The term 21st century skills suggests that there is a new  set of skills that individuals need to possess to be successful as  learners, citizens, and employees in the competitive, global economy.   Compare and contrast what the authors identify as twenty-first century  skills with what you would identify as twenty-first century skills.   Lastly, discuss how these skills fit into the traditional element of  schooling that focuses on ensuring that all students develop the basic  skills of reading, writing, and mathematics.

For  this discussion question response, you are comparing and contrasting  what you read about 21st century skills in the course text to your own  ideas about 21st century skills.  I recommend making a list of what you  consider to be 21st century skills.  Which ones of these are the same as  the ones addressed by Newman (2013)?  Which ones did Newman fail to  mention that you believe are important?  Remember that to compare and  contrast something, you are addressing both similarities and  differences.  

After discussing similarities and differences  between your point of view and Newman’s point of view, you will discuss  how these 21st century skills fit into the traditional element of  schooling.  How do teachers incorporate these skills while teaching  students reading, writing, and mathematics?  

 While there is not a specific word count required for the initial  response to the discussion question, a general rule of thumb is to aim  between 200-300 words for your initial response.  That way, you ensure  that you have completed addressed the key ideas at an appropriate level  of depth.  

Resource Requirement

At  a minimum, you need to reference the Teaching & Learning in the 21st Century “Connecting the Dots” by Richard Newman (2013) text; No Excuses University by Damen Lopez.  However, you  are encouraged to reference other course readings to further enhance  your response.  Avoid using direct quotes from these sources whenever  possible.  A best practice is to paraphrase or summarize what you read  rather than use word-for-word excerpts.  Doing so allows you to  demonstrate that you have internalized what you have read rather than  simply repeating what has been said by the authors of these readings. 

Please check your work carefully before posting it.  It is a good  idea to compose your initial response in another program such as  Microsoft Word or Google Docs.  That way, you can check for spelling and  grammatical errors before submitting your response to the class.  

Be sure that you use a formal, academic tone.  Avoid using contractions and conversational language.  

If  you use any outside sources, you will need to cite these sources in  your discussion question response.  Be sure to cite them both in the  text and in a listing of references at the end of your discussion  question response.  

APA,