14- Response to 21st Century Skills

This foreword by Ken Kay talks about why it is important to implement 21st Century Skills in the American classroom. He talks about how just being a good student is not good enough anymore to ensure job security. You need modernized skills that will be helpful for many career fields. He also says that the United States needs to start teaching 21st century skills because we are behind in our education systems. The dropout rate is very high and we need to catch up to the rest of the world. He also says we should implement this kind of education to help secure our economic future. The 21st century education model combines core academic subjects, 21st century themes, and 21st century skills. These skills include critical thinking and problem solving skills. Kay emphasizes how these skills are essential for ALL students.

I thought that this was very interesting. The skills that were described were not ones that I really realized were lacking in the American education program until I just sat down and thought about it. I also liked how he emphasized that these skills should be taught to all students, not just a few. This spoke to me because I am also under the firm belief that all students have a right to a vast and deep pool of knowledge.