Integrating 21st Century Skills into the Curriculum

Abstract

This chapter stresses the importance of imbedding 21st century skills within content area instruction. It provides a review of the 21st century skills that have been incorporated into lessons created by preservice and inservice teachers, as well as specific recommendations and resources for P–12 educators that can be utilized to incorporate the teaching of 21st century skills as identified by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) into content area lessons. Focus is on integrating in existing curriculum the instruction of 21st century content and themes (global awareness, financial, economic, business, entrepreneurial, and civic literacy, and health and wellness); learning and thinking skills (critical-thinking and problem-solving, communication and collaboration, and creativity and innovation); information, media and technology skills (information literacy, media literacy, and ICT literacy); and life and career skills (flexibility and adaptability, initiative and self-direction, social and cross-cultural interaction, productivity and accountability, and leadership and responsibility).