21st Century

Skills
one of the most common ways to present 21st century skills is
through the four. (4) C's as follows:
Communication – it means sharing of thoughts, questions, ideas, and solutions.
It is no ability to effectively talk to others and convey one's opinions, feelings,
and thinking, Leamers who have developed good communication skills in the
classroom are more able to expicos their thoughts and feelings effectively as
well as give solutions to the problems they soon. encounter when they grow as
adults and workers in society. Presentation of case studies, group outputs as
well as think, pair and share are good strategies of teachers to develops 21st
century skill.
2. Collaboration - it means working and learning together to solve a problem and
reach a goal.
It also means putting together everyone's talent, expertise, and smarts to work.
Learners who have been used to collaborate tend to become effective team
players in their future social and professional
activities. They show
cooperation in all undertakings and offer collective decisions
and solutions instead of a very individualistic and uncooperative
behavior. To develop this skill, teachers can use group projects
or research, peer editing, and coaching. Critical Thinking - it
means looking at problems in a new way and linking learning
across subjects and disciplines. Learners who show critical
thinking are able to identify the root of a problem and apply
multiple solutions learned from different perspectives. In effect,
they will soon become successful because they are capable of
planning and making right choices in life. The strategies that can
develop this skill are Problem Based Learning (PBL), concept
mapping, and self-inquiry. 4. Creativity – it means having
 unique ideas and trying new approaches to get things done.
It is a term that is synonymous with innovation and invention. Learners
whose creativity.is developed in school tend to be more innovative
in performing their work and their personal activities in the future.
Creative learners take risk and are able to introduce new ways of
doing things in their personal and organizational lives leading to
greater performance, productivity, and success. To develop this
skill, teachers can require their learners to make posters,
video
clips, slide shows and the like. According to the DepEd,
there are four (4) 21st century skills that are to be possessed by
graduates In order to live meaningfully in this world namely; (a) Effective
Communication Skill – ways of working; 10) Learning and Innovation Skill
– ways of thinking; (c) Information, media and technology skill – tools vor
working; and (d) Life and career skill – ways of living in the world. These
are the expected graduate auributes after schooling which becomes essential
tools to live healthily and meaningfully in this world. congruently, these are the
competencies to be first developed and demonstrated by the teachers if they
desire to imbue their learners with such
21st century skills.
Table 1. 21st Century Skills of
Filipino Graduates
Ways in which Teachers can Develop
21st Century Skills
the Skill
Effective Communication Skill – In life and in the
(Ways of working) workplace, individuals need to be
good communicators
 Tea
ming to articulate their thoughts clearly and
effectively in
Collabo
ration written, oral, and in non-verbal means. This
skill is becoming more important in public life of
individuals
Interpersonal
skills because the 21st century environment is more culturally
Local, national,
and global diverse; there is multiple media and technologies to be
orientedness used
for communication; and there is a wider range of purpose of
communication like business communication, . Interactive
communication research presentation and publication,
advertisement communication and like.
Learning and Innovation Skill – It is a required skill in (Ways
of thinking). the 21st century that individuals develop and
nurture their
Creativity ability to
think outside of the proverbial box without fear of failing when going
against established rules and ideas. It. Curiosity is indispensable that
they have to cultivate their originality, Critical thinking problem-
solving inventiveness, and analytical thinking as there are differing
s
kills perspectives and endless competition in
improving the quality of work as well as
products and services in the 21st
 Risk
taking
century.
Information, Media, and Technology Skill –
Learners (Tools for working) nowadays are considered
"digital natives” inasmuch
Visual and
information literacies as they are born in the age of technology and
media filled environment. By using relevant information and Media
literacies incorporating numerous communication and social
Basic scientific,
economic, and vehicles in teaching, learners are able to access,
analyze, and evaluate voluminous information and to become
technological
literacies updated with the use of rapidly changing technology.
Multicultural
literacy When they have this skill, they can effectively use them to
become effective 21st century workers and citizens.
Life and Career Skill - The ability to have lifelong
(Ways of living in the world) learning (i.e., learning how to learn and
commitment to
Flexibility and
adaptability learning as an endless process) throughout one's life is
imperative to live in the 21st century. When learners are Leadership and
responsibility able to develop adequate life and career skills, they grow
Social and cross-
cultural skills and flourish in whatever endeavor they take after school, in the
workplace or during retirement. This happens because Initiative and
 self-direction they are able to apply or create something new and
sublime from what they know and they are able to hurdle
Productivity and
accountability the challenges of complex life and work environment.
Ethical, moral and
spiritual values
Mavs to Develop Effective Communication
Skill of Learners
e development of effective
communication skill:
The following are the "ways of working" that ensures the
development of effective comm Teaming up – it is an approach in
teaching wherein learners form a group
oach in teaching wherein learners form a group in order to
perform a task. When learners are teamed up, they have higher chances to
expre share their ideas, and learn from one another. Strong team
communications can also
help
learners achieve the desired goals and outputs of their team because there is open and
positive learning environment. They are also able to work with teams
because they become team players.
y have higher chances to express
themselves,
obou

Collaboration - it is not just simply working with others rather it is generating

lucas de building knowledge because of the discussion and interaction with
others. When learners are taught how to collaborate, they make personal
compromises to accomplish a common goal and to assume shared accountability
over their outputs. Moreover, when learners are involved, they develop a sense of
 ownership in what they have done. They also leance agree even if they
disagree.

Interpersonal skills – It is the way people express their feelings and thoughts in
a race to face encounter. Developing interpersonal skills in the learners
means teaching them now to verbally and non-verbally communicate their
thoughts and feeling through acceptable gestures, touch, voice, and facial
expressions. Local, national, and global orientedness - it is the ability to
think that everything and everyone is interrelated and interdependent.
Learners must be taught to develop a balance of local, national, and global
perspectives because everyone lives in one roof called earth. They
should not only investigate the details of local and national issues but they
must see the big picture of life in all its different dimensions because all of
these affect everyone. These include, but not limited to global economy,
politics, health, and environment.
Interactive communication - it is the ability of a person to effectively exchange
information. ideas, and thoughts under face to face conversation or through
the use of media such as conversation in cell phone, telephone, internet chat,
video conferencing, and the like in a 'real time' basis.

Ways to Develop Learning and

Innovation Skill of Learners
To effectively develop learning and innovation skill, the
following “ways of thinking” must be performed:
Creativity - Learners must be taught to demonstrate originality and
inventiveness in their outputs. They have to use their imagination (usually
"out of the box” thinking) in order to create novel and worthwhile ideas.
Thinking creatively is taught when they are capable of refining and
evaluating their ideas to further improve and optimize creative efforts
Curiosity - Curiosity is the entry point toward learning and it is the intrinsic
motivator toward innovating. It is when the inquisitiveness of the learners is
cultivated that they conna
 nnect what they do
not know to what they know. In life and in the work environment, there is a need that
individuals need to be curious in almost everything as this sparks discovery,
inventiveness and out of the box thinking.

Attributes of a K to 12 Teacher
Preparing teachers for the K to 12 educational reform
requires a change of professional attributes. There is a
need to shift the teachers' perspective from the
traditional way of looking at teaching and learning
process to a more dynamic and learner-centered
perspective. The reason for this is clear and simple.
The learners they teach and the environment to which
these learners live are far different from the context to
which they have been taught and lived. To make
education responsive and relevant to the 21st century
landscape, teachers need to re-invent themselves.
They have to determine the attributes they need to
possess in order to become effective teachers
responding to the 21st century learners, 21st century
environment, and 21st century challenges.

The following discussions present the attributes

required from the K to 12 teachers inasmuch as this
educational reform was crafted by the Philippine
government to prepare the Filipino youngsters to live
healthily and meaningfully in the 21st century.
 108 | EMBRACING THE TEACHING PROFESSION
The goal of the K to 12 education
reform is to i
alion reform is to upgrade the country's education system and
align on the requirements of the 21st century. To realize this goal, it is required that K to 12
teachers have Jalon essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will enable
learners to cope with these changes
moerative that they know the characteristics critical to 21st century education
so that they may be able to integrate them in their teaching.

According to the K to 12 Toolkit Resource Guide for Teacher Educators,

School Administrators and whers (2012), the following are the attributes of the K
to 12 Teachers:
Multi-literate - K to
10 12 education recognizes that information and
communications technologies (ICTS) have penetrated the classrooms at a
very rapid pace. Teachers are now faced with the growing challenge to
teach the 21st century learners who are "Wired an who are becoming more
and more "wireless" in the use of technology. Teaching and living in the
21st century therefore requires the development of new types of literacies.
Teamer have to be knowledgeable with the use of various technologies and this
demands them to have media literacy, digital literacy, information literacy, and
technological literacy, among others. Examples of these literacies are
creating and editing audio; using social memang sites to connect with
colleagues and grow professionally; and compiling a digital e-pornon for
professional development. Others include detecting plagiarized works in
learners assignment, using digital assessment tools to create quizzes,
using blogs and wikis to create online platforms for learners, exploiting
digital images for classroom use, using video content to
engage
learners, and using infographics to visually stimulate learners.
: Multi-specialist – With the central goal of K to 12 education
to develop holistic learners, it is a basic attribute of teachers
to be multispecialist. They must not only be expert in a single
 subject area but they have to expand their knowledge in other
disciplines so as to make a good integration of all learners' learning
and experiences. Holistic development is ensured once learners are
taught to see the connection of their learning and experiences in
science, math, social studies, etc. The K to 12 curriculum requires that after
separately teaching learners with Math, Science, Edukasyon Sa
Pagpapakatao, Social Studies, and the like, they are capable of
synthesizing all what they have learned in one unified and integrated
concept. This is to show that life is not composed of bits and pieces of
things and neither is it a fragmented learning and experiences. Life is all
about putting and weaving together all human experiences and
learning into meaningful insight and wisdom through application and
synthesis. Multi-skilled – Teachers must not just be skilful in
teaching. They have to possess more than one skill
particularly those which ensure integrating teaching and learning process.
Examples of skills that K to 12 teachers have to be competent with are
along video conferencing. computer security knowledge, electronic
presentation skills, web navigation skills as well as facilitating and
organizing groups and activities as well as data base skills and email
management skills. All of these skills are needed to teach 21st century
learners who are called digital natives or born with the
technology. Self-directed – Teachers must be able to direct their own
learning by continuing their personal and professional learning needs throughout
their lives. They must bring into fulfilment the intended
outcomes of
education for their learners and to the country as a whole
SUA

Lifelong learner – Teaching is twice learning. This necessitates K to

12 teachers to nu an endless quest for knowledge so as to continuously
improve their teaching as well as the learners' learning. They must be
updated on the latest trends and developments includin current issues and
problems in their field. In short, they become lifelong learners when the learn to
 adapt to the changes required of their profession.
Flexible - The K to 12 education, being a learner-centered
educational reform, compels teachers to adapt to diverse learning styles
and needs of the learners. A classroom made un of 40 learners requires
40 different methods and strategies of addressing their unique learning
needs and styles. There is no best strategy or single approach that
fits all learners. Being a flexible teacher is also important because the
classroom is never a static environment It is rather a dynamic
environment that changes depending on the lesson, type of learning
activity, interest, and motivation of the learners.
Creative problem solver - Achieving quality education requires
that K to 12 teachers have to show competence in creative problem solving.
It starts from being able to accurately identify the problem to generating
ideas and offering solutions to the problems using innovative ideas. A
good teacher is one who provides creative solutions to the
problems and challenges of his life, profession and society. Critical
thinker - Critical thinking is a fundamental requirement of K to 12
education. It is the ability of teachers to improve the quality of their
thinking through reasoned judgement, reflective thoughts, self-
corrective, and self-disciplined manner. This attribute is very important
considering that one of the goals of K to 12 education is to develop
Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) among learners. They must
scaffold their learners to reach the highest levels of cognition which
are evaluating and creating.
Has passion for excellent teaching - K to 12 teachers must have
the desire and appetite to teach with excellence and quality. They have
 to show that there is thrill and pleasure in acquiring knowledge and skills.
This passion must contaminate the learners to learn and succeed in life.
The passion to teach for excellence allows teachers to journey from being
merely good to great in their teaching. This passion for excellent teaching
cannot be faked because it is something that is seen over a sustained
period of time. i.e from entrance to retirement in the profession.
High Emotional Quotient (EQ) – Being a K to 12 teacher does not solely
depend on intelligence quotient but it also relies heavily on one's
emotional quotient. There are numerous teachers who are intelligent
but they become ineffective because they are incapable of controlling their
own feelings and emotions which is imperative to guide them in their
thinking and actions inside the classroom. K to 12 teachers who have high
emotional quotient have the heart for teaching characterized by empathy,
respect, honesty, and tolerance to human differences.
Chapter 4 Highlights

MB AI

Itor

This chapter presents the Philippine Professional Standards for

Teachers, attributes of the K to 12 teachers, and the skills needed by the 21st century
learners. inrients the pre-service teachers on the competencies they need to develop in their career
as well as the skills they need to hone their learners. The following are the highlights of
the chapter. 1. Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST) is the new
National Compet!
Based Teacher Standards (NCBTS) that defines the professional
competencie possessed by Filipino teachers.
tandard
Quality teaching results to quality learning is the main concept of this new lean
 with its new feature- career stages for teachers. 2 There are
four main reasons for the paradigm shift from NCBTS to PPST,
namely a nu
12 Reform Program; (b) ASEAN Integration; (c) Globalization;
and (d) diverse Nature century learners.
it defines the professional competencies
that must be

ot 21st

4.

5.
The PPST has the following aims: (a) set out clear expectations
of teachers along well defined career stages of professional
development from beginning to distinguished practice; (b) engage
teachers to actively embrace a continuing effort in attaining proficiency;
and (c) apply a uniform measure to assess teacher performance,
identify needs, and provide support for professional development.
Like the NCBTS, the PPST still has seven domains but with
revisions, namely (a) Content Knowledge and Pedagogy; (b)
Learning Environment; (c) Diversity of Learners; (d) Curriculum and
 Planning; (e) Assessment and Reporting; (f) Community. Linkages
and Professional Engagement: and (g) Personal Growth and
Professional Development. These domains have thirty seven (37)
strands.
The Social Regard for Learning, which is Domain 1 in NCBTS, is
subsumed in other domains. The Domain 1 in PPST is titled Content
Knowledge and Pedagogy which requires the need to have requisite
knowledge and skills for beginning teachers. The PPST expounds
four career stages, namely (1) beginning teacher, (2) proficient
teacher, (3) highly proficient teacher, and (4) distinguished teacher.
Every career stage has corresponding descriptions. The career
stages are developmental in nature and exist on a quality continuim
6.

8.

Graduates need to possess four 21st Century Skills in

order to live meaningfully in this world,
mely (a) Effective Communication Skill – ways of
thinking; (b) Learning and Innovation Skill - ways of
working; (c) Information, media and technology skill –
tools for working; and (d) Life and career skill – ways of
living in the world. Congruently, these are the
competencies to be first developed and demonstrated
by the teachers if they so desire to imbue their learners
with lifelong skills. To become an effective K to 12
teacher, one must be (a) multi-literate; (b) multi-
specialist; (c) multi-skilled; (d) self-directed; (e) life-long
learner; (f) flexible; (g) creative problem solver; (h)
critical thinker; (i) has passion for excellent teaching;
and. (i) high emotional quotient.
10.