Benlac U1 L3

Topic 3.
21st Century Literacy Skills
Learning Objectives
At the end the lesson, you are expected to:
1. explain the features and critical attributes of the 21st century skills; and,
2. synthesize importance of literacy skills to individuals
Presentation of Content
What do you need to know about 21st century literacy?
Photo from: https://www.battelleforkids.org/networks/p21
21st century literacy has all the higher order thinking skills combined. As a
student, you need to remember that in order for you to be called 21 st century-
literate, which is expected of you, you need to have that ability of critically
evaluating how reliable any information is that you encounter in reading or
listening. In that way, once you filtered the information objectively, then you can
already qualify to the construction of knowledge that is guided with scientific
approaches.
To be a 21st century literate does not happen just like that. You have to
remember that it builds on the foundation of the traditional literacy that you were
once taught in your early years of schooling -the essentialist, they say, would
know: reading, writing and ‘rithmetic (basic mathematics). Without you having
rich bank of knowledge on those literacies, it would be impossible for you to
construct new forms of knowledge built and processed after rigorous scientific
methods.
The kind of student you are in the 21st century is one who keeps learning
and doing more than how it was in the past. You may have already done great
accomplishments when you were able to read, write, compute and argue. That is
good. That is given. But more importantly, you have to have more of new
literacy skills, such as critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and multi-cultural
awareness (NCTE, 2008; Wagner, 2008; Grubb, 2003, p. 3; Sagan, 1996, p.
325).
There are three major categories of 21st Century Literacy, adapted from Stauffer
(2020), as shown below:
Photo taken from: https://www.aeseducation.com/blog/what-

are- 21st-century-skills
CATEGORY 1
Learning skills, otherwise known as 4 C’s,

teaches students about the mental processes
required to adapt and improve in a modern
work environment.
These skills vary in terms of importance,

depending on your individual career
aspirations. But, in simple terms, such as the
following, you can differentiate between and
among the 4 Cs.
● Critical thinking: You find solutions

to problems.
● Creativity: You think outside the box
● Collaboration: You work with others.
● Communication: You exchange

information with others.
Critical thinking is a very

important skill a teacher must have. As for
you who will be future teacher, you need to
have this. There will come some times when you will have to face
different kinds of problems in your classroom, among your students or
so. And when you will soon be faced with such, you need to sort things
out and make something fruitful or meaningful out of the problem. Or
now that you are learning without the supervision of your teachers,
critical thinking is there to let you figure out stuff for yourselves.
Creativity is equally important as a means of adaptation.

This skill empowers you to see concepts in a different light,
which leads to innovation. In any field, innovation is key to
making more of what may be less. Your chosen profession, teaching,
requires much of this especially in terms of making resources possible for
learners, and in terms of making learning a fun and a memorable experience
to students. If you want to develop creativity as a skill you can own, you
have to understand that things change. If you want to be that future teacher
who wants to be loved in your ways of teaching, you should put in mind that
as you grow old, generations are also changing, and so should be your ways
of teaching, still relevant and timely for your present age of learners.
Collaboration means getting students to work together,

achieve compromises, and get the best possible results
from solving a problem. This may be the most difficult
concept in the four C’s. But once it’s mastered, it can
bring groups of people back on shape. The key element of collaboration is
willingness. For you to successfully collaborate with others, you have to take
note that there are some of your ideas that you should sacrifice and not insist.
You have to be welcoming of suggestions that may better the results of your
activity.
Communication is the glue that brings all of these

educational qualities together. It is a requirement for
anyone or any organization to maintain productivity and
profitability. It’s crucial for students, like you, to learn
how to effectively convey ideas. Much more when you are already a
practicing teacher, you need to master how it is to deliver ideas effectively
among different personality types. If you are able to do that now, that you are
still preparing, then, you have the potential to avoid of even eliminate
confusion in your future classes.
You should remember that without understanding proper communication,

students in the 21st century will lack a pivotal skill to progress their future
careers.
After you have understood the four learning skills, you are up to understand
information that you receive or encounter; thus, the literacy skills as follows:
CATEGORY 2
Literacy skills (IMT) focuses on how students

can discern facts, publishing outlets, and the
technology behind them.
There’s a strong focus on determining

trustworthiness and reliability of sources and
information to separate factual from fake news or
falsified information flooding the internet.
They’re sometimes called IMT skills, and they are

each concerned with a different element in digital
comprehension.
• Information literacy: Understanding facts,

figures, statistics, and data
• Media literacy: Understanding the methods

and outlets in which information is published
• Technology literacy: Understanding the

machines that make the information age
possible
Information literacy is the foundational skill, especially

during this time when learning materials are accessed
online. If you have this literacy, it would help you
understand facts that you encounter online. More
importantly, it teaches you how to separate fact from fiction. It is crucial
these days for you, students to identify and filter honesty on their own.
Otherwise, you can fall prey to myths, misconceptions, and outright lies.
Media literacy is the practice of identifying publishing methods, outlets,
and sources while distinguishing between the ones that are credible and the
ones that are not. Just like the previous skill, media literacy is helpful for
finding truth in a world that’s saturated with information. With media
literacy, your perspective as students it to search
for trustworthy information, and not just settle for
taking what seems credible, credible.
Technology literacy goes another step further

to teach students about the machines involved in the information age. As
computers, cloud programming, and mobile devices become more important
to the world, the world needs more people to understand those concepts.
With technology literacy, you are given the basic information you need to
understand what gadgets perform certain tasks, its hows and whys. It is about
understanding how technology works on purpose. You might even be one of
its future creators or breed developers once you have embraced learning its
deeper know-how and technicalities.
Now, you are already reminded of how it is to be well-informed and to be prudent

about information, media and technology. Being literate in any of these does not mean
you are already 21st century holistic. There is more to keep you rounded with the 21st
literacy skills.
CATEGORY 3
Life skills (FLIPS) take a look at intangible elements

of a student’s everyday life. These intangibles focus on
both personal and professional qualities.
These skills pertain to someone’s personal life, but they

also bleed into professional settings.
● Flexibility: When you shift or deviate from

plans as needed
● Leadership: When you motivate someone or a

group of people to accomplish a goal
● Initiative: When you start projects, strategies,

and plans on your own, with full dependence on
the self
● Productivity: When you maintain efficiency

even during times of distractions
● Social skills: When you meet and network with

others for mutual benefit
Do you think you already have at least any of those? If

you are not sure, read through and evaluate it to
yourself whether you have it, or you need to rediscover
it for your own advantage.
Flexibility is the expression of someone’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

Perhaps, this is one of the most challenging qualities to learn for students because it’s
based on two uncomfortable ideas:
1. Your way isn’t always the best way.

2. You have to know and admit when you are wrong.
That’s a struggle for most of you, especially in your generation when you
can know any bit of information at the drop of a hat
Flexibility requires you to show humility and accept that you will always
have something to learn even when you think you have already come across
it. You have to remember that a secret to a long-term success in your chosen
profession is flexibility. In whatever organization you may be in, in the
future, there will be circumstances that will challenge you on how you react
and adapt with changes.
Leadership is someone’s preference for

setting goals, walking a team through the steps
required, and achieving those goals
collaboratively. Whether you are a newbie or a
seasoned employee, a subordinate or a boss,
everyone, in any profession needs leadership skills for several reasons. Once
you have this skills, you have a better way of understanding the decisions of
people under you or over you. It may be of a help to see how it is for any of
you, in whatever position because one day, you might also experience being
on top, and by then, you already have learned enough of the things you
should maintain or avoid.
That gives ambitious students, like you, the expertise you need to grow
professionally and lead whole corporations.Leadership alone isn’t enough to
get ahead though.
Initiative is a pre-requisite to any start. Not

everybody has this, naturally. Some people just need
to learn it. And you, students, are not exempt to the
ones needing to learn this. This must be one of the
hardest skills to learn and practice, especially now that
you are self-learning or home-schooling. No one in authority is watching
over you. That means, you are on your comfort zone. You only do as required
in your classes. You may not even do more. But, if you have initiative, you
can actually make your quarantine classes productive. You can read other
materials to aid your learning. You can still put your best to try understanding
concepts no matter how difficult they may seem. That is initiative. You are
doing more than what is required. No one may serve a witness except
yourself. Sometimes, it’s spending an extra 30 minutes before sleep,
wrapping up things learned within a day in any subject. No one sees you
doing this except yourself.
On some notes, this skill usually earns rewards. But you must check your
intention once you show off your initiative. Are you doing something our of
your character to do as you deem needed or are you eyeing for something as
a reward? Remember, initiative also speaks of your ethics.
Productivity. Your ability to complete work

in an appropriate amount of time. It is getting
MORE done in LESS time. If you understand
strategies concerning production, you are being
equipped with better ways of gaining more. That
also means you have become efficient in terms of flexibility, leadership, and
initiative.
Social skills make the success story of any

person a continuum. You are to become a teacher.
There is no way you should not be socially-
skilled. You will not be able to build harmonious
relationship inside your classroom if you do not have enough of these social
skills. In fact, if you have these, you can be an excellent teacher who will
forge long-lasting relationships.
As students, social skills do not only concern the way you relate with
your teacher or parents. They also have a strong reminder on matters of
etiquette, manners, politeness, and small talk. That means some students (you
might wanna consider yourself) need to learn them in an educational setting
instead of a social setting (not in Facebook, Instagram or twitter).
For you, it’s another skill to add to your lives.

Application:
Reflect on the following pictures with captions and relate which of the 21st century
skills is concerned. Explain by citing examples. Use atleast 50-100 words.
1.
2.
Feedback
Evaluate yourself in terms of the 21st century skills by using the checklist below.
After doing the checklist, discuss which of the specific skills you consider are
priorities for development, the soonest time possible.
I have the
skill in this area but still need improveme nt
My skill in
I do not this area is well- developed
21st Century have this skill yet
Skills
Creativity
Collaboration Critical Thinking Communication Information Media Technology Fl

Social Skill
Reflection
Cite at least three skills you consider are priorities you need to develop on.
Discuss your top priorities and give reasons. Use at least 100-150 words.
Using the concept map below, synthesize the importance of atleast five skills to
you as a future licensed professional teacher.
21st century skills
and ME
CLOSURE
Good Job! This time, try your 21st century skills and do the activity below.
. Activity 1. LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!
Today, you are the superstar, and so get ready for the camera. Now,
write a short story on how literacy helped you become the person
you are today, and the person you will become in the future and
then use it to create a vlog.
References
Barber, J. P. (2012). Integration of learning: A grounded theory analysis of college
students' learning. American Educational Research Journal 49(3): 590-617.
Dunn, D. S., Saville, B. K., Baker, S. C., & Marek, P. ( 2013) Evidence-based
teaching: Tools and techniques that promote learning in the psychology classroom.
Australian Journal of Psychology 65: 5–13.
Fish, S. (2011). How to write a sentence and how to read one. New York: Harper.
Solmerano, E. ( 2019. Adventures in 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and
the World
References:
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). (2008, Nov 19). The NCTE
definition of 21st century literacies. Retrieved
from http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/21stcentframework .
Stauffer, B. (2020). What are 21st century skills. Applied Educational Systems.
Retrieved from: https://www.aeseducation.com/blog/what-are-21st-century-
skills
SEAMEO Innotech. (2012). Flexible Learning Solutions Unit. Retrieved from:
http://iflex.innotech.org

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Topic 3.

21st Century Literacy Skills

Photo from: https://www.battelleforkids.org/networks/p21

Photo taken from: https://www.aeseducation.com/blog/what-

Learning skills, otherwise known as 4 C’s,

These skills vary in terms of importance,

● Critical thinking: You find solutions

● Creativity: You think outside the box

● Collaboration: You work with others.

● Communication: You exchange

Critical thinking is a very

Creativity is equally important as a means of adaptation.

Collaboration means getting students to work together,

Communication is the glue that brings all of these

You should remember that without understanding proper communication,

Literacy skills (IMT) focuses on how students

There’s a strong focus on determining

They’re sometimes called IMT skills, and they are

• Information literacy: Understanding facts,

• Media literacy: Understanding the methods

• Technology literacy: Understanding the

Information literacy is the foundational skill, especially

Technology literacy goes another step further

Now, you are already reminded of how it is to be well-informed and to be prudent

Life skills (FLIPS) take a look at intangible elements

These skills pertain to someone’s personal life, but they

● Flexibility: When you shift or deviate from

● Leadership: When you motivate someone or a

● Initiative: When you start projects, strategies,

● Productivity: When you maintain efficiency

● Social skills: When you meet and network with

Do you think you already have at least any of those? If

Flexibility is the expression of someone’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

1. Your way isn’t always the best way.

Leadership is someone’s preference for

Initiative is a pre-requisite to any start. Not

Productivity. Your ability to complete work

Social skills make the success story of any

For you, it’s another skill to add to your lives.

Collaboration Critical Thinking Communication Information Media Technology Fl

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