Twenty-First Century Skills. (n.d.). www.metiri.com. Retrieved March 22, 2010, from http://www.metiri.com/21st%20Century%20Skills/PDFtwentyfirst%20cen

Summary:
Compiled from a plethora of resources, the Twenty-First Century Skills article lays out the essential skills that students must learn within the context of rigorous academic standards. The Metiri Group researched reports on current workforce trends, conducted surveys of educators, and reviewed literature on the subject. The report is intended to bridge the gap between business and education, to establish the skills most needed by students and employees in the digital age.
Reflection:
I am finally beginning to see a trend among the literature I have been researching. I have long wondered what effective schools were doing to motivate and educate students to a high degree, and the answers seem to be being revealed to me as I spend the time to search for them. When I first developed my action research question, I knew that I was drawn to the idea of bridging the gap between education and the world beyond in this evolving technological world. My original action research question was too broad, but I can see that this article has combined one area of focus that matches my new, sleeker question: Section 3- Interactive Communication- social and personal skills, emphasizing teaming and collaboration, personal and social responsibility, and interactive communication. I will keep this article close at hand as I develop my research and my lessons in the coming year.
Relevant Quotes/Concepts:
The report targets four key areas of focus, each with a set of sub-skills.
1. Digital Age Literacy—Today’s Basics
Basic, Scientific, and Technological Literacies
Visual and Information Literacy
Cultural Literacy and Global Awareness
2. Inventive Thinking—Intellectual Capital
Adaptability/Managing Complexity and Self-Direction
Curiosity, Creativity and Risk-taking
Higher Order Thinking and Sound Reasoning
3. Interactive Communication—Social and Personal Skills
Teaming and Collaboration
Personal and Social Responsibility
Interactive Communication
4. Quality, State-of-the-Art Results
Prioritizing, Planning, and Managing for Results
Effective Use of Real-World Tools
High Quality Results with Real-World Application