Apply 21st Century Skills & the 4C’s in the Classroom

As each school year begins, my teacher friends often ask me for advice in creating fun (and free) activities to supplement their curriculum and engage students. With so much pressure on teachers and students to be prepared for tests, this task is overwhelming, as there is little opportunity for free play and discovery - every activity must be tied back to learning outcomes.

In order to help my friends find ways to make learning fun, I looked around for resources that provided context with each activity, and tied everything back the 4C’s: Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity. There are so many resources available, but my favorite is: Preparing 21^st Century Students for a Global Society, published by NEA. It’s been out a few years, but it has everything I need. I have used it time and time again for ideas or brainstorming, and it is often the first resource I share when asked for advice.

The NEA guide not only provides context and applications for each of the four C’s, it includes subject matter and grade level ideas. To be clear, this is not an activity book, and the lessons are not scripted out, which is one of the things I love most about it. It provides ideas for extensions, and how to apply the learning to each subject area, as well as additional resources and reflections for teachers. In most cases, there are resources for assessment too.

This guide is worth the read (or scan at least), and should be part of every teacher tool kit as a way to continue to build 21^st Century Skills in conjunction with each subject and application.

Do you have a great resource you’d like to share with our community? Please let us know in the comment box.