21ST CENTURY STUDENT LEARNING & LIFE

Where Are We Going?

“The crux of success or failure is to know which core values to hold on to,
and which to discard and replace when times change.” – Jared Diamond

In the introduction of 21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in Our Times, Trilling and Fadel
(2009) recorded a number of interesting and pertinent questions:

• “How has the world changed, and what does this mean for education?”
• “What does everyone need to learn now to be successful?”
• “How should we learn all this?”
• “How is 21st century learning different from learning in the 20th century and what does it
really look like?”
• “How will 21st century learning evolve through the century?”
• “How will a 21st century learning approach help solve our global problems?” (xxiii)

With these questions, Trilling and Fadel suggest an inquiry-based method for directing a
school in its development of a framework for change in the 21st century. Many are curious how we
can maintain our traditional roots of excellence while contemplating necessary growth for the 21st
century. As Westminster contemplates its future and vision as a school, all of these questions are
critical for guiding us to where we are
going. We at Westminster belong to
our changing world, and we
contribute to the changes in our
world. Even before we declared
RELEVANCE as a focus area and
goal in our 2002 strategic plan or in
our 2005 self-study, Westminster
yearned for our students’ education to
be relevant for the times in which
they live and for the citizenry to
which they will contribute both now
and in the future.

Approaching the second

decade of this century, Westminster
remains committed to education that
is relevant. Therefore, we are
committed to exploring what
education in the 21st century means.
 Definitions of 21st century education abound, and we at Westminster debate the definitions
passionately. One of the most intriguing and visually appealing definitions exists in a white paper
from Apple, Inc. <http://ali.apple.com/acot2/global/files/ACOT2_Background.pdf> (see Figure
1). The diagram synthesizes much of what is written concerning teaching and learning in this
century. Twenty-first century learning iis education that centers on the confluence
nce of three major
considerations: 1) we know more about how the brain functions and how people learn; 2) we live
digital lifestyles; and 3) we work in a global community that faces big issues to solve. Is education
responding to these factors? Our vision for a Westminster education in the 21st century attends to
research and practice concerning brain
brain-based
based learning, use of technology for enhanced
understanding and effectiveness, and creational thinking that integrates collaboration and
community interdependencendence for the purposes of innovating productive change for our world.

Most educators believe that certain skills should be present in any definition of 21st century
learning. Surrounded and meshed together with core subject areas and critical content knowledge,
learning involves skill development. What skills are necessary for success in the 21st century? Nancy
Walser (2008) identifies from current literature the skills considered essential for learning
lear today. Her
list includes the following: critical thinking, problem
problem-solving,
solving, collaboration, written and oral
communication, creativity, self-direction,
direction, leadership, adaptability, responsibility, and global
awareness (2). These skills, as well as comple
complementary
mentary skills on similar “expert” lists, are being
discussed regularly by Westminster’s faculty, in both formal and informal settings.
Figure 2: Faculty Response to Community Survey Item

Question: If students need more than just the

basics of reading, writing, math, history, foreign
language,
and science, schools need to incorporate a
broader range of skills into core academic content
to prepare students for the 21st Century.

From these conversations, as well as from data collected in our recent community survey, we can
affirm that the Westminster faculty overwhelmingly believes that our school needs to incorporate a
broader range of skills into core academic content to prepare students for the 21st century (see
Figure 2). To support teachers in their efforts to modify instruction for skill development, brain-
based learning, technology integration, and global interdependence, Westminster must also consider
a vision for professional development geared toward 21st century learning.

“Teachers and students go hand in hand as learners, or they don’t go at all.” – Roland Barth

As we consider, integrate, and implement these interconnected components of 21st century

teaching and learning, however, we must begin with manageable, well-sized pieces. During our
mapping of “Where Are We Going?”, Westminster is particularly interested in the following areas:

1. Project-based learning;
2. Integrated studies; and
3. Balanced assessment.

In fact, many teachers at Westminster incorporate project-based learning, integrated studies,

and balanced assessment into their common practices. While we engage in this process of self-study,
we are observing these teachers and their practices so that we can further build on the successes of
our current reality. Additionally, we are collecting and analyzing extensive community survey data, so
that we can accurately ascertain where we are now and continue to set our course for where we want
to go.