(Continued from front fl ap) FT 2 1 s t Praise for 21st Century Skills AR THE WORLD has undergone foundational includes a DVD with video mini-documen- DI shifts in recent decades—widespread L E taries of innovative practices that bring L advances in technology and communica- “The authors have done nothing less than provide a bold framework for designing L the skills to life and offer an exciting view IN tions, booming economic developments and a 21st century approach to education, an approach aimed at preparing all of our of what teaching and learning can and will G increased competition, and the escalation of children to successfully meet the challenges of this brave, new world.” look like as we transform learning to meet c e n t u r y global challenges from fi nancial meltdowns —PAUL REVILLE, Secretary of Education, Commonwealth of Massachusetts the demands of the 21st century. to global warming. How can we prepare stu- 2 dents to meet the challenges of our century “Trilling and Fadel describe in very readable, practical terms how to infuse 21st cen- if our schools remain virtually unchanged? tury skills from standards all the way into the classroom. The DVD is full of won- 1 derful ‘ah-ha’ moments to illustrate the possibilities. A terrifi c traveling companion This essential resource introduces a for educators, parents, and business and government decision makers concerned s s k i l l s framework for 21st century learning that about the future of our kids.” t maps out the skills needed to survive and Oracle Public Rellations “—GItPl’soA baIaGbloE Ku J–tO 1tiH2m NMeSa tOnhNaagt, e2wr0e,0 Ih9n atCevhel a Csioru rcophfo tarhanet aiPocnacretsnseirbsleh iapn fdo rw 2is1es tb Coeonkt aubryo uStk tilhles; 2 1st cen- c Aethd 2rg1ivese to icfn et rana tcduoirtmyio epndlaeulx cc aaontridoe n cs ouinnbcnjleeuccdttsee ssd uk wcnohor waldsl-. Photo courtesy of Tturirlyli nsgk iallnsd t hFaatd seol dmisatnilyl icnosmigphatns iferso,m p odliivceyrmsaek ceorms,m anudn ietideusc oaft orersfl eacrtei vtea likniqnugi rayb oonu t. e aeremsa gpdlhionabgsa,i lzw earswi tcainoregnn,t eaemnssdp aoanrraidtr hfiy m ntaheneticmci—aelsb/ eusctu oac-lhs o n what redesigns of learning environments are needed to foster these skills, and nomic, health, and environmental literacies. provide pathfi nding tools for the exciting expeditions into the future of learning.” Students in 21st century schools will apply —ROY PEA, Stanford University, professor of education and the learning sciences t LLLLLL EEEEE AAAAA RRRRR NNNNN IIII NNNNN GGGGGGG their knowledge to understanding and solv- u ing real-world challenges using their 21st “Trilling and Fadel lay out a comprehensive understanding of what is meant by 21st FFFFFFF OOOOOO RRRRRRR LLLLL IIIII FFFFFFF EEEEEEE IIIII NNNNNN century skills: century skills. Read this book with a notepad—you’ll be jotting down ideas for how r Photo copyright Charles Fadel “—ctTouAr iruNlrlsiiNnceEug t l hLauen.m dBin dRFfioYarredAmceNtlaoT ttra,i soek,nxe a e itnnchd uey tot i2evu1aersc dsth iccerheeroscno.tt”oul rrd,y iNs stakrtiicilolts.n Aadl em Sbacuhtseto -obrlee Byaodon afdor drr shs euAtpsoesroricicn,i tapetrnioodvneidnitnsg, y s OOOOOO UUUUUUUU RRRRRRR TTTTTTT IIIIIIII MMMMMMMMMMM EEEEEEEEE SSSSSSSS aaCLnnEreddAa RCPtiroNvoliIltbNayl bGeaom nArd aNS tIDoinol nvnINoinvNgaO,t iaVonAnd,T CICOroNimti cSmaKlu ITLnhLiciSna:ktiionng BERNIE TRILLING is global director for a substantive, compelling, and engaging argument for the skills and competen- the Oracle Education Foundation and the k DIGITAL LITERACY SKILLS: Information cies that our children need to succeed in a Knowledge Age economy. The skills Foundation’s board member of the Partner- Literacy, Media Literacy, and ICT Literacy they describe are the essential lifeblood of a productive, engaged, and intelligent ship for 21st Century Skills. Prior to joining i citizenry—this book is a must-read for skeptics and enthusiasts alike!” Oracle, Trilling was a director for the Tech- l CAREER AND LIFE SKILLS: Flexibility and —MARGARET HONEY, president and CEO, New York Hall of Science nology in Education group at WestEd. Adaptability, Initiative and Self-Direction, EDUCATION l B E R N I E T R I L L I N G Social and Cross-Cultural Skills, Produc- $27.95 U.S. | $33.95 Canada CHARLES FADEL is global leader for educa- tivity and Accountability, Leadership and Jacket design by Adrian Morgan s tion at Cisco Systems and the Cisco board Responsibility Cover image courtesy of Getty member of the Partnership for 21st Century & C H A R L E S F A D E L www.josseybass.com Skills. Charles and Bernie also co-chair the The book is fi lled with classroom vignettes, Partnership’s Standards, Assessment and global examples, schoolwork samples, and Professional Development committee. (Continued on back fl ap) ffttoocc..iinndddd xx 77//3300//0099 1100::1133 AAMM PRAISE FOR 21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in Our Times “T rilling and Fadel describe in very readable, practical terms how to infuse 21st century skills from standards all the way into the classroom. The DVD is full of wonderful ‘ah-ha’ moments to illustrate the possibilities. A terrifi c traveling companion for educators, parents, and business and government decision makers concerned about the future of our kids.” — Paige Johnson, 2009 Chair of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills; Global K–12 Manager, Intel Corporation “ Bernie Trilling and Charles Fadel have written a book that is truly vision- ary, providing sound insight into education in the 21st century. Their book provides solid, practical advice for educators, policymakers, business lead- ers, and others interested in improving America’s position in the global economy. I recommend it to anyone interested in maximizing classroom effectiveness in this digital age.” —Dr. Steven L. Paine, West Virginia Superintendent of Schools “A must-read for anyone interested in the ability of the United States to com- pete in a global economy. Educators, policymakers, business leaders, parents, and students will benefi t from the comprehensive information on 21st cen- tury skills.” — Mary Ann Wolf, executive director, State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) “Working, living, and learning in the 21st century will require an expanded set of skills, competencies, and fl exibilities. We must prepare for a continu- ous learning and reskilling process throughout our lives and careers. This is a powerful exploration of what we collectively face as we live the future. A must-read!” —Elliott Masie, CEO and chair, The Learning Consortium “Trilling and Fadel take the 21st century skills debate beyond rhetoric, pro- viding a substantive, compelling, and engaging argument for the skills and competencies that our children need to succeed in a Knowledge Age economy. The skills they describe are the essential lifeblood of a productive, engaged, and intelligent citizenry—this book is a must-read for skeptics and enthusi- asts alike!” —Margaret Honey, president and CEO, New York Hall of Science ffffiirrss..iinndddd ii 77//3300//0099 1100::1188 AAMM “H ooray to Bernie Trilling and Charles Fadel for demystifying 21st century skills. This book makes clear why education must change: to help prepare students to meet complex challenges, fulfi ll their civic responsibilities, and live fulfi lling lives. Full of crisp descriptions, 21st Century Skills persuasively shows why policymakers and educators should run—not walk—to imple- ment 21st century learning designs.” —John Wilson, executive director, National Education Association “ With 21st Century Skills, Bernie Trilling and Charles Fadel have given us a global ‘search and replace’ for outdated educational thinking. Replace ‘scope and sequence’ with the ‘21st Century Learning Framework,’ the P21 rainbow.” —Milton Chen, executive director, The George Lucas Educational Foundation “ Charles and Bernie’s book cuts to the core challenge facing our country—is our education system preparing our children with the skills to succeed in a ‘fl at’ 21st century world? Much more than a treatise on what is wrong with education, they provide a compelling vision for education as it should be and a road map for getting where we need to go.” —Keith R. Krueger, CEO, Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) “ This book presents an innovative, comprehensive strategy for evolving edu- cation to meet the needs of 21st century society.” —Chris Dede, Harvard School of Education “T he authors have done nothing less than provide a bold framework for designing a 21st century approach to education, an approach aimed at pre- paring all of our children to successfully meet the challenges of this brave, new world.” —Paul Reville, Secretary of Education, Commonwealth of Massachusetts “ It’s about time that we have such an accessible and wise book about the 21st century skills that so many companies, policymakers, and educators are talking about.” — Roy Pea, Stanford University, professor of education and the learning sciences “T rilling and Fadel lay out a comprehensive understanding of what is meant by 21st century skills. Read this book with a notepad—you’ll be jotting down ideas for how to use the information in your school district. A must- read for superintendents, curriculum directors, and teachers.” —Anne L. Bryant, executive director, National School Boards Association ffffiirrss..iinndddd iiii 77//3300//0099 1100::1188 AAMM “ 21st Century Skills is full of interesting examples illustrating both what work will look like in the years ahead and how thoughtful educators are preparing children to thrive in tomorrow’s workplaces. The richness of the examples refl ects the authors’ extensive knowledge of how work is changing in the nation’s most innovative fi rms and their deep involvement in the efforts to improve America’s schools.” — Richard J. Murnane, Thompson Professor of Education and Society, Harvard Graduate School of Education “T rilling and Fadel have captured powerful insight into critical 21st century learning skills. Life goes on and so must learning—this book is a must for anyone interested in the future of education.” — Allan Weis, Former IBM vice president, founder of ThinkQuest and Advanced Network & Services “21st Century Skills provides specifi c recommendations for how we can— indeed must—change the curriculum, teaching, assessment, use of technol- ogy, and the organization of our schools to better prepare students to be productive, creative citizens and workers in the global society and economy of the 21st century.” — Robert B. Kozma, Ph.D., emeritus director, Center for Technology in Learning, SRI International “ Bernie and Charles have presented a well-researched and futuristic frame- work for changing how we teach and learn for the 21st century. It will be up to all of us to accept this challenge and move our country and world into and beyond the 21st century.” — Kathy Hurley, senior vice president, Pearson K–12 Solutions and Pearson Foundation; Incoming Chair, The Partnership for 21st Century Skills “ This is a well-written and referenced road map for the complicated and interconnected collection of skills, knowledge, and attitudes that are essen- tial for citizens to master in our increasingly complex and rapidly changing technological society.” —John E. Abele, Founding Chairman of the Board, Boston Scientifi c “ Inspirational and motivational, this book is a practical guide to implement- ing and understanding 21st century skills. Every teacher and parent should read it so they can prepare their children and their students to solve the problems of tomorrow, today.” —Dr. Barbara “Bobbi” Kurshan, executive director, Curriki ffffiirrss..iinndddd iiiiii 77//3300//0099 1100::1188 AAMM “A fter all the talk about organizing education, this book leads us back to what education is for. 21st Century Skills is a comprehensive and elegant survey of our changing world, the skills it requires, and how those skills can be taught and learned. Here is a blueprint for 21st century schooling.” —Michael Stevenson, vice president, Global Education, Cisco “T his book presents an excellent case and road map for K–12 schools, for balancing content knowledge delivery with the development of necessary skills for success. It can serve as a valuable guide for parents, educators, and policymakers.” —Ioannis Miaoulis, Ph.D., president and director, Museum of Science, Boston “F or anyone who cares about the future of our children and their success in a global economy, 21st Century Skills is required reading.” — Gerald Chertavian, chairman, Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education’s 21st Century Skills Task Force; founder and CEO, YearUp “ Bernie Trilling and Charles Fadel have been two of the essential intellects behind the growth of the 21st century skills movement. We have been asked for years to provide an in-depth treatment of the 21st century skills frame- work. Here it is.” — Ken Kay, executive director, Partnership for 21st Century Skills; CEO, e-Luminate Group “S truggling to understand or explain the imperative for 21st century skills in our schools? Begin here.” — Julie A. Walker, executive director, American Association of School Librarians (AASL) “ 21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in Our Times is a necessary and readable articulation of the reali ty of 21st century skills in educating today’s generation of learners. Kudos to the authors for achieving clarity on this timely topic.” —Karen Cator, past chair, Partnership for 21st Century Skills “ Bernie Trilling and Charles Fadel have moved beyond the hype and buzz surrounding ‘21st century skills’ to provide an insightful and commonsense guide to rethink learning and teaching in a world that urgently demands in - novative, inventive, self-motivated and self-directed, creative problem solv- ers to confront increasingly complex global problems.” —Paul Reynolds, CEO, FableVision ffffiirrss..iinndddd iivv 77//3300//0099 1100::1188 AAMM 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y S K I L L S | learning for life in our times Bernie Trilling and Charles Fadel Co-chairs of the Standards, Assessment and Professional Development Committee of the ffffiirrss..iinndddd vv 77//3300//0099 1122::5500 PPMM Copyright © 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Published by Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint 989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741—www.josseybass.com No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-646-8600, or on the Web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201-748-6011, fax 201-748-6008, or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions. 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Jossey-Bass books and products are available through most bookstores. To contact Jossey-Bass directly call our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-956-7739, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3986, or fax 317-572-4002. Jossey-Bass also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Trilling, Bernie. 21st century skills: learning for life in our times / Bernie Trilling and Charles Fadel. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-470-47538-6 (cloth/dvd) 1. Educational planning—United States. 2. Education—Aims and objectives—United States. 3. Educational change—United States. 4. Life skills—Study and teaching—United States. I. Fadel, Charles. II. Title. LA217.2.T75 20009 370.73—dc22 2009021545 Printed in the United States of America first edition HB Printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ffffiirrss..iinndddd vvii 77//3300//0099 1122::5511 PPMM | contents | Figures and Tables xi The Authors xv Prologue: The Search for Innovative Learning xix Introduction: Learning to Innovate, Innovating Learning xxiii The Four Question Exercise xxiv About This Book xxviii A Map of the Book xxix Part One: What Is 21st Century Learning? 1 Learning Past and Future 3 Learning a Living: The Future of Work and Careers 7 Learning Through Time 11 2 The Perfect Learning Storm: Four Converging Forces 21 Knowledge Work 24 Thinking Tools 25 Digital Lifestyles 27 Learning Research 30 The Forces of Resistance 35 The Turning of Learning: Toward a New Balance 36 The Top 21st Century Challenge 40 vii ffttoocc..iinndddd vviiii 77//3300//0099 1100::1133 AAMM viii | contents Part Two: What Are 21st Century Skills? 3 Learning and Innovation Skills: Learning to Create Together 45 The Knowledge-and-Skills Rainbow 47 Learning to Learn and Innovate 49 Critical Thinking and Problem Solving 50 Communication and Collaboration 54 Creativity and Innovation 56 4 Digital Literacy Skills: Info-Savvy, Media-Fluent, Tech-Tuned 61 Information Literacy 65 Media Literacy 67 ICT Literacy 68 5 Career and Life Skills: Work-Ready, Prepared for Life 73 Flexibility and Adaptability 75 Initiative and Self-Direction 77 Social and Cross-Cultural Interaction 80 Productivity and Accountability 82 Leadership and Responsibility 84 Part Three: 21st Century Learning in Practice 6 21st Century Learning and Teaching 89 Learning P’s and Q’s: Problems and Questions 90 Roads to Answers and Solutions: Science and Engineering 91 7 Powerful Learning: Proven Practices, Researched Results 95 The 21st Century Project Learning Bicycle 96 ffttoocc..iinndddd vviiiiii 77//3300//0099 1100::1133 AAMM