The year is 2019. Technology is ever-evolving. Every day, new job titles and positions are being created. It is for this reason that it is essential for us, as educators, to adapt our own mindsets towards the way in which we present our lessons. It is imperative that we begin to equip our modern learners with the skills which are essential in our modern world in order to succeed in both school and workplace environment.
12 specific skills for the 21st century have been identified, 4 of which we have been applying to our subjects this year, specifically with regards to the coding and robotics classes.
These 4 areas are specifically linked to LEARNING skills and are known as the 4 C’s, namely:
- Critical thinking
- Creativity
- Collaboration
- Communication
We have entered the fourth industrial revolution. By introducing coding into our curriculum, and finding the opportunities to include the 4 C’s, both as a stand-alone subject as well as integrated into everyday lessons, we are cultivating CREATORS as opposed to CONSUMERS. We are putting the power into the hands of the learners.
As sited by Applied Educational Sciences, “The four C’s of 21st Century skills let students create a whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts. Critical thinking teaches students to question claims and seeks the truth. Creativity teaches students to think in a way that’s unique to them. Collaboration teaches students that groups can create something bigger and better than you can on your own. Communication teaches students how to efficiently convey ideas. Combined, the four C’s empower students to become one-person think tanks. Then, when those students get together, they can achieve almost anything!”
As an inclusive teaching and whole-brain learning school, we aim to acknowledge these 4 C’s as well as our ever-changing school and work environment to provide optimal learning opportunities for our learners to explore the abovementioned concepts.
Our vision for coding and robotics at our school is as follows:
Empowering Shelanti learners for the future by optimizing their creativity and problem-solving skills through computational thinking. The creation of a platform on which collaboration and innovation can be developed with confidence and passion, to the benefit of the wider community.
Links to credit as well as additional links:
* What are 21st Century Skills?
* The 4 C’s of 21st Century Skills
What are the 4 C’s for 21st Century Learning?
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