About the Project
During the spring semester of 2017, as a part of EDU 377/677: Literacy in the 21st Century, a course offered through the Department of Education at Wake Forest University, a group of undergraduate and graduate students were tasked with attempting to define literacy in the 21st century.
During our semester-long exploration, we were exposed to P21's Framework for 21st Century Learning. We became intrigued by how the outcomes and support systems emphasized by P21, which were designed to help students succeed in work, life, and citizenship, were connected, or in some ways disconnected, with the scholarly literature on literacy learning. For our final project, we decided we wanted to better understand the perceptions of local community members regarding the skills, knowledge, characteristics, and understandings needed for success in today's society.
Since the class met regularly at Wake Downtown in Winston-Salem’s Innovation quarter, this inquiry project has become known as the Winston-Salem Innovation Literacy Project. The project’s findings represent the views of 110 Winston-Salem and Forsyth County residents who graciously took the time to respond to ten questions modeled in part after P21's Framework for 21st Century Learning.
It is important to note that this assignment was not meant for scientific study but instead to provide us with an opportunity to connect our academic exploration with community engagement and to advance our thinking on how best to prepare K-12 students for life after school.
We have learned a tremendous amount about diverse viewpoints on 21st century learning over the course of this project, and we hope our findings will be insightful to local community members, K-12 educators, and P21 stakeholders.
During our semester-long exploration, we were exposed to P21's Framework for 21st Century Learning. We became intrigued by how the outcomes and support systems emphasized by P21, which were designed to help students succeed in work, life, and citizenship, were connected, or in some ways disconnected, with the scholarly literature on literacy learning. For our final project, we decided we wanted to better understand the perceptions of local community members regarding the skills, knowledge, characteristics, and understandings needed for success in today's society.
Since the class met regularly at Wake Downtown in Winston-Salem’s Innovation quarter, this inquiry project has become known as the Winston-Salem Innovation Literacy Project. The project’s findings represent the views of 110 Winston-Salem and Forsyth County residents who graciously took the time to respond to ten questions modeled in part after P21's Framework for 21st Century Learning.
It is important to note that this assignment was not meant for scientific study but instead to provide us with an opportunity to connect our academic exploration with community engagement and to advance our thinking on how best to prepare K-12 students for life after school.
We have learned a tremendous amount about diverse viewpoints on 21st century learning over the course of this project, and we hope our findings will be insightful to local community members, K-12 educators, and P21 stakeholders.