New framework provides models for infusing 21st-century skills into the English classroom
Primary Topic Channel: Curriculum
English teachers now have a new free resource to help them infuse so-called 21st-century skills into their curriculum, thanks to a collaboration between the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
This new resource--a framework that provides teacher-created models for how 21st-century skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity can be incorporated into English classes--is part of P21's effort to create curriculum maps that demonstrate how to teach key 21st-century skills in the classroom. Earlier this year, the organization released similar guidance for social-studies teachers. (Read "New resource helps teach 21st-century skills.")
By offering sample lessons that combine 21st-century skills with interdisciplinary themes such as global awareness and civic, economic, and entrepreneurial literacy, the new English map gives concrete examples of how to align teaching and learning with the standards of the 21st century.
"This framework, which includes examples taken directly from proven classroom practices, represents an exciting tool for teachers and students as they move toward a 21st-century education system," said Kylene Beers, NCTE president. "The map also mirrors the evolving nature of NCTE, as we ensure our organization and members possess the tool and resources that are required for success in the 21st century."
The map cites specific student outcomes and provides models that aim to help student achievement in grades four, eight, and 12. For example, fourth graders, after reading folktales and watching two or three cartoons, might write their own contemporary version of a folktale and present it as a stop-motion or claymation film. NCTE and P21 say this activity helps students learn how to communicate new ideas to others and demonstrate originality and inventiveness in their work.