The term ’21st century skills’ to me was an unprecedented term. Without any knowledge about what was meant by the phrase I took a stab at deducing the meaning of the question. I assumed that the question my mother asked me had something to do with technology since she is always doing a project about proper technology use. I answered, “My guess would be that it has something to do with technology, and being able to use programs like Microsoft Word and Excel, PowerPoint, Moviemaker, etc.” She said that at one point that is what it was believed to be, that as long as you knew how to use email and you were a part of a social network it meant you knew 21st century skills, but she felt that if you couldn’t use your technology skills for power and you don’t put your skills to use than that wouldn’t constitute 21st skills. I was a little surprised by her remark because I felt that not using your skills had very little to do with whether you could or not, that just because you haven’t marketed any of your designs it doesn’t mean that you didn’t know how to use Photoshop; it doesn’t mean that you don’t have 21st century skills. She disagreed very strongly and said that a person who knows how to use Photoshop has computer skills but if they don’t use it for anything they didn’t have 21st century skills. She said that if they didn’t use their computer skills for anything like letting their ideas out or creating inventions only known to them then they weren’t using 21st century skills. That’s where I began to understand the term ’21st century skills’. It meant not just technology; it meant having the skills necessary to thrive in that century. She explained to me that centuries ago the required skills were farming and hunting, etc. Once I understood the term correctly, I re-answered her question and said, “In that case, I believe that 21st century skills actually have little to do with programs, and instead have to do with the process that starts with being able to seek information and learn skills on your own, and ends with being able to execute an action plan using your new skills.”

In this century you absolutely need to be able to seek out what you need to learn what you want to learn. Everything is constantly changing which translates into you constantly need to be learning. But knowledge is only power if you know what do with your knowledge. Einstein was brilliant but is only known for his ideas today because he shared them. When you withhold your knowledge and you don’t use it to bring about change then it’s almost worthless. It’s still better than using your knowledge for bad, but none the less worthless. Once you have a skill, once you know how to use a program, the next step is to analyze, to make the connection about how you can use it. How to put your voice out there and make yourself known. How to market your ideas. My understanding is first you need to learn, then you need to brainstorm, and last you need to execute your plan or idea. In my opinion, 21st century skills constitute repeating that process over and over again just the same as you would always use the scientific method with any experiment. You may not know everything but as long as you stay open-minded, you know how to seek out help and learn new things; you’ll be set with the ever-changing ways of the 21st century.

…Nicole…