s information age jobs is very different from the jobs of the industrial era. Routine job skills of the past find no place in the 21st century workplace. Organizations today need a workforce that is equipped with skills beyond the fundamentals of reading, writing and arithmetic. To be successful in the workplace of the information age, one needs to be able to think critically about issues, solve problems creatively, communicate effectively and work in collaboration. In an age where change is the only constant, understanding and applying 21st century learning skills allows us to be adaptive and innovative in responding to new demands and changing circumstances. What Are Life Skills? "Life skills are defined as psychosocial abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life” (UNICEF, 2003). Below are some of the key life skills:
Why Teach Life Skills? Life skills form the core of our social and emotional well being, and the extent to which we are able to apply them can determines how we adjust and respond to life’s myriad experiences. When fostered over a period of time, these skills become internalised and manifest as habits. |
Why the Visual Arts?
Research indicates that meaningful experiences with visual art contribute to the development of valuable thinking skills and attitudes whose benefits extend well beyond the art room. The ability to:
Need more proof? A 2009 report by the Wallace Foundation and Harvard University states that the arts help develop the full potential of individuals, communities, and societies, and education without the arts is an impoverished education. According to the report, “The arts have a powerful cognitive dimension and are an important way of understanding the world, different from, but just as valuable as, the sciences.” |
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