The 21st century is far from 20th century concept in teaching and learning. The more the time runs, it will increase the demands of learning and skills. 21st century concept in education unlocks possibilities to integrate prior knowledge from the past to create a new mode of learning and delivering information to the students. As we prepare for the future works and to solve real-life problems. It provides opportunity to teachers to have a transition from traditional learning style into digital and techie way of teaching. Where the topics and lesson are more interesting and accessible to everyone. The major role of 21st first century is to mold the students to become life-longer learners and build relationships between environment, society, community, and self. It gives purpose to the students to motivate, to be an active learning, and skillful worker.
It is indeed to have the concepts of a 21st century in our learning in classroom and real-world. Because it prepares the student to become more productive and gain high-quality performance for the future works. Unlike in the past decades which use only a behavioral basis, simple literacy like read and write, and teacher based. There are 7 keys of features in 21st century in teaching and learning. First is Personalized Learning, where the teacher used a unique approach in students because of different outcomes. Not all students can learn at the same time and same topic. Therefore, the teacher will have an alternative way to teach the student and learn the topic. Second is Equity, Diversity and inclusively. The goal of 21st century educator is to achieve the equality of outcomes. The focus of this is to sustain the gaps between rich and poor and hope that everyone will access to learning. Diversity is more in engagement in the different culture and personalities and last inclusively which gives opportunity to the people with disability to sustain learning and gain knowledge with discrimination. Third is the Learning through doing in the past decades. Behaviorist method used in the 20th century, but now the learning of the student is relying on performance and skills. Where they based their learning from the works and manipulation of tools. The fourth keys feature is Rethinking Learner and Teacher Roles. In the past, it based the system of education on the teacher-centered where the students listen to the teacher words. While today 21st century is more in student centered and the major role of the teacher is to guide the students with tips, knowledge, strategy, and style. The fifth key feature is Community Relationships. In 21st century, engagement in the social activity is necessary to imply in the student mind. Because it will be the basis of their environment. Connecting to the other’s idea can provide them strategies. The next is Technology. This is the focus of 21st century. Because all the fields in the education used technology to deliver the information freely and enhance more strategies in teaching and learning. It provides multiple sources where the students benefit from it. The last key feature is Teacher Professionalization. The primary goal of the teacher is to become a role model for their students. Therefore, they can use it as a guide to become professional someday. The more teacher engaged with professionalism. The more the student learns from them and increase interest to a certain topic. The Critical Attributes of 21st Century Education. The world of teacher and student will dramatically change in learning for 21st century curriculum. Teacher should re-test daily their strategy if it still applicable to the current curriculum. Therefore, they can easily shape and change their strategies to help a student learn. There are 8 attributes. The first attribute is integrated and interdisciplinary. The teacher based the strategy on curriculum, on how the student learns from a certain topic to help them to integrate their manner and knowledge from one subject to another. Second attribute is Technology and Multimedia. Education must have right equipment to deliver the information in the student. It is called digital literacy where in learning conduct in virtual world using multimedia apps to create a certain interesting topic and activity. Teacher have turn to improve their strategy by using multimedia apps and creating interesting new topics. Third attributes are Global Classrooms. Education in the 21st century aims to make students be part and called global citizens by exposing them to the real issue of the other countries. Student are engaged to be part of finding solution and reacting to issues as part of their goal to be global citizens. The Fourth attribute is Creating/Adapting to Constant Personal and Social Change, and Lifelong Learning. The learning in the 21st century follow to the belief that learning does not only happen inside the school and during one’s schooling years. Learning can take place anywhere, anytime, regardless of one’s age. Life-long learners can still learn from their battlefield in life. And they still discover ways to improve their learning. Next attribute is Student-Centered. The student learned from their own way of discovering ideas. It is their chance to prove and be independent in any areas of life. But the teacher put guidance on them according to their will as an instructor to provide tips, guidelines, professionalism, ideas, and strategy which they can use it for gaining knowledge. 21st Century Skills is promoting skills and knowledge in the field of work. Where in the society will grow, It is not enough for students to learn the basic literacy skills such as reading, writing, and numeracy, but should develop a skills that would help them to scope their future and work under 21st century concepts. These skills include, among others, critical and creative thinking skills, problem solving and decision making, and ICT literacy and skills. Project-Based and Research-Driven. Gaining knowledge in the 4-corner room is not enough but to gain more knowledge relate into 21st century skills. It is indeed to conduct research driven which it is the basis on how the society needs a new strategy to solve a real-world problem. Project based gives student opportunity to enhance decision making and collaborative performance. It develops idea, self-awareness, and relationship to its fellow classmates. The last attribute is Relevant, Rigorous and Real-world. 21st century learning is based on the real-life situation where in the student and teacher conduct activities in a routine. The teacher should give insight about the current trends, development, issues, and community needs. The example of a relevant sources is the newspaper and TV.
Basic strategies also called comprehension strategies are ways to improve the learning of the teacher and student. It will gain by reading materials and searching multiple sources of from the internet. There are 6 basic strategies where you used it to improve the knowledge and integrate it with existing skills. First is making connection. It is important that we collaborate and taking the helps of other to conduct brainstorming. It helps to capability to think and social interaction. There two connection. First is the Text-to-self connections. The readers make between the text and their experiences. Second is the Text-to-text is connections that readers make between the text they are reading and another text. Text-to-world connections are connections that readers make between text and the issues, events, or concerns of society and the world at large. Next is Creating Mental Images / Visualizing. The readers create a vision of images where in it based on their prior knowledge in the text they read. Example: reading story lines while imagining your interpretation on the text. The next strategy is questioning. It is a kind of strategy where the readers make inquires, speculate, and finding answer to increase the understanding from the text they read before and after the reading. Determining Importance is a strategy which determine the importance of the information of your readings. It highlights the ideas which give you insight and trigger your interest. Example: Reviewer materials such as books and notebooks related to your course. Next Strategy is Making Inferences. It is a process where in there is an integration happening with your prior knowledge and the text you’ve reading and create a meaning. The last strategy is Synthesizing. It is the most complex among the strategies. it is the combination of the ideas of what you read on the different angles and point of view of the text. Or even the unique sources can interfere synthesizing to combine the two info in your readings. It is also integrating your prior knowledge.
