21st Century Learning

That’s one of the phrases I keep hearing – along with “user-generated content” and “participatory culture”.  Yes- the old hierarchy ( I know you are tired of hearing me say this!) has toppled.  We can’t trust “the media” because information comes from the bottom up now, instead of from trusted published and peer-reviewed authority.

So,  my top priority as a teacher librarian today is teaching responsibility for critical evaluation of media and teaching what the ALA standards call “a disposition in action”.  This includes curiosity, a personal quest for meaning, ethics (they are not dead!) and an appreciation for all genres- surprise! literature is alive and well.

This makes us ask, what  is the difference between these new 21st century standards and the traditional standards for learning throughout the past centuries?

Well….the old standards valued the linear timeline of acquired knowledge and skills. The new GOLDEN traits for the future are adaptability and flexibility.  After over 20 years experience in education, I can attest to the importance of these traits today because every time I get a new skill down pat- version 6.7 comes along and I have to start all over. 

Listen to this tip (I repeat),  if you want to succeed as a learner in the future:

The golden traits of 21st century learning are adaptability and flexibility (assuming you actually want to learn).