Question:
What role should schools play in developing 21st century skills, knowledge, characteristics, and understandings?
Evaluator:
Natalie Wilson
Introduction:
Each question we explored through our inquiry project presented possible implications for schools; however, this question was designed to gauge community ideas on the role of schools more explicitly. Surprisingly, among those who responded to our questionnaire, there was a lot of disagreement about what the function of schools should be in preparing students and helping them to acquire these skills; some respondents believe formal education should directly facilitate students’ development, while others believe these skills should be taught by parents or come from work experience and that formal education should focus more on foundational skills and practices. As a result of our varied course readings this semester, it would be easy to assume that ideas about education and literacy have wholly evolved and that there are universally-accepted ideas about the role of technology in schools and the incorporation of these 21st century literacies. However, this inquiry project clearly suggests that a significant number of people in the Winston-Salem community may feel otherwise.
Theme 1: Polarized Views
Categories:
Primary importance (“won’t learn it anywhere else,” modeling)
Secondary importance (community programs & parental involvement necessary)
Findings and Interpretations:
Among those respondents who considered our questions, an unexpected divide emerged in the way the community views the role of schools. Responses to this question seemed to fall into two distinct camps — (a) one that indicated these “soft” skills, such as interpersonal skills, should be acquired primarily in schools as students “won’t learn [them] anywhere else” and (b) one that indicated they should be learned through parental and community involvement because schools need to stick to more foundational or “hard” skills that are easier to teach and quantify.
Those respondents who positioned schools as the most important means by which students should develop soft skills, including the aforementioned 21st century characteristics, also said this task should be the main function of schools. Because the purpose of our inquiry project was to consider the ideas of community members alongside the P21 framework to determine the implications for K-12 education, responses that discussed the implications for public schools were expected; however, it was interesting and surprising to see the divide that occurred, and one that certainly complicates the implications of our findings.
Those respondents who said schools should play a secondary role in helping students to develop 21st century characteristics also seemed to favor the decreased use of technology in schools. Many suggested that parents and “real world” experiences should be the primary means of teaching technology and that formal education should focus on learning and innovations skills, including the 4Cs. These respondents were often employed in schools or in the field of education but not always as educators; other careers included athletic coaches, school counselors, instructional coordinators, and school board members.
Implications:
It is worth nothing that P21's 21st Century Learning Exemplar Schools Program highlights 79 schools and districts nationwide that best demonstrate excellence in six areas:
1. Evidence of commitment to college, career, and life readiness
2. Educational support systems and sustainable design
3. Engaged learning approaches
4. Equitable student access to 21st century learning
5. Evidence of student acquisition of 21st century knowledge and skills
6. Partnerships for sustainable success
From the responses we received to this question, it seems as though some of these criteria may not directly align with our local community values, although they are certainly related. Most responses seemed to value “evidence of commitment to college, career, and life readiness” in schools, although they had different ideas of how such a framework might look. Many emphasized relationships and partnerships with parents, employers, community programs, and other local agencies and businesses so that schools can teach core subjects and skills like reading and writing necessary to college, career, and life readiness. Outside support may be needed to provide students with practical experiences with 21st century skills, knowledge, characteristics, and understandings. Sustainable design was also extremely important, as many respondents felt there was too much emphasis on specific technology skills that could easily become obsolete in a matter of years.
Theme 2: Schools as Foundational
Categories:
Developing (Schools as foundational, “creating people”)
Informed citizenship, contribution to society, democracy
Lifelong learning, adaptation
Morals, ethics
Independence
“Proper,” pleasant communication, with etiquette and without anger
Findings and Interpretations:
Perhaps because of the wording of our initial question, the word “developing” appeared in almost a third of responses. It was used to refer both to 21st century skills and literacies and in regard to students themselves. Those respondents who considered our questions, especially those who placed schools in a primary role for teaching the "soft skills," indicated that schools should create informed citizens who can use their knowledge and abilities to adapt to technology advancements and diverse academic and work environments. The students should grow as people, too, becoming independent, finding their preferred morals and ethics, etc.
Implications:
Schools should try to provide an environment that exposes students to a variety of perspectives and views by focusing on soft and hard skills while engaging students with a variety of modalities.
What role should schools play in developing 21st century skills, knowledge, characteristics, and understandings?
Evaluator:
Natalie Wilson
Introduction:
Each question we explored through our inquiry project presented possible implications for schools; however, this question was designed to gauge community ideas on the role of schools more explicitly. Surprisingly, among those who responded to our questionnaire, there was a lot of disagreement about what the function of schools should be in preparing students and helping them to acquire these skills; some respondents believe formal education should directly facilitate students’ development, while others believe these skills should be taught by parents or come from work experience and that formal education should focus more on foundational skills and practices. As a result of our varied course readings this semester, it would be easy to assume that ideas about education and literacy have wholly evolved and that there are universally-accepted ideas about the role of technology in schools and the incorporation of these 21st century literacies. However, this inquiry project clearly suggests that a significant number of people in the Winston-Salem community may feel otherwise.
Theme 1: Polarized Views
Categories:
Primary importance (“won’t learn it anywhere else,” modeling)
Secondary importance (community programs & parental involvement necessary)
Findings and Interpretations:
Among those respondents who considered our questions, an unexpected divide emerged in the way the community views the role of schools. Responses to this question seemed to fall into two distinct camps — (a) one that indicated these “soft” skills, such as interpersonal skills, should be acquired primarily in schools as students “won’t learn [them] anywhere else” and (b) one that indicated they should be learned through parental and community involvement because schools need to stick to more foundational or “hard” skills that are easier to teach and quantify.
Those respondents who positioned schools as the most important means by which students should develop soft skills, including the aforementioned 21st century characteristics, also said this task should be the main function of schools. Because the purpose of our inquiry project was to consider the ideas of community members alongside the P21 framework to determine the implications for K-12 education, responses that discussed the implications for public schools were expected; however, it was interesting and surprising to see the divide that occurred, and one that certainly complicates the implications of our findings.
Those respondents who said schools should play a secondary role in helping students to develop 21st century characteristics also seemed to favor the decreased use of technology in schools. Many suggested that parents and “real world” experiences should be the primary means of teaching technology and that formal education should focus on learning and innovations skills, including the 4Cs. These respondents were often employed in schools or in the field of education but not always as educators; other careers included athletic coaches, school counselors, instructional coordinators, and school board members.
Implications:
It is worth nothing that P21's 21st Century Learning Exemplar Schools Program highlights 79 schools and districts nationwide that best demonstrate excellence in six areas:
1. Evidence of commitment to college, career, and life readiness
2. Educational support systems and sustainable design
3. Engaged learning approaches
4. Equitable student access to 21st century learning
5. Evidence of student acquisition of 21st century knowledge and skills
6. Partnerships for sustainable success
From the responses we received to this question, it seems as though some of these criteria may not directly align with our local community values, although they are certainly related. Most responses seemed to value “evidence of commitment to college, career, and life readiness” in schools, although they had different ideas of how such a framework might look. Many emphasized relationships and partnerships with parents, employers, community programs, and other local agencies and businesses so that schools can teach core subjects and skills like reading and writing necessary to college, career, and life readiness. Outside support may be needed to provide students with practical experiences with 21st century skills, knowledge, characteristics, and understandings. Sustainable design was also extremely important, as many respondents felt there was too much emphasis on specific technology skills that could easily become obsolete in a matter of years.
Theme 2: Schools as Foundational
Categories:
Developing (Schools as foundational, “creating people”)
Informed citizenship, contribution to society, democracy
Lifelong learning, adaptation
Morals, ethics
Independence
“Proper,” pleasant communication, with etiquette and without anger
Findings and Interpretations:
Perhaps because of the wording of our initial question, the word “developing” appeared in almost a third of responses. It was used to refer both to 21st century skills and literacies and in regard to students themselves. Those respondents who considered our questions, especially those who placed schools in a primary role for teaching the "soft skills," indicated that schools should create informed citizens who can use their knowledge and abilities to adapt to technology advancements and diverse academic and work environments. The students should grow as people, too, becoming independent, finding their preferred morals and ethics, etc.
Implications:
Schools should try to provide an environment that exposes students to a variety of perspectives and views by focusing on soft and hard skills while engaging students with a variety of modalities.