Quintessence of 21st Century skills
Technology and digitization are rapidly changing the society we live in. Educators and workforce experts often warn that kids need improved 21st-century skills. Without these skills, they will not be able to successfully participate in the global economy. But what, exactly, are 21st century skills? Are we just talking about computer and technology skills alone?
As machines and new technologies free us from repetitive tasks, other human skills are becoming increasingly important. Critical thinking, creative problem solving and lifelong learning have become commonplace.
What new skills will kids need?
Experts worldwide acknowledge that today’s children need more than the traditional :reading, writing and arithmetic, to prepare for 21st century careers.
What kids needs is a mix of new and old, encompassing traditional academics (literacy, mathematics, science and social studies), learning skills such as collaboration, problem solving and creativity, and life skills such as leadership and global awareness.
- Learning Skills
These skills emphasize the mental processes necessary to adapt to (and flourish in) challenging, rapidly changing work environments. Learning skills are also the universal skills you need in almost any modern work environment. Critical and creative thinking forces you to consider certain matters and routines from a different perspective. Communication and collaboration promote the exchange of ideas and facilitate compromising.
2. Literacy skills
Literacy is perhaps the second most important 21st century skill, and in several ways. Media literacy allows us to critically examine media news instead of believing everything we hear and discerning relevant information from misinformation. Information literacy is knowing to evaluate what information sounds plausible, what sounds exaggerated or made up, and being able to tell why. Tech literacy means that we are able to produce and cooperate with technology at a deeper level than simply by consuming it. We can adapt it, program it, create new technology, and are able to work with technology intuitively even as it evolves and changes. This type of confidence and literacy is best taught – you guessed it – by learning to code, or by learning to create, adapt and edit technology to our own needs.
3. Life skills
Life skills have both a professional and a personal component. Leadership involves motivating others to do their portion of the job, rewarding them accordingly, assigning them the roles that fit their skill set, and discussing their strengths and weaknesses critically but also sensitively enough to spare their feelings. Promote Global and cultural awareness by letting kids know the world is so connected and open that we simply cannot any longer make excuses and ignore this. Teach children and pupils about the world outside their own bubble, help them realize the diversity of people around us, and make sure they know how to respect these differences and to avoid the fear of the unknown.
Fostering 21st century skills at home
- When children play together, offer them a collective set of play materials (such as a bin of crayons) rather than individual sets to encourage sharing, turn-taking and social skills.
- Invite your child to help you solve common household problems by engineering new solutions. How can you get the door not to stick?How can you fit all the suitcases in the car without blocking the driver’s view?
- Encourage your child to participate in family decisions and problem solving, and then praise your child’s efforts to reason through different situations. If they seem to be hesitant to throw in ideas, get the ball rolling by brainstorming together. Write everyone’s ideas on a piece of paper or whiteboard, giving equal consideration to each one. Once your child understands that all ideas are welcome, they may feel more confident in contributing their own.
How does coding play into it?
You might be asking.🤷♀️. Coding are the perfect means to teach children these 21st century skills. They encourage probing, experimenting, creativity, critical and analytical thinking, collaboration, leadership, tech literacy, and the ability to solve problems. Read more on how to makes kid interested in coding.
At Bbrightkids, our main vision is to equip kids with 21st century skills by imbibing all the skills in our curriculum. Chat us up today or check us out on Instagram.