The Importance Of 21st Century Skills

When education places importance on 21st century skills, students graduate ready for life and the workforce. So how do these skills align with Race to the Top (RTTT), national testing, and the Common Core Curriculum (CCC)? The 21st century skills align with RTTT by including highly effective teachers; the skills align with national testing by providing assessments and data used to improve standards and teaching; and, skills align with the Common Core Curriculum by implementing standards in subjects such as math, science, and technology. In order to prepare the students for their futures, we must teach 21st century skills. Educating students with 21st century skills is valuable because they live in an ever-changing world. For instance, teaching students not only how to operate technology, but how to use it appropriately should be a focus in classrooms. Students engage with a world where technology consumes daily life; where Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter are the center of their social lives. Technology advances every day, and the students adapt along

Although 21st skills uphold a wider range standard for learning, both the skills and CCC understand the importance of improving standards for specific subjects. 21ST century skills align with the common core because they both focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Technology (STEM). Preparing students with these skills, prepare them for the competitive workforce and collaboration from working in groups. Although science, engineering, and math are equally important, technology surrounds student lives. John Sole (2015) compares the importance of technology in America’s schools as, “Technology is the #2 pencil of the 21st century” (Edutopia.com). This comparison illustrates the importance of integrating technology within the