Measuring Skills for the 21st Century

Measuring Skills for the 21st Century

Today the above ASCD link was sent to me and I believe that Elena Silva's November 2008 report is a compelling read, especially as the world of education wrestles with its emergence from NCLB policies and imperatives. As we talk about implementing technology and 21st century skills, inquiry and performance assessments this document helps focus light upon the issue of standardised tests and higher level thinking .

Particularly interesting are the references to PISA and the revised Bloom's Taxonomy, and the problems No Child Left Behind have created for schools. When combined with the understandings taken from the Learning in a Digital World Conference, the discussions presented by David Elliot, John Mikton and Jeff Utecht around technology and inquiry linked performance assessment, the points the article is making become compelling.

I was fortunate enough to attended a workshop with Richard Murnane at Harvard Graduate School of Education as part of the DataWise course, and found his work with regard to workforce skills and the ' US competitive edge' being reflected in Pink's thesis in Whole New Mind as well as Canton's Innovation Economy and Workforce in Extreme Future.

It is this ability to make connections, think creatively and innovate that Friedman posits as the only hope for humankind's well being in his new book Hot Flat & Crowded, and are the skills necessary to address the issues in High Noon: 20 Global Problems, 20 Years to Solve Them by Jean-François Rischard, (economist, and World Bank vice president for Europe from 1998 to 2005).

The following quotes from the study (pp.5-6) are both compelling and affirming, especially as we begin to think about creating quality units of inquiry that give opportunites for students to participate in an apprenticeship for life within our schools:
"Teaching children basic facts and simple procedures in a way that helps them also learn how to apply and use this knowledge and these skills mirrors the natural process of learning. So the integration of advanced thinking and analytical skills into teaching and learning makes it easier for students to acquire even the most basic skills and core knowledge."
"The attributes that business and higher education leaders are calling for in young people—that they be independent thinkers, problem-solvers, and decision-makers—are captured by the advanced skills in the revised Bloom’s taxonomy, the ability to analyze, evaluate, and create."
"What is unique to ‘create,’ ‘evaluate,’ and ‘analyze’ is that the content is not explicit in the process or product being created," write Anderson and his colleagues. This is particularly true for "create," they explain, which requires a student to use existing information to come up with something entirely original—a new idea, a unique product, an alternative solution—tied to a specific purpose...Without these processes, Anderson says, "people, when faced with a problem or a challenge, will either call someone for help or just quit.
Integrating 21st century skills into teaching and assessment, then, is not only an economic imperative, driven by changes in the workforce, but a vital aspect of improving student learning."