Blog: Day One

Our school district is always striving to develop 21st Century skills in our students, and p21.org offers tools and concepts to create and nourish the 21st Century skills in the arts, an area that often gets forgotten. The 21st Century Skills Map gives specific examples in developing 21st century skills in the arts. These skills are: Creativity and Problem Solving, Communication, Collaboration, Media Literacy, Flexibility and Approachability, Initiative and Self-Direction, Social and Cross-Cultural Skills, Productivity and Accountability, and Leadership and Responsibility. This Skills Map is great in giving an example from each arts discipline and how those skills can be taught in your class. Here is an example lesson prompt:

EXAMPLE: Students research works of art to identify how different artists have created work relevant to their lives and the world around them. Students analyze the works to identify distinguishing characteristics that reflect each artist’s creativity. Students then produce multiple sketches to explore several approaches they might take to create a finished work. Students select and refine one idea from among their sketches to create a painting, and revise the painting during the creative process. (p21.org)

The Learning and Innovation Skills are key to a 21st Century arts classroom, and a great framework for creating lessons championing those skills. These skills are: Creativity and Innovation, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Communication, and Collaboration. The Life and Career Skills are also extremely applicable in the arts class, especially when aiming to help students see arts as a career. These skills are: Flexibility and Adaptability, Initiative and Self-Direction, Social and Cross-Cultural Skills, Productivity and Accountability, and Leadership and Responsibility.

Students that do not have 21st Century skills won't be prepared for the world and the workforce, and unfortunately a lot of today's youth are lacking those skills. I would like to create more lessons that incorporate these skills and even embed them in every lesson in some way.