A number of high-tech companies and other organizations are cooperating to push for the development of what they define as 21st Century Skills. The work of this coalition has resulted in a web site and several useful resources:
1) ICT-Literacy Map – a pdf document outlining standards and expectations by grade level
2) An interactive guide intended to help those who use the guide define priority skills.
I have heard organizations such as this criticized for what may in the long run be self-promotion – i.e., Apple, Dell, Cable in the Classroom, Time Warner have something to gain by the position that students need to be prepared to learn from new media sources and develop new information literacy skills suited to this new environment. However, I suppose the counter-argument would be that those institutions and companies invested in the status-quo also have a perspective to protect.
These materials contain some concrete language identifying the skills the coalition feels need additional attention and some good examples of classroom activities providing opportunities to learn these skills. I find this combination of specific skills and related activities is a useful way to understand what some feel need to receive greater attention.
