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To access the references for this presentation, please click here.

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Life and Career Skills: Work Independently and Be Self-Directed Learners

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Life and Career Skills: Work Independently and Be Self-Directed Learners

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Clarifying objective
EEn.2.8: Evaluate human behaviors in terms of how likely they are to ensure the ability to live sustainably on Earth.
Activity: Genius Hour
Each unit, students are provided with a project that will span the unit. This will typically be about a 4-week time frame and they will complete anywhere between three and four a semester. The goal of the project is to become proficient and a "genius" or "expert" in your topic. This unit relates to the Earth and sustainability.

The students will be provided with broad topics that are classified as sustainable practices or ideas. The students also have the ability to chose a topic that is not on the "approved" list. The instructor would need to approve prior to the research process starts. The students will then need to research the topic by obtaining credible sources (10) and producing a product to share about their research. A few examples would be:

Poster-board

Video

PowerPoint Presentation

3D Model

The students will need to be active in updating their interactive notebook in their Genius Hour section to scope the project. Each Friday, the teacher will have 5 min check-in meetings to access the progress and see if timelines need to be adjusted.

21st Century Skill
The students will be able to work independently and will:

Monitor, define, prioritize, and complete tasks without direct oversight.

The students will be able to be self-directed learners and will:

Go beyond basic mastery of skills and/or curriculum to explore and expand one’s own learning and opportunities to gain expertise.

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Information, Media and Technology Skills: Applying Technology Effectively

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Information, Media and Technology Skills: Applying Technology Effectively

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Clarifying objective
EEn.2.8.1 Evaluate alternative energy technologies for use in North Carolina.
Activity
Students will be working in their learning groups. Each group will be given an alternative energy technology that is used in North Carolina.
To research the area in which the technology is used, they are to virtually "visit" the site using Google Earth. They will all as a class observe the area by entering their observations in their interactive notebook, found in their Google Classroom.
Once they have made their observations, they will compile the information as if they were news reporters provided a story on the usage, location and details regarding the alternative energy technology system. They can film the video as a group or have specific students in front of the camera, but ALL students need to have an identifiable role in the project.

21st Century Skill
The students will be able to apply technology effectively and will:

Use digital technologies (e.g., computers, PDAs, media players, GPS, etc.), communication/networking tools, and social networks appropriately to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information to successfully function in a knowledge economy

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Here are a few ways to integrate 21st Century Skills in an Earth and Environmental Science classroom (grades 9-12.) This lesson is looking at the North Carolina Earth and Environmental Science standard 2.8.

EEn.2.8: Evaluate human behaviors in terms of how likely they are to ensure the ability to live sustainably on Earth.

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Learning and Innovation Skills: Make Judgements and Decisions

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Learning and Innovation Skills: Make Judgements and Decisions

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Clarifying objective
EEn.2.8.2 Critique conventional and sustainable agriculture and aquaculture practices in terms of their environmental impacts.

Activity
Students will start brainstorming using the the Visible Thinking technique "Peeling the Fruit." This technique allows students to brainstorm in three phases.
First, the students will brainstorm what comes to mind when they think of environmental impacts.
Second, they make a list of the negative impacts they have seen in their community. Then they will narrow it down to three they feel are most important.
Third, they will take one of those impacts and identify three ways to eliminate or reduce the negative effects. Click here to see "peeling the fruit" in action in a 4th grade reading classroom.

Once they have brainstormed on their own, each student will have their "top 3" impacts on the environment. Each group member will need to share their impacts to one another and then decide as a group to focus on one as a whole. The groups will need to identify the negative and positive outcomes from this impact. But, their ultimate goal is to propose a solution to eliminate one of the most severe negative impacts to the environment.

21st Century Skill
The students will be able to make judgments and decisions and will:

Interpret information and draw conclusions based on the best analysis

Reflect critically on learning experiences and processes

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There are many graphic organizers to explain the structure of 21st Century Skills. Here is one in particular that outlines the structure of the 21st Century Skills model. Image source: https://www.battelleforkids.org/networks/p21#SkillsMaps

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These skills are identified as "transferable skills" or skills that can be utilized in other areas of life and/or an individual's professional career. Each skill that is identified as a Life and Career Skill directly relates back to professional work such as effective communication, managing projects and people and developing flexibility and adaptability.

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Information, Media and Technology Skills

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Information, Media and Technology Skills

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The skills in this category relate primarily to how students process information. Whether it is looking at media messages, utilizing technology or retaining information, these skills are identifying ways for students to process information. It allows for technology solutions to be integrated into the learning and experience and to answer the question, why does technology help us? Why does it make us more efficient. It is explaining why students learn differently and process information in their own unique manner.

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These skills directly pertain to how students meaningfully understand and apply the knowedlge they are learning. This is a clear area where application is key. Solving complex problems, investing in a student's creativity and also working in groups allows for the students to apply their knowledge directly instead of simply recalling information the teacher has shared in the past.

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Creativity is not just a natural tendency, it can be learned. Whether it is the perspective you bring to a conversation or the way in which you solve problems. Creativity needs to be practiced and students can also see it and do it. It can be contagious. Allowing students to move throughout the creative process allows them to understand each scenario is not the same. Things could be similar in different situations, but looking at them from different perspectives could help a solution arrive quicker than we thought (Applied Educational Systems, 2020).

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As an educator, fostering this skill is key. We want students to see collaboration and working with others as a practice to reach the common goal. Yes, you might not be able to always agree, but if we recognize we all bring something different to the table, we can reach the goal and continue to practice this skill in all settings of life (Applied Educational Systems, 2020).

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Allows students to practice their skills to convey an idea or thought clearly and directly, so others understand them. If they are unable to communicate their idea, then the common goal might be lost in translation. In a world where tone and vocal communication is not as direct, it is a learned skill for students to practice to understand the importance of clear communication (Applied Educational Systems, 2020).

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Student will be able to not only learn information, but they will be able to research and discover their own information and then be able to discern between credible sources. Students will learn to ask leading questions and then be able to encourage others to do so as well (Applied Educational Systems, 2020).

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So, Let's ask this question... what do students need?

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So, Let's ask this question... what do students need?

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To answer the question of importance, we need to answer it by asking what do students need from their educational experience? The 21st Century Skills find their importance by what they can offer students. Students need to be able to learn skills they can translate into their real-world experiences. The 21st Century structure can do this. Why can it do this...because it is teaching them skills we call the 4C's!
- Critical Thinking
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Creativity
To learn more about the importance of the 4Cs, Applied Educational Systems has a great resource! The highlights are  below.  If you are a visual learner, you can watch this video!

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Education is not simply understanding content, it is also understanding how to apply their learning into their everyday practices of life! It is important so that the whole educational experience is considered and we are focusing our practices as educators on the student's experience, not just in the classroom, but as they grow and develop into professional adults.

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The term 21 st century skills refers to a broad set of knowledge, skills, work habits, and character traits that are believed—by educators, school reformers, college professors, employers, and others—to be critically important to success in today’s world, particularly in collegiate programs and contemporary careers and workplaces. (Great Schools Partnership, 2004).

As an educator, 21st Century Skills allow for our teaching to not only impact our students in the classroom, but  their future work in the professional world. These skills allow for continued focus on more than a subject matter standard, but how can they continue to learn and grow while interacting with a specific area of content.

Here, you can see each subcategory:
1. Learning and Innovation Skills
2. Information, Media and Technology Skills
3. Life and Career Skills